East Harlem in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was known as Italian Harlem due to the large influx of Southern Italian immigrants to Manhattan. Before the arrival of Irish immigrants, East Harlem was already an ethnically diverse area with populations of Jewish workers, German Catholics and the Irish. The older residents “resented the intrusion and competition” of these newer Italian groups because the new immigrants were taking away from them the jobs of the older groups. However, these Italian immigrants did not only come for the economic opportunities but their goal of emigration was to “strengthen and preserve the family.” Italians brought with them not only a larger labor/working force but an entire new culture and religion to East Harlem.
La Madonna was very crucial and extremely essential to the lives of the Italian immigrants. She was the protector of the immigrants who would seek her guidance. The immigrants would go to her shrine to pray in any hopes of bettering their situation. Thus, la Madonna was very significant to the Italians; festes were celebrated in the streets to show their devotion for the mother-like figure. The festes were celebrated with great lavishness and many would come to gather around the festivities. However, other Catholic Americans used these festes as ways to attack Italian Americans and say that festes were just “street carnivals” and not religious celebrations. The festes were viewed as “sacrilegious.” This was just another way for the older groups to show resentment towards the old groups. However, when the Italians began moving out of East Harlem the once strong presence la Madonna had with the place began to dwindle. Nonetheless, the festes as well as the church on 115th street were symbolic of the Italian Americans.
But what actually was the religion and the “heart” of Italians was not centered around la Madonna but more focused on the domus-centered society of the Italians. “Domus was the heart of Italian Harlem, the foundation of its culture.” Domus was their way of life, the Italian home and family, and the religion of Italians. The values instilled upon the Italians through the means of the domus was what separated the Italians from the other immigrant groups.
While reading about the domus centered society, I noticed how much I could relate to this lifestyle. I made certain connections between the domus way of living and my own life and culture. In my culture, elders are treated with a great amount of respect and they are looked at as the head of the family. It is wrong to talk back to elders and is unaccepatable. Such is the case with the domus centered society. If one were to talk back to their parents/elders they were thought of as turning “American” and forgetting their Italians principles. The young generation of Italian Americans were becoming more independent and rebellious- in a way that they would go against their parents – as quoted in the book “In this country it is the young who rule. Older people don’t count for anything.” This brings us back to the question of what is being American and what is the American culture? There are several other aspects of the domus-centered lives which I’m pretty sure we all can relate to. For example, the concept of dating without supervision, wanting to be able to have a lively social life, having a close-knit family life, discouragement of sexual talks with parents, sacrificing oneself in order to respect the domus, etc.
Immigrants coming to America had one of two main choices: assimilate to the new “American culture” or complying with their own culture. The Italians in this case chose to comply with their domus-centered society. However, I believe this is different for each and every individual that arrives and it is their decision whether to comply with the old rules or adapt and assimilate with the new culture.
