"The time when I had desire to go to the United States I didn't have a penny. It was in the middle of the depression, you know. I couldn't get as far as Hoboken at that time"

In this quote, artist Ben Shahn assesses a time when he had a strong desire to go to the United States, but was not able to do so due to monetary restraints. He mentions that this desire occurred throughout the Great Depression, a time of financial hardship and extensive hardship in the United States. Shahn's lack of funds prevented him from even reaching Hoboken, a city in New Jersey, which suggests that he was having a hard time to make ends satisfy. This quote highlights the battles and limitations faced by lots of throughout the Great Depression, and the impact it had on people's dreams and aspirations.