Mother Marm is an exhibit demonstrating the struggles and triumphs of immigrants in the Progressive Era/ Gilded Age. Fredericka Mandelbaum was especially interesting to some because she was one the first and most influential crime bosses in the history of New York City. She was an immigrant from Germany and has a story very similar to many immigrants during this time period. We use her story to describe the immigrant day to day life during the Gilded Age. Some aspects of their lifestyles include tenement living, child labor, crime, and low paying jobs/ working conditions. What Fredericka means to our class is we felt passionate and are interested in the history and roots of New York City, Fredericka also aligns with our unit ‘The Progressive Era’ as an extra way to get background information about her life in New York City.

The PS 123 group created this exhibit about immigrants. We chose this topic to tell about the life of an immigrant in New York City in the 1850s. Our group’s focus was to empathize with the struggles that immigrants encounter when moving to a new country. This project offered us the chance to understand about an immigrant’s life by researching the story of Fredericka Mandelbaum and participating in class discussions about different reactions to facing challenges. Immigrants face many challenges and struggles when moving to a new country and they all have different reactions to these challenges.

Our exhibit examines the challenges of the immigrant families as they entered New York City. We chose this topic to educate others on the resilience of immigrants, especially women, in the face of their ongoing struggles. We were inspired by one of the greatest innovators of her time, Fredericka Mandelbaum. She was a unique individual who circumvented what was then known as the “norms of society.” Many Immigrant women followed in her footsteps and actively engaged in public life. What began as a renegade act by one individual evolved into the endless efforts of activists bringing about permanent change. This project offered our students the ongoing opportunity to think critically and engage in conversations about 40% of New York City’s population, our immigrants. They will continue to play an essential role in our communities and in supporting our economy!