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Madison Garni
Emma Van Hees
Alana Hughes
Lucy Stanley
Ana Szahacz
AP Language/ AP US History
3/4/2014
Whippley
Rhetoric of Russian Culture in Boston MA
Russian immigration to the United States has occurred for the past century due to religious
persecution, the Bolshevik revolution, World War 2, as well as anti-Semitism and difficult
economic situations resulting in a population made up largely of Russian Jews in major american
cities such as Boston and New York where they have left their mark and shared their
immigration experience through Russian American literature.
Immigration from Russia to the US can be divided into 4 major waves. The first of these
took place between 1881 and 1914 and was comprised of a majority of Jewish immigrants who
were escaping the Pale of Settlement, the restriction of Jews to live anywhere in Russia besides
the territory in which they were compelled to (Klier), and pogroms, violent attacks by non-Jews
on Jews in the Russian Empire (Pogroms). The second wave of immigration occurred between
1920 and 1939 directly as a result of the Bolshevik Revolution and Civil War of 1917. Though
the communist-led Soviet government had banned all emigration by the early 1920s refugees
who were opposed to the communist Reds, and became known as the White Russians, continued
to flee and were stripped of their citizenship (Magocsi). The same occurred with the immigrants
of the third wave of immigration between 1945 and 1955. This wave was a direct result of World
War 2 and brought many Russians who had been displaced from their homes and relocated to
Germany during the war and lived in displaced-persons camps in Germany and Austria until they
were able to immigrate to the US. Many who settled in the US during this time were subject to

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widespread anti-Soviet feelings during the Red scare and were wrongly accused of being
communist sympathizers due to investigations spurred by Joseph McCarthy (Russian and East
Europeans in America). The fourth and most recent wave of Russian immigration occurred in the
late 1960s and was limited to Jews who were legally allowed to leave Russia during the era of
dtente and continued into the late 1980s due to anti-Semitism and tight government control of
Russian citizens (Magocsi). Of the many Russians that came to Boston and the United States,
most of them were Jewish and created close-knit Jewish communities were they settled. Still
around today, institutions such as the Center Makor in Boston where immigrants can learn
English as well as express themselves creatively and practice Jewish traditions have been
incredibly helpful to Russian immigrants (Foygelman). Boston has been the destination for many
Russian immigrants not only due to its prominent Jewish community, but also because the
majority who entered the US in the first wave came to the Northeast to join the industrial labor
force and work in manufacturing (Magocsi). Later, Boston attracted many Russians because it
was seen as a center of intelligence and enlightenment to Russian citizens and offered more to
immigrants, like housing in tenements or settlement houses as well as prominent immigrant
communities in the city that are still around today (Corrigan).
The Jewish religion and culture in Russia was one of the reasons that Russian
literature was used as a means for Russians to express themselves and share their immigration
experiences. Back in Russia anti-Semitism prevented Russian Jews from practicing their religion
freely so many Soviet citizens had to replace prayers with poetry and other types of literature.
(Corrigan) Of the many Russian immigrants who came to the United Sates, some became famous
writers and wrote poems, short stories, novels and autobiographies to share their
experiences. Two common themes in Russian literature are suffering and the contrast between

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reality and fiction. These themes can also be seen in the works of Russian Immigrants in
America, as the desire to preserve their culture manifested in the writings of authors like
Vladimir Nabokov, one of the most famous Russian American authors. Nabokov describes the
Russian immigration experience in his popular book, Pnin in which the main character, a man
who had recently immigrated from Russia to the United States, claims that he was in a "constant
war with insensate objects" and that the modern technologies of America "enchanted" him and
"swept him off his feet"(Nabokov 6) Nabokov demonstrates that for some immigrants, American
culture was a shock after leaving such a technologically limited and cut-off life in Russia. He
uses his success as a Russian born author to inform his American audience of the overwhelming
yet exciting feelings held by Russian immigrants who left behind everything they knew, while
also exposing them to the common theme in Russian literature of questioning reality, coping
with these new changes by giving them a fictional connotation. Another Russian American
writer, Abraham Cahan explores a different point of view in his series of books, The Rise of
David Levinsky. He admits that, "I can never forget the days of my misery. I cannot escape from
my old self"(Cahan) expressing that he is still conflicted between which of his two identities to
embrace. Through this he demonstrates that for many immigrants the most important decision is
just how much to assimilate into American culture. He also accepts that deep down he is
still "the poor lad swinging over a Talmud volume at the Preacher's Synagogue..."(Cahan).
Cahan brings direct and sullen language into his work in a way that was new to many Americans
who had not before seen such straight forward and what some might call depressing literature.
In conclusion, through immigration this country was exposed to a culture filled with
turmoil and hardship, but also with depth and camaraderie that transferred as the Russian Jews
came to America to find a better life.

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Works Cited
Brodsky, Joseph. May 24, 1980. To Urania. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1988. Print.
Corrigan, Yuri. Personal interview. 18 Feb. 2014
Foygelman, Vladimir. Personal interview. 18 Feb. 2014
Klier, John. Pale of Settlement. YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014
Magocsi, Paul. Russian Americans. Advameg, Inc., 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
Neyshtadt, Dimitry. Personal interview. 17 Feb. 2014
Pogroms. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 10 Jun. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014
Russian and East Europeans in America. Harvard University, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.