Introduction
The Immigrant experience in America is a complex, compelling and dynamic story filled with hope and sadness, success and failures. The reasons that people came to this country are as numerous as the people who came. To seek riches and freedom, to flee persecution or to escape family troubles are just a few of the myriad reasons that people came.

People came to this new land and brought with them their languages and customs. Although immigrant groups naturally tended to reside together in neighborhoods, the fact that they were all "strangers in a strange land"was one unifying force among the different communities. Immigrant communmities were exposed to and integrated with other communities and cultures- in schools and markets and public events.

In entering "Grandfather's Virtual Kitchen", we celebrate the notion that people tend to congregate in their kitchen and that this is where some of the best stories are told. Around a table we can tell the stories of immigrant families, their dreams, struggles and their relationships with other communities. The purpose of "Grandfather's Virtual Kitchen " is to portray the stories of immigrant families and how, over time, positive relationships between different communities have developed. It is far more interesting and relevant for us to explore examples of how communities can co-exist with tolerance and mutual respect.

Disclaimer
This is a web site is the prototype "Grandfather's Virtual Kitchen" and is for demonstration purposes only.
The events of these stories are true, but the composites are artificial. The names have been changed and the connections have been drawn from several family histories with the goal of creating a composite of multiple family stories, based on true events to illustrate how people of different communities were and are able to assist each other during times of adversity.