Gateway to the Promised Land: Ethnicity and Culture in New York's Lower East Side

Mario Maffi's book is full of useful and easy to read information about the settlement of immigrants in New York City. Unlike many other books on this subject, Maffi does not focus on one immigrant group, rather he intelligently discusses the social context and historical importance of the influx of Italian, Jewish, Chinese, Slavic, African and other races and ethnicities into New York. The first half of the book is definitely stronger than the second which discusses theater life on the Lower East Side. While my dislike of this section may may be biased, this topic is not reflected in the title and comes as a bit of a suprise.If you're looking for a comprehensive text about the lives, struggles and social ties of immigrants on the Lower East Side of Manattan, this book is for you.It also has a comprehensive bibliography and list of archival sources -- a great find for the academic in you!