Kristina, 1904: The Greenhorn Girl

Kristina's story demonstrates that while travel, technology, and native country origins have changed, the reasons for coming to America, the struggles and sacrifices to be made, and the courage it requires of an immigrant are still quite similar.  With all the multicultural materials available, today’s newcomers may never realize that their neighbors’ great grandparents went through many of the same experiences that they themselves face as recent newcomers. Kristina is the oldest child of a large, hungry family in Slovakia.  She arrives in America after a harrowing voyage in steerage, a nerve-wracking set of examinations at Ellis Island, and a tearful reunion with her mother, who pioneered the way to the U.S. two years before.  Kristina’s first job as a live-in babysitter and dishwasher results in her being exploited and to her hunger continuing.  She is in constant danger of losing her next job as a lady’s maid because she cannot communicate with her demanding employer as they have no