The Long Way Home

Paper instructions:

The Long Way Home by David Laskin
Introduction
 Examine the overview provided by David Laskin regarding immigration, World War I, and post War.
 What does the author have to say about these time periods?
 Who were the men the author chose to focus the book on? How many and from where?
 What is the author’s purpose for writing this book? (Thesis/Argument)
Chapter One: Old Countries
 Become familiar with the following people’s stories. Their country of origin? Their parents? Immigration?
o Meyer Epstein
o Antonio Pierro
o Magnus Andreas Brattesto
o Joseph Chmielewski
o Frank Chmielewski
o Peter Thompson
 Examine the immigration wave from 1880 – 1920s. Where did people originate? How many arrived?
Chapter Two: Journeys
Examine the different journeys of individuals listed below:
 Epifanio and Carmine Affatato
o Why did they leave?
o What processes did they have to complete before boarding the steamers for America? Was this a
scary time for the boys? Why?
o Discuss their experience on the ship.
 Meyer Epstein
o Why did he leave?
o What famous ship did he sail on? he Long Way Home by David Laskin
o Discuss the conditions on board and his experiences.
 Andreas Brattesto
o Why did he leave?
o Discuss the voyage to America.
o Why did he change his name to Andrew Chistofferson?
 What was Ellis Island?
 What processes did new immigrants have to go through and what was this experience like? How long did
the new immigrants have to wait at this immigration station?
 What specific diseases did the U.S. fear?
Chapter Three: Streets of Gold
 Give specific examples based on the stories of the individuals list below and answer these questions.
o What struggles did the new immigrants face in the U.S.? What types of positions were available
for them? What were the living conditions like? Where did they eventually find work? Where did
they live?
 Epifanio Affatato
 Meyer Epstein
 Andrew Christofferson
 Tommaso Ottaviano
 Frank Chmielewski
 Joe Chmielweski
 Samuel Goldberg
 In the book, the author said, “They might have let you in —but they weren’t about to let you take over.”
(64) What does he mean by this?
Chapter Four: The Weak, the Broken, and the Mentally Crippled
 Discuss the concerns U.S. citizens had regarding immigrants.he Long Way Home by David Laskin
 What was the Eugenics movement?
 Examine the lives of these individuals – what work they performed in the U.S. prior to military service and
why they turned to military service? If they complete their four years and reenlisted, why did they do this?
o Matej Kocak
o Sam Dreben
Chapter Five: The World at War
 What sparked the origin of World War I?
 President Woodrow Wilson issued a Declaration of Neutrality – what was this?
 What changes did the war bring to the areas where the men lived? Also discuss how the Germans were
perceived in the areas too. Where did the men receive war news from and why?
o Andrew Christofferson
o Peter Thompson
o Maximilian Cieminski
o Meyer Epstein
o Epifanio Affatato
o Matej Kocak
o Sam Dreben
o Joe Chmielewski
o Sam Goldberg
 What were some of the new weapons were introduced in World War I?
 Discuss the role of newspapers in relation to the war.
 Discuss the conflict on the Mexico border with Pancho Villa and what impact this has.
 What was the Punitive Expedition? Did it fail/succeed?
 What was the battle of the Somme?he Long Way Home by David Laskin
 What was the Zimmerman Telegram and what impact does it have on the U.S.?
Chapter Six: The Army of Forty-Three Languages
 What was the Selective Service Act of 1917?
 Why did the U.S. Congress pass this bill?
 At the beginning of the U.S. entry into the war, describe what the condition of the U.S. Army.
 Why did many immigrants respond and register for the draft?
 In the discussion on new recruits, Laskin, the author, said, “…Camp Meade…On day one an officer called
the roll for a bunch of new recruits, and not one man recognized his own name; then the officer sneezed,
and ten men came forward.” What did Laskin mean by this statement?
 Discuss the different types of training these men had?
 What was the physical condition of these men as they arrived at boot camp and why?
