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Racial and Ethnic Groups

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Racial and Ethnic Groups xxxxxxxxxxxx ETH/125
February 11, 2011 xxxxxxxxxxxx Although I am Italian American I do not know much about my heritage. This had been a delightful learning experience finding out where I am from, how my ancestor got here and why they came. I have always had interest in my heritage and finding out more about Italian American culture but have not had the time. I have been forced to find information and research about who I am and I could not be more delighted. Christopher Columbus and Giovanni da Verrazzano were the first Italians to come to the New World and make discoveries. Columbus did the majority of his discoveries in what is now known as South America in the 1490’s, while Verrazzano sailed to North America in the early 1500’s. He landed in present day North Carolina and ventured up the coast to New York, Cape Cod, Maine and Nova Scotia. Both of these men are recognized for their accomplishments through National Holidays, statues, landmarks, and artifacts displayed in museums. They both were trying to find a passage to the east to make it easier to get needed spices and supplies for their country, but found that there voyages were unsuccessful. They returned to their countries and told of their discoveries. They did not stay in the Americas and colonize because they were in look for something that they did not find, the east passage, and there intent was to return to their home land. (Meehan, T. 1912). Italians stayed in their country for quite some time after Columbus and Verrazzano’s discoveries. Over the decades Italy was stricken by poverty, disease, violence, and natural disasters making it very hard for anyone to get ahead and make their lives better. Feudalism was a part of the poverty too. Not being able to obtain land made it hard to provide for themselves and use the land like others to sustain life. (Colella, n.d.). In the 1880’s hundreds of thousands of Italian came to the United States to make money and send it back to their families. Most men left there wife’s and children behind because they were only coming over to work, make money and send it back to their country. According to The Library of Congress (2004), “Italian immigrants sent or took home between $4 million and $30 million each year, and that “the marked increase in the wealth of certain sections of Italy can be traced directly to the money earned in the United States.”(T he Great Arrival, para. 4). There were so many immigrants coming to the united states that there needed to set up a processing station. One of the first processing stations was in New York but it quickly became a place of theft and crime. New immigrants were not safe and neither were their belongings. The government set up a new at station of processing, with order, control, and regulations, to ensure safety, named Ellis Island. This legendary place is where most Italian immigrants landed and remained. They did not stray far from each other, living in the same apartments, streets and towns. They settled in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan and in nearby towns like New Jersey. (Library of Congress (2004). Most immigrants came over poor and got right to work to start making money doing jobs that no one else wanted to do. Italians have a lot of pride, they work hard for their money and some children even gave up their education to help their family. The living conditions were very poor. They refused to believe that anyone was better than them so they took it upon them self’s to open businesses, climb the cooperate ladder and make a better life for themselves. No longer would they do the jobs the jobs that no one else would do, but instead make their mark on their community. This was not a very easy task considering that there were high amounts of discrimination. Some Italians had darker skin than the immigrant arriving from other countries like Europe. Because they looked different and had and had darker skin, this caught the attention of the Klu Klux Klan. Italian were chased by mobs, hung and even lynched because of being different. Their dialect was different as well, and some did not speak English at all. Authority figures took advantage of this fact and blamed Italian for crimes they did not commit because they did know the English language and did not know the laws to be able to defend themselves. Italians were looked at like slaves. They worked long hours and for less amounts of money than others would. They did what others did would not so that they could make money and provide for their families. This was determination but others saw it as unintelligent. They received stereotypes of being gangsters, mobsters and criminals. (Demetri, 2009). I identify more with the United States mainstream culture than I do with my Italian ethnicity because I was born and raised here. I am very proud to say that I am part Italian but have never looked into my heritage. I know that my great grandparents were from Sicily and moved to the United States. I have asked for any information and records but no one in my family has proof. I would love to look deeper and find out about my ancestors experiences and how this part of the region is where my family resides today.

References

Demetri, J. (2009). Italians in America: From Discrimination to Adoration . Life in Italy. Retrieved from http://www.lifeinitaly.com/heritage/italian-discrimination

The Library of Congress. (2004). Immigration. Retrieved from http://lcweb2.loc.gov:8081/learn/features/immig/italian.html

Colella, N. (n.d.). Southern Italian Immigration . Italiamerica. Retrieved from http://www.italiamerica.org/id49.htm

Meehan, T. (1912). Giovanni da Verrazano. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved February 12, 2011 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15364a.htm

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