Avalon

The Polish-Jewish Krichinsky family began to emigrate to the United States in the early twentieth century, settling in Avalon, an inner-city immigrant neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Although they brought with them many of their traditions, including a strong family network punctuated by several generations of the same family living under one roof and important decisions about the extended family being made by consensus (by what they call the family circle), they were in search of the American dream. By mid century, the second and third generations of the American side of the family began to search for their own ideals of the American dream, which included assimilation into American culture (as displayed by an Anglicization of their family name to either Kaye or Kirk), success and prosperity through owning a thriving business of one's own choosing (rather than going into the existing family business), owning a house in the suburbs with only one's own immediate family, and owning a television. Some of these goals are against the ideals of the older generation, which may cause some family friction, especially in the decision-making process at the family circle meetings. Regardless, life within the Krichinsky/Kaye/Kirk family will go on.