Erna Blitzer Gorman - July 12, 1989
Moving to America
So in 1953, you had the choice of coming to the United States?
Yes, my father always wanted to come here because of his surviving sister.
Who moved here before the war?
Yes, in the early thirties, I think she was here.
So you came, the three of you?
Just the two of us. My sister was married so she stayed in Metz.
New York, first?
New York, first, which was hell because we were overwhelmed from a tiny town -- and I [had] never seen more than a few people -- to New York -- was overwhelming. Then we ended up in Detroit because of my aunt.
What were your relationships with your aunt like?
Not very good. We have always had difficult times because of my extreme pride. As well as in Metz, I suppose had we gone and asked for help from organizations, we would have gotten it, but I went to work. I was sewing for a tailor at night and it was the same thing here, I immediately went to work, so I feel cheated, because I have never really had very good schooling.
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