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Immigration Experiement

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Immigration Experience
Dear Aunt Mia, Today is November 12, 1912 and the day is gloomy. I miss you dearly and don’t know when I will be able to send this letter. Who knows how many more days of smelling the ocean and the stench of poverty I can stomach. Father could not afford a second class ticket, so we are secluded to the deck. The first few nights it rained heavily, not to mention the cold from the open air. I fear many of us might catch an illness, and fear for the little ones on this voyage. There is nothing to protect us from the harsh ocean air, whipping our hair around and slapping out face. Sleep is very uncomfortable, we had to supply our own blankets, which are damp from the ocean air. The hard floor has really not taken well to mother, she is much pain. We receive very little water and food, definitely not enough to survive on. Many wondering if we will parents watch as their children parish from hunger. A few desperate souls attacked kitchen workers and they paid the ultimate price for trying to take food to feed their families. Father never dare cross a crew member, he knows the punishment would result in a beating and even being thrown overboard. As I gaze around our ship, we are almost elbow to elbow and I can’t wait to hit land. Tomorrow is my 14th birthday, and I hope to see the great Statue of Liberty as my present. Mother said going to America will give us a better life, and that we will be back to our home in a few years. Observing around I wonder if everyone will be able to find work and a place to live, with so many people I am scared. Often, I can’t help think about all we left behind; the beautiful fields I love to run through with friends, the family parties, and friends. We had no choice but to move, for the safety of us all. Neapolitans and Sicilians were being murdered by the Italian Army of occupation, therefore jobs were hard to find ("Southern Italian Immigration", 2012). My family also feared we would end up getting hurt by all the looters. As if it were yesterday, I remember when the Padroni came to our door to offer my father work in America. He said no at first, but after weeks of little food and no money he sought out the Padroni and agreed to the work contract ("Immigration in the Early 1900s", 2012). My father says we are only going to America long enough for him to make money, and wait out the violence to end in our homeland. My mother cried and told my grandmother she knew we would not be returning, I hope she is wrong. Today is November 23, 1912, and I have much to tell. I apologize for the delay but we have been very busy getting settled. We arrived in America on November 13th, it was a glorious day. When the passengers could see the Statue of Liberty people cheered in harmony and the weight of the world seemed diminish. When we docked it felt like forever before any action or movement took place. Men came aboard and lined up everyone, men in one line and of course women and children in another. I did not want to be separated from father but I had no choice. As our lines moved forward to be inspected by the doctors, I turned back to look at the ship. I couldn’t help but feel scared and excited at the same time. Men who wore uniforms walked around and stared at us and others as if they were looking for something. When my turn came the doctor; looked in my mouth, ears, nose, and he even searched my hair. They asked if I had a cough or sneezing, by motioning the movements since I didn’t not understand the words he was saying. Then I was asked many questions, almost if they were trying to see if they could upset me. Mother said they were seeking out crazy people and radicals. Once I finished all my exams they gave me a medical certificate ("Italian Immigration at Ellis Island", 2010). After all of this was completed, half the day had gone by. I was very tired and starting to get hungry, hoping we were done. A man shouted for everyone to get into another line, we had to answer question to another man such as; name, age, occupation, race, and where we come from. I was annoyed, they took this information from us when we first got on ship. I soon realized to keep my opinion to myself as I saw some people not being able to move on forward, instead they were being led back to the ship. You can just hear the screaming and the children crying, again I was scared. Once we were given the approval, a relative’s friend took us in for a few days. We had a very small space that we all slept in, but I was grateful for the food and place to wash up. They too had a daughter my age, and she was very nice. The second day in America dad went with the other men to work. Mother was so happy that he was able to find work, she really wanted to stay out of the big city. Unfortunately, that was impossible, and we are now living in a very small place in New York City. I heard the neighbor tell father that this was what they called “Little Italy,” and told him we have to stick to our own kind ("Wave of Italian Immigrants", 2011). When I asked mother what he meant by staying in New York, she said that we had to stay close to father’s job. Although I wanted to cry because they said we would live on a big land just like in Italy, I knew the busy city was the best place for us. Anyway, our home is in a large building. We have to walk up many stairs to get to the 5th level where we live, and there are two more levels above use. I have never seen so many stairs in my life. We are very lucky as we have two rooms, and I actually get to have my own although there is no sunlight or windows, but I don’t mind ("Tenements", 2012). We have a nice routine going, and mother even made friends. We see everyone from the neighborhood during and after church on Sundays. Everyone in our street, is Catholic just like us. I was afraid coming to America we would have to change our beliefs. The nuns at our church even hold classes to help us learn English (Bryne, 2000). Although our services are held in the basement because the Priest is Irish and doesn’t want us dirty Italians with the other Irish people for service, we still enjoy our time there. Never the less we still like going to church, and father says one day it will be an Italian Priest. Mother says, the Catholic Church is very helpful to immigrants like us and we have to remember to always repay them in whatever we can (Bryne, 2000). Here in America there are many people with different beliefs and they sometimes stand on corners to tell people all about it. You should see all of the different types of people here. When we venture anywhere outside of Little Italy people give us dirty looks, some men even spat at us. Mother keeps my hand tight, tells me to keep my head up, and to walk fast. Everywhere we went people seem to not like our kind of people. The nice lady downstairs said people look at Italians as lower class people and that we are poor, illiterate, criminals, and that we carry strange diseases ("Wave of Italian Immigrants", 2011). This makes me so mad and sad that we can’t all get along. That is why mother and I aren’t allowed to leave Little Italy without father. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that father is working as a laborer and he makes almost two dollars a day (Molner, 2010). He doesn’t make as much money as the other men (Irish men and all) but at least he has a job. Mom says not to bother him when he comes home, that he has had a long day. The truth is though, I know what the other workers are calling him “guinea” and “dagoe. I guess this is what people call Italians here. Father told mother that work conditions are really bad and that sometimes people get sick or hurt. Even getting a hand or leg cut off is normal, and that the people in charge don’t care. I wish he didn’t have to go to work in such a dangerous place.
I really wanted to attend school, but mother said she did not want me to be tarnished by the American ways. Father said I have to stay with mother and help her with sewing and other duties and that I must do my part to help the family ("Italian Americans ", 2010). Maybe one day I can go to school and see what it is like to be around other American girls who go to school. For now I have to help as much as I can. Father said the sooner we can save money they sooner we will be able to go back to Italy. I can’t wait for that day, for now all I can do is help do my part. I miss and love you all. I hope I have time to write to you soon again.
Love,
Alessandra De Luca

References
Bryne, J. (2000). Roman Catholics and Immigration in Nineteenth-Century America. Retrieved from http://www.nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/nromcath.htm
Molner, A. (2010). History of Italian Immigration. Retrieved from https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~molna22a/classweb/politics/Italianhistory.html
Immigration in the Early 1900s. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snpim1.htm
Italian Immigration at Ellis Island. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.iascorlando.org/index.php/the-italian-corner/40-italian-immigration-at-ellis-island-1892-1954
Southern Italian Immigration. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.italiamerica.org/id49.htm
Wave of Italian Immigrants. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.energyofanation.org/wave_of_italian_immigrants.html

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