Question

SHANA BLOOMSTEIN: I am American. Before my family even came, there were others that had settled here, loving the idea of a country that allowed all religions, a country that would give “bigotry no sanction,” in the words of George Washington at the 1790 Newport Hebrew Congregation. My family arrived in 1903, fleeing mob attacks against the Jews in Eastern Russia. They were poor, and spoke only Yiddish when they moved into New York’s Lower East Side. They went to work in some of the clothing factories owned by their predecessors. They were made fun of for speaking Yiddish, but were helped all the same and learned American ways. The factory where my great-great-grandfather worked was one of the first to have a labor union. (SILHOUETTES stop their dance.) My great-great-uncle opened one of the first movie theaters, called a Nickelodeon, in an abandoned building downtown. We all know what a success the movies became. (3RD SILHOUETTE pantomimes a tragic death.) Many people do not understand the Jewish faith. Many times in history we’ve been picked on and unfairly persecuted. But this country helped end the Holocaust. This country is my home. I am American. Question Use the following excerpt from the play I Am American to answer the question. Which sentence from the excerpt contributes to one of the central conflicts of the play, which is the difficult experiences immigrants must face and overcome in their new country? (1 point) Responses They were poor, and spoke only Yiddish when they moved into New York’s Lower East Side. They were poor, and spoke only Yiddish when they moved into New York’s Lower East Side. They went to work in some of the clothing factories owned by their predecessors. They went to work in some of the clothing factories owned by their predecessors. Many times in history we’ve been picked on and unfairly persecuted. Many times in history we’ve been picked on and unfairly persecuted. The factory where my great-great-grandfather worked was one of the first to have a labor union.

Answer 1

The sentence that contributes to one of the central conflicts of the play, which is the difficult experiences immigrants must face and overcome in their new country, is:

"They were poor, and spoke only Yiddish when they moved into New York’s Lower East Side."

This sentence highlights the challenges of poverty and language barriers that immigrants often encounter as they try to establish themselves in a new environment.