How the Other Half Lived: A Trip to the Tenement Museum

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

I'm a fifth grade teacher in the East Harlem section of New York City. My students and/or their parents hail from places like Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Grenada and Jamaica. As an American Jew whose family emigrated from Russia in the early 20th century, I have discussed what motivated my family to immigrate to America with my students in social studies class. We've talked about what people might have carried in their suitcases and in their hearts, regardless of their country of origin, to adapt to and adopt their new home. Living in New York City, it's important for children to learn about how the other half lived in the tenements of the Lower East Side. Too often children think that the way it is now is the way it was then, which is not true. Therefore, I think it's important for my students to visit the Tenement Museum, located in Manhattan's Lower East Side, so they can really get an idea of what life was like at in the Late 1800's and Early 1900's. First, I'd like for my students to experience the Tenement Museum's Confino Program, which is a living history program that focuses on 1916 and the Sephardic-Jewish Confino family. A costumed interpreter, playing young Victoria Confino, will welcome my students if they are new immigrants who have just arrived on the Lower East Side. During the program, my kids will touch items in the apartment, try on period clothing and talk to Victoria about her life on the Lower East Side. Issues such as family, assimilation, cultural identity and the role of community will be discussed. Next, my students will take a one-hour walking tour of the Lower East Side, led by an educator from the Tenement Museum. This rich look at the neighborhood, which remains a vital immigrant portal, will explore the public spaces and historic buildings that newcomers shaped and continue to shape. This program meets the following New York State Social Studies standards: History of the U.S. & New York, World History and Civics, Citizenship & Government. Further, this workshop promotes cultural understanding. Finally, since all fifth graders in NY State are required to take a standardized Social Studies Test, I know this experience will provide them with an extra means to be successful on all questions dealing with this time period and the issue of immigration. Please help me bring this extraordinary educational opportunity to my students. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity.