Antonios, An American Immigrant I Remember

Antonios, An American Immigrant I Remember, was written with all the emotion and heart I could give it. It is a personnel story of family in detail. I know anyone reading, this story, will be taken to another place and time. To immigrants, either of yesterday or today, will relate to this story because of Antonios' vision to seek a better life. My hope is to open a door into the past as we all realize immigrants, in some form, are connected to one another.

Antonios and Joanna had six children, the first born was, a boy, by the name of Harry. After Harry came five daughters of which I was the youngest.

The children of the Acre, born to Immigrants, were born to poverty and to many, starvation. At the time, the Acre was inhabited by mostly Greeks and Irish. It was a time when Herbert Hoover was the president and, in the opinion of most who I talk to, was the worst president America ever had.

To be a child in the Acre, in those days, took resiliency and toughness to survive. The Acre children had to be street smart in EVERY sense of the word because of the fighting between the Irish and the Greeks. The Acre children, to many, were known as "The Acre Brats." It was a time when Immigrants grew clanish and protected what they had. In later years, the Greeks and the Irish became good friends and some married. As they grew they respected each other and realized they were all Immigrants trying to survive.

The winters were very cold and trying to stay warm was almost imposible. The Children of the Acre would hunt the railroad tracks to see if any coal had fallen off one of the box-cars that held the coal. If a train stopped, a boy would climb up, find the box that held the coal and threw it off to awaiting hands. For a few, and that one night, the home would be warm.

The children of Immigrants went through Hell as children, and yet, as they grew and became adults, they became role models. They were examples because of their determination to succeed in life. They became professors, lawyers, writers, architects, policemen and women and on and on. They succeeded to realize the American Dream. This is why the Immigrants came to America. The example they set for their children was the guts to persevere in hard times. This was the foundation they gave these children as they went to war for our country and earned the name, THE GREATEST GENERATION.

Some are still here, the Acre Children. They are giving back. What are they doing? They're rebuilding the Acre as they teach through example.

After three years of writing, "Antonios, An American Immigrant I Remember," I finished it and had it published on Kindle on Amazon. Now, I have found Squidoo. To that I say, Thank You!

When I first saw the book on Kindle, I was filled with joy and accomplishment. To write about my father and my mother who gave me life, love, stability, and foundation in my life, it was indeed an accomplishment.

To all, who will read this book on Kindle or download it on your pc, I know you will enjoy this journey that you take along with "Antonios, An American Immigrant I Remember." It is a story that all Immigrants can relate to.

Please leave a comment at the bottom of the page and I thank you for that.