2. Toisella puolella kaupunkia olivat aikanaan köyhimpien asumukset, joista vasemmalla esimerkkikuva (Lähde: The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 15, February 18, 1897). Suomalaisista kaupungin asukkaista löytyy (tietenkin useita mainintoja. Jakob Riisin klassikossa How the other half lives vuodelta 1890 suomalaiset ovat muiden kansojen joukossa:
Dots and dashes of color here and there would show where the Finnish sailors worship their djumala (God), the Greek pedlars the ancient name of their race, and the Swiss the goddess of thrift. And so on to the end of the long register, all toiling together in the galling fetters of the tenement.Lehdessä Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 26, October, 1880 julkaistussa kertomuksessa Studies in the slums. IV Jan of the north on suomalainen äänessä:
I looked to where he pointed. On the wall, near the small looking-glass, hung a round cap with hanging fox's tail—such a cap as the half-bloods of our north-western forests wear, and the peasants of the European North as well. Jan smiled as he saw my puzzled look. "It iss vy I say I vill tell it all," he went on in his grave, steady voice. "Ven I see dat it iss to see de North. For, see, it vas not alvays I am in de city. No. It iss true I am many years in Stockholm, but I am not Swede: I am Finn—yes, true Finn—and know my own tongue vell, and dat iss vat some Finns vill nefer do. I haf learn to read Swedish, for I must. Our own tongue iss not for us, but I learn it, and Brita dere, she know it too. Brita iss of Helsingfors, and I am of de country far out, but I come dere vid fur, for I hunt many months each year. Den I know Brita, and ve marry, and I must stay in de city, and I am strong; and first I am porter, but soon dey know I read and can be drusted, and it iss china dat I must put in boxes all day, and I know soon how to touch it so as it nefer break.
"But dere is not money. My Brita iss born, and little Jan, and I dink alvay, 'I must haf home vere dey may know more;' and all de days it iss America dat dey say iss home for all, and much money—so much no man can be hungry, and vork iss for all. Brita iss ready, and soon ve come, and all de children glad. Yes, dere are six, and good children dat lofe us, and I say efery day, 'Oh, my God, but you are so good! and my life lofes you, for so much good I haf.' Brita too iss happy. She vork hard, but ve do not care, and ve dink, 'Soon ve can rest a little, for it iss not so hard dere as here;' and ve sail to America.Otsikkoihin suomalaiset pääsivät New Yorkissa viimeistään syksyllä 1905, jolloin The Sun julkaisi lähes puolen sivun katsauksen.
There are about 15,000 Finns living in New York and its vicinity, some 300,000 in the whole country. They arrive at this port at the rate of from two to four hundred a week. [...]
The 15,000 Finns in this vicinity are distributed among Brooklyn, New York, Hoboken and Jersey City. The largest numbers are carpenters and cabinet makers, next railroad track hands, painters, tailors, miscellaneous tradesmen and day laborers.
The New York colony lives mainly in the The Bronx. South Brooklyn has a colony with its own church, newspaper and various shops. The jeweler sells watches engraved with pictures of reindeer. The toymaker carves snowshoes for the children. The druggist dispenses balsam extracts from home.
E. J. Antell is editor of the Finnish American, a weekly newspaper that lately lost 600 subscribers through its being forbidden in Finland. [...]
Pastors Emil Panelius, K. E. Lindstrom, M. Josefson and G. Blomgren are leading lights of the clergy hereabouts. None of these conducted the colony famed prayer meeting when the devout came with rifles in lieu of hymn books.
Dr. J. Hoving of 262 Lenox Avenue, Manhattan is acknowledged as one of the best Finnish physicians. He is a tall, stalwart man and tells very calmly how he fled from Helsingfors because detected in the crime of receiving smuggled literature.[...]
Alex Hornborg, agent of the Finland Steam Navigation company, is a blue eyed, jolly old man with a white chin beard. He is like a father to the young immigrants that come trooping into his office laden with bundles, bags and valises. He starts them on railroad journeys to the West or sees that they have a safe place to go until relatives arrive to meet them.
It is delightful to see the rainbow costumes of the young ladies that sit demure or blushing in the company's office. A red skirt, an olive green waist and mauve hat is a popular combination. The hat has plentiful feathers.
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