"The chief contribution that the American of Italian extraction
may make to our democracy is to remember that while his goal is AMERICA,
his starting point is Italy; that he is not to submerge his Italianism
in America but to merge it with Americanism at its highest." --Rabbi Stephen S. Wise
Since
the commencement of this great nation, the United States of America has
been receiving immigrants from all parts of the world. They have been
attracted to its shores by the lure of freedom, wealth and opportunity.
It has opened its doors to the hungry, the poor and the downtrodden.
Italian immigrants have made quite an impact on American culture, but
this has taken much time and effort to transpire. This article is part 1
of a 4 part series that explores the history and breadth of Italian
immigration and assimilation into America's great Melting Pot.
These
early immigrants, upon their arrival to an unfamiliar world, began
forming strong, concentrated communities, practicing features of their
native cultures that were responsive to the natural adjustment to
Anglo-Saxon culture. At the same time, this bonding slowed down the
assimilation process of integrating with a social unity. The need to
connect with their roots gave these immigrants a sense of security and
identity within the receiving society. Some of these people, those who
came from the same town or locality, that conversed in the same language
and practiced the same religious beliefs, tended to stick together to
help and support each other.
For some, the gradual assimilation
process was easy, while for others there were several serious problems
associated with this process. As to how long or how fast it would take
for that person to adjust to this newly adopted social environment, it
depended on that person's ability to manage the difficulties and
frustrations that they faced daily. Some of these problems may well not
have arisen from assimilating to the American way of thinking and doing
things. Most were due to conflicting values and attitudes that were
imbedded from the country of origin and social class. While many lived
in this state of conflict, even to the point of wanting to return to
their homeland, regardless of the consequences, they also adjusted and
readied themselves for a new life in America. Once that person became
absorbed into America's mainstream and progressed economically, staunch
attitudes and ways of the "Old Country" were easily given up.
As
each ethnic group moved from one culture to another, key changes began
to take effect in their life patterns. These changes not only affected
individuals and their families, they also affected American society with
respect to economy, education, and inter-group relations.
Most
immigrants that arrived in this country over the centuries have had
their own dreams and expectations for the future, which they would like
to see fulfilled in their lives, yet the only way to achieve the
American Dream is through hard work, sacrifice and thriftiness.
With
respect to the acculturation process, unfortunately, there have been
some negative effects which have resulted from discriminatory attitudes
of American society towards newly arrived immigrants. For example, the
presence of racism played a decisive role.
Non-white immigrants
were less readily accepted by American society, which, in turn, slowed
down their assimilation. For those who possessed a higher education in
comparison to the unskilled and illiterate, the assimilation was
quicker. The higher their social class and professional status, the
easier the acculturation became. Other relevant factors to consider
include the English language and the amount of time that the immigrant
spent in this country. The shorter the time frame, the less that person
would learn about the roles, norms and customs of the receiving society,
and how to interact with them, which is of crucial significance to the
assimilation process.
In order to comprehend the role of the early
Italian immigrant community in the process of assimilation, some of the
aforementioned issues will be examined in this study. Without further
delay I would like to start with my narration of "Once Upon A Time in
America: The Early Italian Immigrant's Assimilation Experience."
Background
As
a result of the Industrial Revolution's effects throughout Europe, the
Northern part of Italy developed manufacturing facilities which created
an economic boom for the Northern provinces. This meant jobs for the
northerners, resulting in less scarcity of commodities and minimized
agricultural problems. In the Northern part of Italy, the soil and
atmosphere were more favorable than in Southern Italy. The Northerners
were more prosperous and more "European" than their Southern
counterparts. If the Northern Italian working man could not find work,
he would cross the border into the neighboring European countries or
sail to Argentina, Brazil or the United States to make money, then
return to his homeland and family when he had enough.
Whereas, in
the Southern part of Italy, the Southerners that lived in the coastal
areas were able to sustain themselves by fishing or via trade. Those
that lived inland had to resort to farming to make a living. Since
transportation was limited to the interior, and farming was not a
dependable source of economic stability, this created severe hardships
for the inland population. The elements that contributed to this factor
were the harsh environmental conditions that the area was subjected to,
including:
1. The scarcity of land worth cultivating
2. Soil erosion
3. Deforestation
4. Lack of sufficient rainfall
5. Overpopulation
There were other problems as well. Disease
affected the grapevines, malaria destroyed the lives of many, and
natural disasters such as the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried
an entire town near Naples, not to mention the 1908 earthquake that
contributed to Southern Italy's predicament. So in effect, the
Southerners suffered more distress than the northerners.
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