History

 

Walking besides the narrow, cobblestone walkway beneath the fire escapes of old tenements, one can relish in the sights, sounds and smells of Italy as they stroll down the nostalgic  neighborhood known as “Little Italy” in lower Manhattan.  During the mass emigration from Italy during the late 1800’s to the mid 1900’s, the United States was the largest recipient of Italian immigrants in the world, and Ellis Island, a small island in New York Harbor, was their first stop.   Once they passed through this gateway of hope and dreams, many Italians settled right in New York City, bringing with them their culture and beliefs.  By learning about the Italian immigration experience, one can become enlightened about the traditions and lifestyles of this unique ethnic group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From 1880 to 1920 it is estimated that about 4 million Italian immigrants came to the United States.  Poverty, over population, and natural disasters all spurred Italian emigration.  In 1861 the Italian city-states were unified, making things considerably worse for all of southern Italy. The Italian government was dominated by northerners, and southerners were hurt by high taxes and protective tariffs on northern industrial goods  Such economic conditions created very difficult and troubling issues for many.  The heavy taxes made it hard to get by as a farmer or small business owner.   In addition, natural disasters also hit southern Italy during the early 20th century.  Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried a town near Naples.  Then Mount Etna exploded followed by a huge earthquake in 1908 that swept through the Strait of Messina between Sicily and the Italian mainland.  Thus, it was the strain from poor economic conditions and the fear of further natural catastrophes that forced many Italians to seek refuge and look for work elsewhere in a new country.  As one could imagine, moving to a foreign land can be both frightening and daunting.  Often times, circumstances would be difficult because families  would have to separate.  Commonly, the father and elder sons would come to America first, leaving the mother and  the younger children  behind.  They would eventually join the family again when proper accommodations could be afforded for the rest of the family.

Italian immigrants had  to overcome several obstacles once they arrived in  America – the land of dreams.  Uneducated and unable to fluently speak the English language, finding work was difficult and often resulted in low paying jobs.  Consequently, seeking proper housing was  also problematic and many immigrants were crammed into small tenements with miserable living conditions.  The earliest Italian immigrants to the United States were northerners, who became prominent as fruit merchants in New York.  Later, as more Italian came from the south, manual labor jobs, such as heavy construction, were largely acquired.

Although Italian immigrants faced hardships in their new country, their great numbers established communities based on a kinship and place of birth.   One such place, located in lower Manhattan, is a neighborhood know as “Little Italy”  where many people shared similar circumstances.  While  most Italians came to America with the intentions of staying, others did not.   For many Italian immigrants, migration to the United States could not be interpreted as a rejection of Italy.  In reality, it was a defense of the Italian way of life, for the money sent home helped to preserve the traditional order. Rather than seeking permanent homes, they desired an opportunity to work for a living, hoping to save enough money to return to a better life in the country of their birth.

Italians do not appear to have gaps in their culture because they hold dear their customs, language, and beliefs.  They have carried their experiences and traditions with great pride passing them down for further generations; therefore leaving much to be recorded down in literature and history books.  Furthermore,  a great sense of nationalism within the Italian-American community has been a contributing factor in the very valuable information historians have acquired regarding the immigration process.   However, there are a few disparities.   One such  interruption of information can be found during  World War II (1941-1945), a time of little immigration for Italians.  This is largely attributed to the fact that Italians were on Germany’s side fighting against Americans.  Security was tight and the ports were on close watch.  The men were at war; the women stayed home caring for their children.  There was no interest at the time for Italians to travel to enemy territory.  Secondly, there also appears to be  a void in the history books regarding  women’s perspective during the immigration experience.  This can be attributed to the simple fact that women did not earn equal rights until 1920, when women were granted the right to vote.  Prior to that  date, women had no say in public matters and their opinions were not taken seriously. Italian women’s role were well defined in that they were in charged of the household and  the care of their children.  However, women often made critical decisions about family strategies that affected all members of the household, especially during the period of migration when frequent and often extended absence of husbands led to the wives acting as decision-maker by default.  While women are mentioned in personal memoirs and history books, none of them disclose,  in depth,  information about  their personal experience or opinions on their role or lives during the immigration period.