In the document, Mary Antin Describes Life in Polozk and Boston, 1890, Mary Antin was a Russian Jewish immigrant who wrote about the experiences of many immigrant women at the turn of the twentieth century. While their mother shouldered alone the burden of caring for the family, Antin and her elder sister found themselves apprenticed out to work. After three long years, their father managed to save enough to send for his wife and children. In the early spring of 1894, Esther Antin and her children left Polozk bound for Boston. While America never did deliver on its dream of prosperity to Israel Antin—his various business ventures generally failed—it did deliver on its promise of equal opportunity. Education kept the American dream alive for
