Born in Polotsk, Russia, on June 13, 1881, Mary Antin emigrated to the United States with her mother, sisters, and brother in 1894, joining her father, who had preceded them in 1891, in Massachusetts. After learning English she had a brilliant school career. Her plan to attend Radcliffe was dropped after her marriage to Professor Amadeus W. Grabau in October 1901, following which they settled in New York City. She studied at Teachers College and Barnard College of Columbia University from 1901 to 1904. Her first book about her experiences as an immigrant, From Plotzk [Polotsk] to Boston, was written in Yiddish; it was published in an English translation in 1899. The Promised Land, 1912, originally serialized in the Atlantic Monthly, was also autobiographical and was a notable success. They Who Knock at Our Gates, 1914, also dealt with immigrants and their hopes, characters, and experiences. She lectured for a number of years on the subject of immigration╤during 1913╨1917 she spoke widely on behalf of the Progressive party at the invitation of Theodore Roosevelt╤and campaigned against proposals in Congress to adopt restrictive immigration legislation. She was widely acclaimed for her efforts to secure understanding and the realization of the American promise for the immigrant. She died in Suffern, New York, on May 15, 1949.
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