| Protest against child labor, New York City, May 1, 1909 (Labor Day). Two young girls proudly wear sashes calling for an end to child labor, referring to the practice as "child slavery." The signs are written in both English and Hebrew. Jewish immigrants, forced out of Russia and Eastern Europe because of pogroms and anti-Semitic laws, came to New York City in large numbers. Many immigrant Jews worked in the garment industry, a field rife with unfair labor practices. The New York City garment industry, along with the Jewish immigrant population, were centered around Manhattan's Lower East Side. |
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