The path to the new world was a long, hard journey for European Jews. They had to endure many hardships, with everything culminating to passing a physical examination and getting their passport stamped in order to be allowed entry into America. America was seen as the land of opportunity for many Jews, and 5 out of every 6 Jewish immigrants decided to settle in Manhattan, primarily on the lower east side. The lower east side of Manhattan was a very congested area, and considered to be the slum of New York. Out of the poverty, and over population, however, arose a movement among young Jewish women. The ‘Ghetto Girl’ revolutionized not only how young Jewish women thought, but more importantly changed the mindset of what it meant to be a young,
…show more content…
It was a term used as a stereotype for young women who stuck out from the crowd. These women, normally, were single, independent, and worked to support their extended families. They were heavily criticized for wearing cheap bright clothing, wearing bright makeup and spending money on themselves. People viewed these women as a group of individuals that did not know their traditional place in society. The people who criticized these young women, believed that their place was in the house, taking care of their family. They viewed these young Jewish girls as being too consumer orientated and materialistic.
The question that arises from learning about these criticisms is, what exactly lead young Jewish women, from the lower east side, to be so highly …show more content…
These young, independent women wanted to eventually escape the poverty of the lower east side. Along with gaudy outfits that made them stick out from the crowd of the lower east side, these women tried to gain as much sophistication as possible. One major area that these women attempted to master was music. Learning to play a musical instrument, primarily the piano, became a major ambition for many young Jewish women. Mastering a musical instrument was considered an outward sign of refinement and sophistication. Also, traditionally in Europe, playing a musical instrument implied that you were of a higher class, since it showed you had time to practice your
It was a term used as a stereotype for young women who stuck out from the crowd. These women, normally, were single, independent, and worked to support their extended families. They were heavily criticized for wearing cheap bright clothing, wearing bright makeup and spending money on themselves. People viewed these women as a group of individuals that did not know their traditional place in society. The people who criticized these young women, believed that their place was in the house, taking care of their family. They viewed these young Jewish girls as being too consumer orientated and materialistic.
The question that arises from learning about these criticisms is, what exactly lead young Jewish women, from the lower east side, to be so highly …show more content…
These young, independent women wanted to eventually escape the poverty of the lower east side. Along with gaudy outfits that made them stick out from the crowd of the lower east side, these women tried to gain as much sophistication as possible. One major area that these women attempted to master was music. Learning to play a musical instrument, primarily the piano, became a major ambition for many young Jewish women. Mastering a musical instrument was considered an outward sign of refinement and sophistication. Also, traditionally in Europe, playing a musical instrument implied that you were of a higher class, since it showed you had time to practice your