Home > Events and Programs > Special Events >So I Come to America Special Events “So I come to America” a Photo Display of Detroit Pre-World War I Immigrants It is often said that the United States is a nation of immigrants. These photo stories are of people who left their homes for many reasons, foremost among them being political persecution, fear of the draft, economic depression, and—above all—faith that they would have more opportunity in the United States than in Europe. The greatest period of immigration, however, was the tidal wave that flooded the United States between 1890 and 1914. In this 24 year period tens of millions of people left their homes in Europe to make new lives in the United States. Thousands of these immigrants came directly to Detroit from Europe or eventually ended up in the city. The people depicted in this book all came to the United States prior to the outbreak of the First World War. The author interviewed them in their homes between 1980 and 1983. The title of this exhibit is a direct quote from Romolo Sciotti, an Italian immigrant who while explaining his limited prospects in his village said, “So I come to America”. On display October through December 2009 at the Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward, north of Warren in Midtown Detroit. Admission is free and open to the public during regular library hours. Information at 313-833-4042 or www.detroitpubliclibrary.org.