The Americans

A story about friendship, courage, and the search for identity

New Slovakia. That's what you could have called the South Side district of Pittsburgh at the beginning of the 20th century, where thousands of Slovak immigrants found their home. In 1913, young Andy arrives there in search of a new beginning, along with Loli, a Jewish musician whose life he saved in Auschwitz. While Loli quickly finds his feet in America, Andy struggles as a labourer in the Jones & Laughlin steelworks, where, like most immigrants, he faces bullying and extortion from Irish foremen. Until one event changes everything, giving birth to the myth of the Slovak immigrant mafia and a working-class hero named Joe Magarac. This story of friendship, courage, and the search for identity faithfully captures the fates of Slovak immigrants in Pittsburgh who, during the Spanish flu epidemic and the great steel strike, managed to stand up for their community and its rights.