The thing I found most interesting in this chapter was the constant reference to the term “transnational”, which I had never even heard before. According to Foner, transnationalism cam be defined as a process where immigrants “forge and sustain multi-stranded social relations that link together their societies of origin and settlement…An essential element…is the multiplicity of involvements that transmigrants sustain in both home and host societies.” In other words, immigrants are seen as having roots in both their country of birth and their new country of residence (in most cases, the United States).

Foner goes on to point out that this seemingly new concept of transnationalism isn’t really all that new. When comparing the past wave of immigration to the more modern one (as Foner always does), it becomes clear that this allegiance to two societies among immigrants was very common due to lack of economic security, lack of full acceptance into the American culture, family back at home, etc. Immigrants of both time periods often went home or identified with their home country in other ways here. Rather than fully assimilating into American culture, they would instead try to plant themselves and their nation firmly within our cultural landscape. By supporting politicians of their ethnicity and keeping customs alive, they managed to create almost a dual form of allegiance transcending the typical definitions of citizenship. In modern times, technology also plays a large role in keeping connections with home countries. Also, greater tolerance for “ethnic pluralism and multiculturalism…have put transnational connections in a new, more positive light.” Better forms of communication and travel allow transnationalism to be a very easy part of today’s immigrant culture, yet at the same time it can create contradictory pressures as to where true allegiance lies.

When reading this chapter, I couldn’t help but keep thinking of last class when we discussed what truly defines a “citizen” and a “good citizen”. In this case, citizenship almost seems irrelevant because immigrants can call both countries home. Even if only one of those countries actually protects them by law, cultural and socioeconomic ties can easily lie with multiple societies. So, is this a new definition of citizenship emerging? If an immigrant is formally an “American” yet they have strong transnational ties to another nation, where does their inner citizenship lie? Perhaps then the term “citizen” itself is too complex in nature to adequately describe what residents of the United States are, aside from the political definition of it.

-Cassandra Price

What stood out to me the most in this reading selection was how Slyomovics defined a “parade”. In the past, I have never really thought of a parade as anything more than a show or performance of sorts, and my mind automatically goes to more mainstream parades such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. In this article, however, Slyomovics uses the Muslim World Day Parade as a means to describe the ethnic and cultural significance a parade can have.

A parade ultimately is still a spectacle of sorts due to its music, floats, etc. However, a parade can also hold a much more powerful importace in terms of the cultural landscape of New York. The Muslim World Day Parade was first formed as a means of educating the New York population about the Muslim community and as a way to assert religious pride. Not many other religious groups have their own parade such as this, and the Muslim community is one of the few that even few themselves almost as an ethnic group. They come together this one day a year and hold their procession down the streets of Manhattan holding signs with religious text, singing, wearing traditional dress, praying, etc. They even face the traditional “east” direction (which contradicts Manhattan’s axes according to the grid) in order to stay true to their heritage.

When first reading this, I was surprised that there even was a Muslim World Day Parade. I had never heard of one, and I never realized how much religious and cultural significance a parade can have. What is very interesting is not just the parade itself, but why the parade is being held. Muslims view it as a day where they can spend time with New Yorkers as well as project themselves on the New York ethnic map. Muslims are not really recognized in any other way in New York, and when statistics of ethnic groups are tabulated they generally have a broad “South Asian category”. Once again, the importance of establishing yourself and making a place for your ethnicity in New York is shown through this parade, just like how the Italians of East Harlem wished to do. Establishment in the New York cultural landscape is important for the preservation and validation of such ideals. Seeing now the Muslim World Day Parade in this light, New Yorkers can gain a sense of what the true Muslim community is like and their place in New York. Thus, it is more than just a parade; it is a cultural diffusion and ethnic exchange of ideas.

-Cassandra Price

“From Ellis Island to JFK” Chapter 5: The Sting of Prejudice 

In this chapter, Foner begins to delve deeply into the concept of race, particularly racial prejudice, and its effects on New York. After reading this chapter, it became evident just how different racial prejudice is when comparing the first wave of immigration to the second. For one thing, the immigrants themselves are indeed different. When referencing the first wave, Foner talks of the struggles faced by Jewish and Italian immigrants. When referencing the more modern wave, she talks more of the white/black divide that exists.

In the first wave, Jewish and Italian immigrants had many features associated with their respective heritages. Certain physical and personality characteristics were just know as identifiably “Jewish” or “Italian”, such as skin color, moral standards, religion, etc. Some people in New York had issues with these races for fear of ruining the purity of the city. For instance, NYU was mentioned as having a sign encouraging Jewish students to drop out in the 1920s in order to establish a “white man’s college”. Derogatory terms such as “guinea” for Italians were also frequent.

