Read this excerpt from Immigrant Kids, by Russell Freedman.

Immigrants usually crossed the Atlantic as steerage passengers. Reached by steep, slippery stairways, the steerage lay deep down in the hold of the ship. It was occupied by passengers paying the lowest fare.

Men, women, and children were packed into dark, foul-smelling compartments. They slept in narrow bunks stacked three high. They had no showers, no lounges, and no dining rooms.

The purpose of this excerpt is to help readers understand immigrants’

unsafe living conditions.
uncomfortable travel conditions.
unhealthy meal choices.
unhappy family lives.