Svajone Kucinskas

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Svajone Kucinskas Lithuanian Immigrant 1868
us.hist ory.wisc.edu/.../lectures/lecture08.html
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Hardships
Reasons
Contributions
Artifact
Letter
Bibliography
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Reasons to Emigrate

• Famine in Lithuania from 1867-1868
• Husband wanted better life
• Set up house to receive parents and siblings
• Waiting jobs
• Political turmoil
• pogroms

www.bgnett.no/vinnes/ litauen/main.htm
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Hardships

• Poor food
• Little food
• Cramped space
• Sea sickness
• Securing safe passage

us.hist ory.wisc.edu/.../lectures/lecture08.html

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Lithuanian Contributions to America

• United Mine Workers of America
• Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America
• Bruce Bialiski, 1st Director of Federal Bureau
  of Investigation
• Actors Laurence Harvey, Charles Bronson, and
  actress Ruta Lee
• NFL players Johnny Unitas, quarterback, Dick
  Butkas, middle-line backer

www.fbi.gov/libref/ his toric/history/earlydays.
htm
www.oz.net/ daveb/ruta.htm
www.index.hr/forum/ topic.aspx?idforum49idto...
www.fbi.gov/libref/ his toric/history/earlydays.
htm
www.caasportsmarketing.com/ butkus002a.jpg
www.photofile.com/ navbar/nfl/LG/nfllg.htm
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Artifact
When Svajone got married, her mother gave her
Bubbes tea service set. This is a spoon from the
tea service. Svajone brought the tea service with
her to America to remind her of her home.
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Dearest Mamma, I miss you so very much. But I
trust Juozass choice to move to Baltimore
without you. You would love it here. Its so
close to the water, just like Klaipeda. The
journey over from Palanga was bad, Mamma. There
were many storms. Sometimes it felt as if the
boat was going to tear apart from all the
pressure. The food we packed for the journey in
Palanga had long since gone old. We had to eat it
anyway. At least we packed a lot. Some families
didnt have enough to feed their entire group. Oh
mamma, how I missed your wonderful beef stew and
rye bread. Im glad you gave me your recipes.
In America there is a surplus of food. There is
no famine. It seems like such a long time ago
when the famine started. It seems even longer
since Papas business failed and we had to sell
almost everything but Bubbes silverware. But
here the streets are busy with merchants. There
are peddlers left and right. Anele would be a
chubby little yente and Andrius would be a very
smart little boy. He could help Juozas and Papa
build the railroad to New York.
Next
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I work here! I have a job mending clothes for
our landlady. She pays me in lunch tickets for
her cafeteria, a place where one can buy a meal.
We live in a little apartment above her
cafeteria. It is very nice. There is a shul here.
Juozas goes every Saturday. He says sometime he
may even take me! There is a Sabbath School where
Andrius can learn Hebrew and prepare for his Bar
Mitzvah. Oh I miss you all so much! I cant
wait until Juozas makes enough money to send for
you. He says it will be easier on you and the
children to come through Ellis Island. That is an
island near New York City. There are doctors who
examine you and make sure everyone is healthy.
There are inspectors who make sure you arent on
the run from the law. You must bring money with
you Mamma. They will send you back if you dont!
Oh Mamma. It will be wonderful to see you and
Papa again. I miss Anele and Andrius so much, the
little darlings. They would love the big city.
How are Aunt Saule and Uncle Darius? How are the
cousins? Give everyone my love. Oh. Juozas sends
his love too. I miss you and look forward to
seeing you. You will love this wonderful new
life. With all my love, Svajone Kucinskas
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Bibliography
Antanas Tamosaitis.National Costumes. 
Customs. 4 October 2004. lt/Paprociai/kostiumai.en.htm Hirsch, Jr., E.
D. Immigration. Parsnippany, N. J.  Pearson
Learning.2002  Immigration. CATHOLIC
ENCYCLOPEDIA  Lithuanians in the United States.
4 October 2004. http//www.newadvent.org/cathen/16
054a.htm  Lithuanian traditional
food Lithuania. 4 October 2004
http//www.eat-online.net/english/habits/lithuania
_habits.htm  The View From Lithuania.
Lithuania 4 October 2004 http//nhs.needham.k12.ma
.us/cur/kane98/kane_p6_immig/lithuanian/lithuania.
htm Vardys, V. Stanley. Lithuania.  The
World Book Encyclopedia. 1996