Summary Of How The Other Half Lives By Jacob Riis

How the Other Half Lives is a book written by Jacob Riis that tells readers about the living conditions and vocational options to distinct ethnic groups in the late 1800s. The Jewish, African-Americans, and Chinese all lived in New York City but all faced different problems and seemed as if they lived in different parts of the world. Chasing the “American Dream” was a different experience for all of these ethnic groups. Life in the 1800s was without a doubt very complicated, but in my opinion, these three ethnic groups had it the worst. In the 10th Ward, or “Jewtown”, you will find either the most beautiful of women or the most horrendous. “Men with queer skull-caps, venerable beard, and the outlandish long-skirted kaftan of the Russian

“The Czar of all the Russias is not more absolute upon his own soil than the New York landlord in his dealings with colored tenants. Where he permits them to live, they go; where he shuts the door, stay out.” (Riis 148). By saying that, Riis said that the landlord has complete control over where the blacks live. The average African-American paid $10 to every white man’s $7.50. Although paying more, the tenements of African-Americans were rundown or abandoned. The African-Americans were known to keep their living space neater and cleaner than European Immigrants, even though they were dealt rundown tenements. “The colored man takes in New York without a struggle, the lower level of menial service for which past traditions and natural love of ease perhaps as yet fit him best” (Riis 149). Riis is saying because of the history of the African-Americans, heavy lifting jobs fit them best. The downfall of the African-American community seemed to be gambling. “ Between the fortune-teller and the policy shop, closely allied frauds always, the wages of many a hard day’s work are wasted by the negro; but the loss causes him few regrets” (Riis 155). This quote tells me that the African-American man gambles his days fortune and loses it but does not regret what he did. Instead of using the days salary towards his rent, which is already higher than average, he gambles it away. Small

Isolation is very important in Chinatown, they do not like to associate themselves with people of the outside. It is said that the residents do not trust people outside of Chinatown. “"Trust not him who trusts no one, is as safe a rule in Chinatown as out of it." (Riis 94). With this statement, Riis explains that the people of Chinatown simply do not trust people from the outside. The distrust of the Chinese comes from bad doings in what seem to be the small and clean businesses of Chinatown. Chinamen tend to associate themselves with drugs and gambling and will sometimes pick one of the two over food and shelter. In order to fit in, Chinamen adopted white women as their wives. From the perspective of an outsider, it appears that the wives have power in the relationship but taking a closer look you will see that they do not. Often times, wives would be beaten by the Chinamen if they were out of place. Riis shows this with the quote "Her tyrant knows well that she will come, and patiently bides his time."(Riis 98). The image of Chinatown from the outside appears to be a very clean community, but upon further look you will see that the chinaman often associate themselves in illegal