When Jews arrived in New York, they faced several obstacles, especially when it came to jobs. Most Jews arrived holding high educational degrees and job qualifications that were not recognized in New York. Ironically, many employers avoided giving jobs to PhD's, figuring that their qualifications were too advanced (Foner, 120). As a result, they had to apply for common jobs such as clothing manufacture, which employed about 40 percent of Jewish arrivals (Binder & Reimers, 115). Despite the many restrictions, Jews as did many other immigrants managed to find loops in the laws and establish their own shops. Today, you can find a store called La Marquette, a haberdashery off 115th and Park Avenue, which has been up and running for 55 years. Food markets were also common, and presently, East Harlem is dotted with restaurants and food stalls, catering to dominantly spanish and hispanic peoples.

East Harlem was one of the major locations for Jewish residences. In historical documents, it is described as congested and degraded, suggesting the reality of poverty at the time. Desperation often led to crimes for most ethnic groups that resided in New York. Also, relief agencies were still in developmental stages and were limited in what they could do for the community. It wasn't until the 1940s that major relief agencies such as Landsmannschaften and NYANA (New York Association for New Americans) was established by he Jews to help all immigrants.

Despite being outcast from many societies, Jews proved to be very determined and industrious persons. They were known for their keen wit in business, engineering and the sciences. This comes of no surprise since Jews were the first, high-qualified teachers when the first universities were founded in the United States.

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