memoirs by immigrants

KimberlyGG · Aug 1, 2013

I'm writing a YA historical mystery told from the POV of a 17-year-old Argentine girl living in 1950s U.S.

Does anyone know of any memoirs written by immigrants about their experiences coming to the U.S. during the 40s and 50s? I'd love to make her voice as authentic as possible, but my searches are coming up empty.

TIA!

Lil · Aug 1, 2013

I can't help you with any specific suggestions, but there were a lot of refugees and DPs (displaced persons) arriving then. Elie Weisel, for example, came to New York during the 1950s. That might be a way to search.

snafu1056 · Aug 3, 2013

The big immigrant influx in New York at that time was Puerto Ricans. Maybe try searching for some memoirs of Puerto Rican immigrants. Not the same as Argentinans, but maybe close enough to give you the general idea.

A good movie to watch to get a feel of New York in that period is the Naked City (1948). It was filmed on location in Manhattan in a quasi-documentary style. It's a great authentic snapshot of the city in that era. Might help inspire you.

KimberlyGG · Aug 5, 2013

snafu1056 said:
The big immigrant influx in New York at that time was Puerto Ricans. Maybe try searching for some memoirs of Puerto Rican immigrants. Not the same as Argentinans, but maybe close enough to give you the general idea.

A good movie to watch to get a feel of New York in that period is the Naked City (1948). It was filmed on location in Manhattan in a quasi-documentary style. It's a great authentic snapshot of the city in that era. Might help inspire you.

THANK YOU!

frimble3 · Aug 5, 2013

If you can't find memoirs, try oral histories. Collections of interviews with people of the target time/place wouldn't give you one person's complete story, but might give a general sense of people's lives. I'm sorry, the only ones I know aren't from New York.

memoirs by immigrants

KimberlyGG

Lil

snafu1056

KimberlyGG

frimble3

Heckuva good sport