I believe the domus is one of the most intriguing aspects of Italian Harlem and Italian culture in general. This form of family that evolves in the neighborhood, beyond the boundaries of blood relatives must be something extraordinary to experience. Although Robert Orsi begins his descriptions of the “system” with mostly positive reviews, he concludes by mentioning the many hardships it presented to the first generation children who want to become more “American”. It is clear that even to the teenagers who want to “break free,” the domus is not something to be violated. It is a crucial part of Italian Harlem and what keeps order in their otherwise continuously changing living conditions.
I believe that because this sense of family was so key to an Italian, it made the initial separation of sending one family member to the United States much harder. Especially in instances when the oldest brother was sent to earn the money, even the younger siblings who often literally feared him, would feel that slight rocking of the boat or shift in balance that would result.
Likewise, upon arrival of the entire family to the United States, many hardships and trials were presented. Not only had they entered a new physical environment, but they had to also adjust mentally, culturally…. I see the domus as the main force preserving the order that the newly arrived Italians needed. This “system” allowed them to experience some familiarity among all the chaos and gave them something on which they could rely. As both jobs and housing were inconsistent, this family that they had and developed was the central point to which they knew they could always return. For the parents it seemed like this may have been their way of not only temporarily preserving their Italian ways, but really creating a Little Italy within the United States. For the children on the other hand, this seems more like a starting point from which they wanted to branch out. Nonetheless, it is clear the domus served as a core and principal feature of the Italian Americans.
