This is an automatically translated description

The frontier of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: from Galicia (the modern territory of Ukraine and Poland), thousands of migrant workers and immigrants, ready to pursue the American dream, streamed across the ocean. Ukrainians, Poles, and Jews were fleeing poverty in the poorest crown land of the Habsburg monarchy, pogroms, violence, and famine, hoping for the mercy of the overseas emperor of America. They are sent to the land of opportunity by numerous agents, human traffickers, crooks and organised criminals who do not hesitate to profit from the misfortunes of others. Martin Pollack tells the story of the social catastrophe of 'ordinary' refugees, which is still overtaking Europe and Ukraine a hundred years later.

The book was awarded the European Understanding Prize at the Leipzig Book Fair 2011.