Chapter 1
The street-level grind
Chapter 2
The stage and the spotlight
Chapter 3
The high-stakes financial climb
Chapter 4
The immigrant engine
Chapter 5
The underground transit hustle
YOUR GOAL
Master of The New York hustle
Ch 4 · The immigrant engine
marcus The immigrant engine
The city's pulse, a steady beat, new stories, new streets. From all horizons, a vibrant flow, making the Big Apple grow.
marcus Modern delivery couriers navigate dangerous streets to power the city's food system.
marcus Chinatown developed independent financial networks to support local businesses and new arrivals.
Fun Fact
Tenement density: In 1900, the Lower East Side was one of the most densely populated places on Earth, with over 700 people per acre.
Glossary
immigrant (noun)
A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country. Over twelve million newcomers entered New York through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954 to find work.
A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country. Over twelve million newcomers entered New York through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954 to find work.
Quiz
What major historical act in 1882 legally restricted Chinese immigration, forcing self-reliance in Chinatown?
Quiz
What type of multi-family housing, notorious for poor ventilation, did 19th-century immigrants live in?
Quiz
Which NYC neighborhood was famous for its dense pushcart markets in the early 1900s?
Quiz
What was the primary item rented by early immigrant vendors to sell goods on Orchard Street?
Quiz
What is the name of the advocacy group formed by NYC's app-based delivery couriers in 2020?
Quiz
What is the name of the rotating credit associations Chinese immigrants used to fund businesses?