Books by Sophonisba Breckinridge
In her book New Homes For Old[1], published in 1921, Breckenridge discusses various aspects of the immigrant experience when moving to the United States. She begins with the adjustment which these immigrants must undergo upon arrival and the process of finding a new home in an unfamiliar place. Breckenridge then transitions to an analysis of the relationships within the immigrant family, detailing work situations, family structures, and certain living conditions. In the next section, she addresses taking care of the household, focusing on the responsibilities of the woman in a family. She follows with an explanation of the financial needs and difficulties faced by immigrants, including currency changes, special events, property ownership, the irregularity of income, and buying items such as furniture and clothing. Next is a discussion of the care of children, addressing issues such as school, parental authority, and dealings with the juvenile court. The next two sections address organizations and institutions which offer and provides aid to immigrants. While some of these organizations are focused on specific immigrant groups, others are more general and provide both support and education for varied groups of immigrants. The final section of the book addresses the need for involvement of a social work agency for those immigrant families who have been unable to successfully adjust and are facing difficulties.
Published in 1931, the focus of Marriage and the Civic Rights of Women[2] is studying the effect of the Cable Acts on women born in other countries who, after moving to the United States, needed to prepare themselves for independent citizenship. The first section addresses a legal approach to the problem, concerning questions such as separate domicil (place of residence) for married women, their independent citizenship, and flaws in the citizenship legislation which the Cable Act had failed to correct. Also discussed is the situation of women born in other countries who, by marrying American citizens, forfeited their nationality of origin without acquiring American citizenship in addition to a summary of the movement to implement an International Convention dealing with this subject. In the second section a social interpretation of these issues is established, presenting a case study based on interviews with a considerable number of women and some men living in Chicago. This case study illustrates the attitude, the motivating forces and the problems of women born outside the United States who have succeeded in obtaining their papers and have become citizens, those who have tried to do so and have failed, and those who have not yet tried.