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Birth in dubland ireland
My name is Amanda Smith i was born into a family of 4 children, me being the only girl. Life in ireland as a child was very Complicated i was born into special pressure and demands. I was demanded to finish school and become professional, My parents wanted me to embrace and remember where i came from. We immigrated to america to form a "better life" with the hopes of gaining more money. The purpose of me writing this autobiography is
to inform people about life as an immigrant. -
Finding jobs
When i was 5 yeras old, i remember my parents struggling to keep us children fed. Everday was a battle of finding our next meal, my parents did whatever they possibly could to meet the needs of us children. Jobs were very difficult to find in ireland, especially when you have 5 children. My mom always said "it's not about being wealthy, it's about being well taken care of." Whenever we were in need of money, we didn't give up as a family. Eventually my parents found jobs, but they didn't last. -
The move
After about a year of my parents searching for jobs we decided to immigrate to Ellis island in search of work. The move itself wasnt the hard part, leaving ireland was. I had friends and family there who i was going to miss very much. We traveled to Ellis Island on a ferry. It was crammed with people who were also on their way to Ellis Island as well as us. The trip took about 2 weeks, but it seemed like much longer. It was hot and sticky. -
Immigrant station
When we got to the immigrant station we were pushed through security, and set aside waiting to load the ferry. The amount of people surrounding me was crazy! I got lost a few times in the crowd of people. We waited at the station for a few hours until everyone was through security, than we started loading the ferry. Pushing through the enrty way i lost sight of my family. -
Heading to Ellis Island
On the way to Ellis island all i could think about was the hopes of my parents being able to get jobs. Aside from the heat and cramped spaces, the ferry ride wasn't all that bad. The two week trip gave me the time to think about whatever came to my mind... Mostly ireland. I missed ireland already, but i knew it was time to have a fresh start and live life better than how we lived it in ireland. Ellis Island would meet many of our needs. -
Arriving at Ellis Island
As we pulled up to Ellis Island the curiosity was eating away at me. My first glance at what they call the "statue of liberty" was breath taking! I have never seen anything like it before in my life! It was pure beauty. As i was caught up in the view i guess i wasn't paying attention to where i was walking because i got knocked of my feet and landed on the ground. The crowd of people were rushing to the exit to get on land. The sea sick people were the first ones off of course. -
New life
Finding jobs at Ellis Island were easier than my parents expacted. We moved into our new house and life was falling into place. My mom got a job as a maid and my dad got a job working in feild. The pay was great said my dad. Our life is complate i really enjoy it here.
