Adopting+An+Immigrant+ADR

Delia Merrick Claremorris, Ireland 23 years old Female Ship: Lucania Point Of Departure: Queenstown Arrived On November 3, 1907 Manifest Line Number: 0001



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Hello, my name is Delia Merrick. I came here, to America, from Claremorris, Ireland. I am twenty three years old. I really enjoyed life in Ireland, but I was forced to leave. I needed a job. I was desperate for money. However, Ireland lacked modern industries that America had. I spent all of the money I had just to get here, in search of a factory job. I was very sad to leave my friends and family, but to support them, I needed to make money. When I left, I was nervous. I didn't know anyone in America. I was not meeting anyone there or going with anyone. None of my family had the money to go. So, it was just me, by myself. I was scared. I had very little money from my small job, but I felt that going to America was worth it. I saved all of my money, and then spent it on a ticket. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to bring all of my things on this trip so, I decided to bring my five most prized possessions; my best clothing, a necklace from my grandmother, my journal, my lucky bracelet, and my favorite book. I needed to bring my best clothing to look professional. The necklace was important to me because my grandmother gave it to me before she died. My journal contains all of the things I have experienced and I wanted to add my journey to America. My lucky bracelet has always given me good luck and comforted me. I wanted to bring my book because I love to read. ======

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 I traveled here on a ship called the Lucania. As I got aboard the huge boat, I was nervous. It was definitely the biggest boat I had ever seen. The boat was very crowded. I was scared to be alone. But, most of the people on the boat were very friendly. Most of the time, I slept on the floor of the boat. I mostly ate bread because it didn’t rot and it was filling. While aboard the ship, there was only one small storm. The waters became rough at one point, but it never got too bad. We were lucky that the weather was nice. When we first came upon land, I was thrilled. I don’t really like boats so to know that we’d be getting off soon, was a great feeling. I was also looking forward to seeing the land and meeting new people. When we saw the Statue of Liberty I was in awe. I found it to be an incredible structure. I felt very confident when I reached Ellis Island. I knew a small amount of the English language and that helped me. When they asked questions that I couldn’t understand, I felt embarrassed. I knew I wasn't the only one who didn't understand, but I still felt embarrassed. The Immigration Building was loud and packed full of people. I heard many languages being spoken. The medical inspections were very thorough. I was completely healthy. When I was asked if I had ever committed any crimes, I said no. Many people that had committed crimes were lying and saying that they hadn't.   ======

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 Once I was finally in America, I was relieved. I had finally reached my destination. I thought that America was beautiful. I was also excited to find a job and make some money for my family. ======