Chapter I: Front Matter

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Transcriber’s note:

Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).

IMPORTED AMERICANS

IMPORTED AMERICANS

The story of the experiences of a disguised American and his wife studying the immigration question ❧ ❧ ❧ ❧

by

BROUGHTON BRANDENBURG

With sixty-six illustrations from photographs by the author

New York · Frederick A. Stokes Company · Publishers

Copyright, 1903, 1904, By Frank Leslie Publishing House

Copyright, 1904, By Frederick A. Stokes Company

This edition published in August, 1904

_This volume is dedicated to my brave little wife,
who endured with heroism conditions that, while not
unbearable for me, were superlative hardships for a
woman of delicacy and refinement._

_B. B._

_Clay Place, Mamaroneck,
June 23, 1904._

------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I THE IMPETUS AND THE METHOD 1

II LIFE IN A NEW YORK TENEMENT 7

III TO NAPLES IN THE STEERAGE OF THE _LAHN_ 25

IV CONDITIONS IN THE NEAPOLITAN ZONE 47

V IN THE ROMAN ZONE 61

VI IN THE HEEL AND TOE OF THE BOOT 71

VII GUALTIERI-SICAMINO AND THE SQUADRITO FAMILY 83

VIII THE SICILIAN COUNTRYSIDE 104

IX THE DEPARTURE 118

X FROM SICILY TO NAPLES 130

XI THROUGH THE CITY OF THIEVES 138

XII ROGUERY AND ILLITERACY 151

XIII THE EMBARKATION PROCESS 159

XIV THE VOYAGE 171

XV THE VOYAGE (_Continued_) 184

XVI NEARING THE GATE 198

XVII WITHIN THE PORTALS OF THE NEW WORLD 205

XVIII THROUGH ELLIS ISLAND 215

XIX THE DISPERSION 228

XX THE STRUGGLES OF THE GUALTIERI BOYS IN NEW YORK 238

XXI LEGISLATION AND EVASION 246

XXII WHAT TO DO WITH THE IMMIGRANT 297

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The Real Problem _Frontispiece_

The Tenement in Houston Street in which the Author
and his Wife lived (_The chimney-shadow marks their
room_) _Facing page_ 8

Mrs. Brandenburg in her wretched Tenement-room _Facing page_ 12

Life on the Steerage-passengers’ Deck on the _Lahn_ _Facing page_ 28

Preparing to Serve a Meal on the _Lahn_ from the
Food-tanks and Bread-baskets _Facing page_ 38

Peasant Types _Facing page_ 50

Mangling Hemp _Facing page_ 56

Morning in the Village and Vineyards _Facing page_ 64

Threshing Beans _Facing page_ 72

Scilla—Draught-oxen of Italy _Facing page_ 82

The Messenger—The Guide—The House of the
Squadritos—The Town (Gualtieri) _Facing page_ 90

Part of the Family gathered in the Kitchen (_From
left to right: Ina, Tono, Giovanina, Antonio, Mrs.
Squadrito, Giovanni, Jr., Nicola, Maria_)—Felicia
Pulejo—Concetta _Facing page_ 98

Visitors in the Author’s Room—Teresa di Bianca—The
Old Woman up the Valley—Shyness in Shawl and
Pattens—Small Children Labor in the Fields _Facing page_ 104

Giacomo Marini, the Municipal Secretary—Nicola
Squadrito at Work (_Carmelo Merlino at the right_) _Facing page_ 114

Ina and Her Friends in Procession to the Church for
Farewell Blessings _Facing page_ 124

DEPARTURE FROM GUALTIERI

“Declaring” in the Messina Office—Party’s Baggage on
Lighter—Friends, Neighbors and Relatives _Facing page_ 132

The Storied Vicolo del Pallonetto in Naples _Facing page_ 146

At the Doorway of the Capitaneria—Author’s Party on
the Quay _Facing page_ 162

MID-VOYAGE SCENES

Mora—Syrian Jews—Prostrated by the Swell—Children
Escaping Seasickness _Facing page_ 184

Half a Dozen Races on Common Ground—His Brothcup—The
Immigrant Madonna _Facing page_ 190

LIFE ABOARD THE _Prinzessin Irene_

Men’s Sleeping-quarters—Ladling out Food—The Purser
Hurling Passengers About—On the Fo’c’s’l-head _Facing page_ 194

Part of the Author’s Party—All Eyes to the Statue of
Liberty _Facing page_ 206

Croatians and Italians—Swedes Arriving—Loading the
Barges, New York _Facing page_ 210

Rushing Immigrants on Barges—Inspectors and
Immigrants at Ellis Island _Facing page_ 214

Stairway of Separation—Checking into Pens _Facing page_ 218

Excluded for Age—Waiting for Immigrant Friends _Facing page_ 222

The Immigrants’ Track Through Ellis Island, _Facing page_ 227

Mr. Broughton Brandenburg, as he Looked when He
Passed through Ellis Island as an Immigrant _Facing page_ 230

Stonington—The Barber-shop—The Squadrito House _Facing page_ 234

Night-porter’s Staff at Siegel-Cooper Company’s
(_Nunzio Giunta in front of post_) _Facing page_ 242

Nicola Curro at Work—Ina Americanized—Saint’s Figure,
covered with Bags of Money _Facing page_ 264

Nicola Curro Studying English in the Author’s Home in
New York _Facing page_ 280