It was interesting to read about so much church politics, and how la Madonna represented so much of Italian Harlem’s history and life. From where the statue of la Madonna was placed, to the prayers she’s heard, la Madonna was a big part of early Italian American life in East Harlem. And when it came to crowning la Madonna in the church, many of them were willing to donate family gold towards the crown. I have never really thought about how the problems that arise from different observations of the same religion are dealt with so diplomatically. The crowning of la Madonna was done to appease the Italian American Catholics, yet it was also to try and make the Italian American Catholics assimilate into a more American Catholicism. The Italians’ way of worshipping, especially with feasts and celebrations, seemed sacrilegious to many non-Italian Catholics.
Another big part of Italian culture and life is family, or the domus. I think that for a lot of different cultures, family is an important aspect, but as for the Italians in East Harlem, family is essentially a religion. It is ironic how the women are supposed to be more subservient to the men in public, but in many times, it is really the women that are in charge of the house hold. In terms of father and son, things aren’t also as they appear. Sometimes, even though the father may try to show that he has more power in public, in reality, it is the son that has more power. Reputation is indeed very important in this domus based culture.
And from reputation conflicts can arise. If a girl has dated too many times, her reputation can be ruined, and she might have to move to a new place. And since culture is domus based, individual actions can reflect on the family as a whole, so many people have to sacrifice a lot of things to maintain the family’s reputation, as well as the solidity of the family. This can mean giving up a potential wife/husband, or not taking a certain job. I find these sacrifices commendable, and I am not sure if I would be able to make the same sacrifices for my family.