 How did the initial military experience affect the men?
Chapter Seven: I Go Where You Send Me
 What were the initial days in the military like for these men? Were they prepared for combat? Why or why
not?
 Congress amended the naturalization laws in regard to nonnaturalized soldiers. What did Congress do?
 What is happening overseas in the war?
Chapter Eight: July 4, 1918
 Who were the Hutterites? Specifically address Jacob Wipf, David Hofer, Joseph Hofer. What happened
to these men and why?
 What was the “rape of Belguim” and what impact did this have on U.S. views of the war?
 Who was Robert Prager and what happened to him?
 What was the Sedition Act? Is this problematic in regards to the U.S. Constitution?
 What happened to Germans living in the U.S. during the war?
Chapter Nine: These Fought in Any Casehe Long Way Home by David Laskin
 Laskin states, “…war became a source of pride for so many of the immigrant soldiers.” (196) Explain what
he means by this statement.
 What combat conditions the soldiers faced in the European battles? What is the “Solo Club”?
Specifically discuss the experiences of the men listed below:
o Matej Kocak and the fighting near Soissons
o Max Cieminski
 What were HE shells and why did they become popular? What was the difference between these shells
and shrapnel balls?
 What happened to Max Cieminski?
Chapter Ten: The Jews and the Wops and the Dirty Irish Cops
 Discuss the down time overseas. What did the soldiers do and how did this reflect their assimilation into
the U.S.?
 Examine the combat conditions and overseas experiences of the soldiers listed below:
o Peter Thompson
o Epifanio Affatato
o Antonio Pierro
o Samuel Goldberg
o Meyer Epstein
 General Pershing issued an order on 9/9/1918 which impacted the noncitizens serving in the U.S. military
overseas. What was this order and how did the soldiers react?
 What happened during the first major American battle of the war?
Chapter Eleven: The Arc of Fire
 Tommaso Ottaviano wrote many letters home, what did these letters describe? What was his state at this
time?
 How are the native U.S. citizens viewing their immigration military brothers at this time?
 Examine the major offensive to break German control, what happened?he Long Way Home by David Laskin
Chapter Twelve: Breaking the Line
 This chapter focuses heavily on the battles to break the Hindenburg Line. What is the Hindenburg Line
and what were these battles and experiences like for the soldiers who participated?
 What roles did these men have in the battle and what happened to them?
o Epifanio Affatato
o Mike Valente
 The battle of the Hindenburg was the first time the Allied forces used mustard gas. What is this? Why is it
so deadly?
Chapter Thirteen: Blanc Mont
 Where was Blanc Mont and why did they fear this battle would be so deadly?
 Discuss the battle itself. Why is the battle considered a turning point in the war?
 Discuss Matej Kocak and Sam Dreben’s participation in this battle. What did they do and what happened
to them?
Chapter Fourteen: Why Should I Shoot Them
 Examine the attack on Bois des Loges.
 What happened to Tommaso Ottaviano?
 Why is the Bois des Loges battle not considered a victory for the Allied Forces? What happened here?
 How many soldiers died on the last day of the war?
Chapter Fifteen: Postwar
 During World War I, how many soldiers lost their lives in battle?
 What impact did military service have on the immigrant soldiers?
 How were the immigrant soldiers viewed once they returned home?
 What happened to Jacob Wipf and the Hofer brothers (the Hutterites)? How did the war experience
change their perspective of the U.S.? What did some Hutterites do?
 Why is World War II different than World War I for the Hutterites?he Long Way Home by David Laskin
 Examine the postwar employment and experiences of these men:
o Epifanio Affatato
o Mike Valente
o Alexander Raskin
o Joseph Chmielewski
o Frank Chmielewski
o Meyer Epstein
o Sam Dreben
o Andrew Christofferson
o Samuel Goldberg
 What happened to the soldiers’ bodies who died overseas? How did their military service assist their
families long after their death?

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