Reading about the life and trials of the Italian immigrants in East Harlem got me thinking about several points. It made me think about the circumstances that would lead one to take the plunge, to make that monumental decision to emigrate from their home country and completely restart their lives. Some of my ancestors were forced to do it due to religious persecution, but the Italian immigrants did it of their own volition, due to economic hardship – but what exactly propelled them to try and better their situation?

Again and again the answer seemed to be, for the immigrants, family. I noticed as I read the incredibly strong familial ties that connected and motivated the immigrants, and the way the immigrants worked through downright atrocious conditions simply for the prospect of earning enough money to send for their families. Meanwhile, fast forward several decades and there seems to be a substantial change – the respect for family and culture is something that is seriously lacking these days. I will admit to taking for granted and sometimes disregarding the fact that my family was there to support me, especially as a younger teenager. After reading about the devotion these families had to each other, I wish that in certain circumstances I had behaved differently.

Some other things that struck me were the devotion that the Italian immigrants had for the Madonna and the lengthy preparation for outsiders to arrive. As someone who does not lean towards being actively religious, I was at first skeptical of all this effort being put in for one day, but I grew to understand it as I continued to read. The Madonna is such a central figure to the religion and to their beliefs, and it is beautiful to read about their celebrations.

Be it to their religion, their family, or both, many of these immigrants had a high capacity for devotion and a willingness to work for what they believed in – a lesson that should continue to be imprinted across generations.