Balancing Hope with Hardship

As one of America's largest industrial cities, Brooklyn offered plenty of jobs. But many employers exploited newcomers' need to find work by paying them less. And new arrivals often were pitted against those already here, creating friction among successive ethnic communities.

Immigrants also confront a double burden: finding work even as they are still finding their way. Many arrive in Brooklyn already burdened by debt, having borrowed to reach their new home.