Stories from Trenton's Past - Immigrant Workers at Roebling Factories

15 Market Street,Trenton NJ 08611

26 March, 2023

Description

Just like Trenton today, Trenton in the early and middle decades of the 20th century was the destination for immigrants seeking jobs and a better life. The John A. Roebling's Sons Company employed many immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe in their factories. The discovery of boxes of worker records has opened up a window on their lives. On Sunday March 26, 2023, at 2 pm, sociology students from the College of New Jersey will share their research on these records and open a new exhibit in the Trent House Visitor Center based on their work. Their presentation will explore why the nationality of immigrant workers was recorded as hyphenated American - such as Italian-American - in some cases but not in others. The lives of two workers born in Italy will be illustrated and examples of how the Roebling records can be used in classrooms to make the history of immigration to the United States come alive will be shared. Space in the Visitor Center is limited so pre-registration for this free program is required . Free-will donations may be made at https://williamtrenthouse.org/donation.