Chicago Public School - Mozart School
Mozart school is located in the Humboldt Park area of Chicago. I am guessing this picture to have been taken about 1938. The area at the time was heavily Norwegian and it is a good bet that many of the children in this photo were second or third generation Norwegian/American. These kids have known nothing but the "Great Depression" so perhaps their smiles belied the harsh reality of life.
Here is a close-up of my Mom, Grace Sevald. She remembered that she entered kindergarten speaking only Norwegian and she told her mother "they talk funny at this school". She picked up English quickly.
