Read this excerpt from Immigrant Kids, by Russell
Freedman,
The purpose of this excerpt is to help readers
understand immigrants
Immigrants usually crossed the Atlantic as steerage
passengers Reached by steep, slippery stairways, the
steerage lay deep down in the hold of the ship. It was
occupied by passengers paying the lowest fare.
Men, women, and children were packed into dark, foul-
smelling compartments. They slept in narrow bunks
stacked three high. They had no showers, no lounges,
and no dining rooms,
O unsafe living conditions,
o uncomfortable travel conditions,
O unhealthy meal choices,
O unhappy family lives,