In the second wave, a major issue that New York faced was the black/white divide. Of course, this is seen throughout history as well, but New Yorkers witnessed a strong wave of this in the more modern years. Races such as Italian and Jewish were now melded together to just be commonly known as “white”, and all colored people were just considered “black” regardless of actual origin. Regardless of the time period, Foner makes it clear that racial prejudice and stereotyping has always been a prevalent and inescapable thing.

I felt as though this chapter featured many things that we have already read about, especially regarding the Jewish and Italian populations. The one thing I took away from this chapter that I had never really considered before is what really defines a race. In order to truly understand the racial prejudices and stereotypes that are so heavily embedded in American society, it is important to first understand the concept of race itself, and I feel like Foner begins to scratch at this complex topic. It was mentioned that there is indeed no such thing as race, and in fact race is only real because we define it as real. It is a “social and cultural construction” only in existence to define what is superior and what is inferior. When looking at race in this way, the concept of a power struggle emerges, and thus it provides more of a justification as to why racial prejudice might exist in the first place.

Who Has the Power? 

Last class, the main focus of our discussion centered around power. Who truly held the power in Italian Harlem, men or women? In a society so centered around the domus, it would seem as though the women held the power since they were the ones who passed along various traditions to  the younger generation. Yet, in the theatrical world of the streets, the men seemed to dominate. In a society where both sexes have power yet in different ways, who truly prevails? Or, does the subject of power suddenly become irrelevant when it is so widespread? I found myself really questioning these issues after last class.

Upon reading the current reading, I noticed something interesting. The shaping of “Cara Harlem” would not have been possible without the devotion to the Madonna. The Madonna was so integral to the community and culture that it became synonymous with 115th street. In the 1950s and 1960s (when Italian Harlem was pretty much gone), Orsi points out that the culture still lived on through the memory and connection of the Madonna. Then, I thought, perhaps this society has varying levels of power structures more complex than “Who has power?” A sort of equilibrium was certainly created in which both men and women had power in their own way. Yet, the true nucleus of Italian Harlem was in fact the Madonna. So, when analyzing who really had the power, the appropriate response would have to be her.

In this reading, Orsi delves deeper into the influence the Madonna carries over this community. It was believed the had the power to help the sick and poor just by praying to her and making promises to her. She helped to define the neighborhood of Italian Harlem by provided a stable icon to collectively worship. She also helped to grow upon the Italian-American identity by helping to provide a claim of the neighborhood, of New York City, and of American time. The ultimate goal of Italians was to convert suffering to sacrifice, and devotion to the Madonna was the way to achieve such a goal.

Thus, this society really is power-based, but not in the traditional sense. This community allowed religion to have such a profound impact over their culture and morals that gender power roles are not as significant. Yes, they are present. Society was patriarchal, women were the secret heads of the home, etc. Yet Orsi also constantly mentions this greater sense of self present in this community, and how Italian Harlem functions as a unit rather than individually. The men and women play their parts, but the domus structures their lives and world to be the way it is. And who is at the center of the domus? Well, that would be la Madonna herself.

The Power and Fragility of the Domus

The thing that stood out to me the most when reading these two excerpts was the constant reference of the domus and how it connected to other topics. In each excerpt, Orsi picks one major topic to explore: the first being the role of women and the second being the significance of la Madonna herself. Each section described these topics in great depth, yet both revealed just how powerful yet fragile the domus can be.

For instance, women in Italian Harlem were seemingly subservient and were “dominated by men”. This was somewhat true in the sense of public persona as well as in the strict upbringing and pressure women experience to get married. However, once a woman managed to reach her pinnacle of being married having children, they became the sheltered and secret center of the domus. Ultimately, it was the woman who had total control of whether or not the domus would thrive. The domus was dependent upon the ability to maintain and respect traditional Italian views and cultures, and the woman of the household was believed to be the only one with such authority to make sure these values were instilled in the posterity.

Connections to the domus are also seen in the discussion of the festa for la Madonna as well. La Madonna was seen as a “beacon of light” for many Italian immigrants who would pray to her for all sorts of miracles. For the actual festival, the most important thing was true devotion to la Madonna. What did this devotion serve? Well, for one thing, it helped to ease immigrant guilt for leaving home, it helped to maintain some spiritual ties with Italy, and a sense of community was felt during the ceremony. Members of the domus were brought together during the festa, once again highlighting the importance of community.

We can draw from these two excerpts that the preservation and veneration of the domus had a significant impact on Italian-American culture. It had the power to affect gender roles and to bond a community together, and it had the influence to instill certain values and morals to future generations. However, there was always a constant threat to the domus both from the world outside Italian Harlem and the physical distance from Italy (distance was a common problem and struggle immigrants dealt with, according to Orsi). The only way the domus could truly survive would have to be through devotion to common icons/community festivals (la Madonna) and through the power to sustain traditional Italian beliefs, which women exuded.

-Cassandra Price