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Anna Alvang's Birth and Intro. Life Story
My name is Anna Alvang. I was born on February 16, 1889. I was born in Russia on a very sunny day. I was a pudgy little baby, and my parents left me when I was 2. I was left with my older sister, Mara, and she raised me until I was 16. We lived in a small shack in Russia. She provided food for me, and she raised me well. Unfortunately, she died when I turned 10, and I had to raise myself until I was 13. I eventually decided to come to Ellis Island. -
Historical Event #1
Today I was going to immigrate to the United States. I was headed for the immigration station. I wanted to be able to get a job so I could provide for myself and my family. I went through the extensive process, and the officers there said they had to keep me overnight because they were sure I had an illness. They said it was called trachoma. They kept me in a room with many other immigrants. They flipped my eyelids inside out. But they let me go to New York because they said I didn't have it. -
Historical Event #2
Today I went to work. Everything was going great all day. We were making 10 blouses an hour, and we were doing it fast. In the afternoon of that day, we experienced a raging fire. One of the sewing machines malfunctioned and blew up.
It was very hard to escape, because there was only one working elevator, and one fire escape which was being burnt to a crisp outside of our window. I was one of the lucky women to escape. Others were not so lucky, and they were never seen after that fire. -
Historical Event #3
Today I got arrested. I was looking for money, and I would do anything to get it. I was out of work until the next year because of the fire. I met a gang leader, and he offered to pay me a small fortune if I would just steal some jewelry out of the tenement down the street. I did take the jewelry and delivered it to him. I got caught and went to jail. They took my "mug shot" but I was later let go because I was never convicted of my crime. I didn't even get my money from that gang leader. -
Historical Event #4
Today I was beaten. I was walking home from work down the alley near my tenement, and I was beaten by large white men in black hoodies. They beat me until I was bruised and bloody, and I was left there on the ground. I had to crawl back to my tenement with the only little bit of strength I had left on the filthy ground. It was torture, and my wounds got infected. I had to treat them myself, and they eventually healed. I didn't even know why they beat me. I hadn't done anything to hurt them. -
Historical Event #5
Today I went to work. I got back into it after they relocated my company to another building down the street. But today was not a normal work day. We were robbed by a gang, and they took all of the supplies we had. They took the sewing machines, the fabric, and anything else they could find. There was barely anything left. They even beat some of the women I worked with because they tried to fight back. But they didn't beat me. Some officers came in and ordered them out. No one was killed. -
Historical Event #6
Today I contracted a deadly illness. I got it from living in a dirty neighborhood in my tenement. The streets were always filthy; They were covered with human and animal waste, food scraps, and dead animals and people. I got very sick, and I had to stay inside for an entire 2 weeks. I couldn't go outside because it was very contagious. After another week or so, I eventually died. (Written by Anna's husband.)
