The Immigrants' Children by Polina Olsen

The Immigrants' Children by Polina Olsen

In the early 1900s, thousands of Eastern European Jews and Italians settled in a Portland, Oregon neighborhood known as South Portland. Since first writing A Walking Tour of Historic Jewish Portland author Polina Olsen has conducted numerous tape-recorded interviews with people who grew up in the community. Now, Olsen has collected and edited their memories in a new book, The Immigrants' Children, an Oral History of Portland, Oregon's Early Jewish & Italian Neighborhood. An organized effort to disperse Eastern European Jews around the country, the end of the railroad line and failed homesteading attempts were among the reasons immigrants ended up in Portland. In Olsen's book, people describe how their parents and grandparents left or often fled Europe and their day-to-day life once they settled. They recall seven synagogues within walking distance, the neighborhood Roma (Gypsies), Yiddish movie theaters, boarding houses and ethnic markets. In the Working chapter, people reminisce about junk peddlers, shopkeepers, and wine making during Prohibition. Several people remembered political organizations such as the local branch of ICOR, a Soviet attempt to create a Jewish homeland in Siberia. Although a 1960's urban renewal project destroyed much of the neighborhood, those who lived there remember it fondly. The Immigrants' Children, An Oral History of Portland, Oregon's Early Jewish & Italian Neighborhood, tells their story in their own words.

Olsen, Polina: - Polina Olsen writes a Looking Back column for the Jewish Review newspaper and contributes to several local and national publications. She also leads walking tours of the historic Jewish and Italian immigrant district during the summer months. Mrs. Olsen grew up in New York and moved to Oregon in 1977. She is a University of Oregon graduate in computer science and worked for high technology companies for more than twenty years. She traveled throughout Asia and South America for several years and lived in England with her British husband, Andy.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780978718312
ISBN 10	0978718313
Title	The Immigrants' Children
Author	Polina Olsen
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Smart Talk Publications
Year published	2017-11-03
Number of pages	94
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.