Posted on by theitalianculture

What I Know As An Italian-American

I was not on my mother’s flight to America, but her frightful and anxious feelings are felt as she tells of her arrival in Brooklyn, New York in 1970 from Milano, Italy. I only picture my mother, her mother and great aunt entering an airport trying to get by to meet other family, while not understanding a single word that was said. As they are greeted by their loved ones who have settled a little while ago, they have already come with the intentions of those before them. To seek a better life. As their country was no longer serving what they truly needed, they couldn’t think of a better place than America. America, they admired as a beacon of light, believing that everyone who came would be treated as equals.

America has claimed to recognize itself as a “melting pot.” That we have allowed all different types of cultures to blend in, celebrating that there are differences that “blend” together in harmony. Even if that were to be true, our current president (who is of immigrant descent), believes in an alternative theory. President Trump issued an executive order that banned Muslims to enter the country, a disregard to what the country is or appeared to stands for. With fear growing at a rate for Muslims as they try to escape the horrible acts committed by ISIS, they face a loss of gaining a better home. As Syrian refugees are now forced to potentially relocate themselves permanently, there are questions on whether this should be a valid law.

Who are we to not welcome people who have come for reasons our ancestors have sought to find? To not allow them to escape, when trying to flee from escape or violence as we have in the past? There were times, not only presently, that America has gone against our so called constitutional freedoms. Specially among my culture.

Italian immigration had begun in 1800’s, where immigration among another group, the Irish, were coming in the U.S in tremendous numbers. The Irish had settled and took over the jobs that no one wanted to fill, such those in the public service sector. As the Irish were increasingly visible about the working class, americans had started to feel territorial. Although these were shoes no one wanted to fill, they claimed that these immigrants had taken over the job market. Movements against immigration in the 1860’s, and further agitation contributed to immigration laws that would be established in the early 1900’s. In 1917, President Windrow Wilson, assigned a literacy test to before entering the U.S. As Italians, more specifically from Sicily, were more than half were illiterate were not able to come. In 1921, the Emergency Quota Act, allowed only

3% of southern European countries to migrate to the U.S. This targeted many Italian immigrants who have tried to escape the perils of WW1 as their economy had began to go into turmoil.

The immigration laws were then repealed after 1930’s, as Italian Americans were one of the groups active in the process of reform. However, as Italians were settling into their new way of life, they were one of the groups to receive an uncomfortable amount of backlash. As WWII has swept over Europe, fascism was held into government with the rise of Mussolini. The U.S., against the Axis powers, developed a stereotype against Italian-Americans. The stereotype included many that are still held close to myself and my family growing up; the mobster. Cinema in the 1930’s began the very popular portrayal of Italian-Americans involved in the mafia; stern faced, no merciful and ruthless individuals who took pleasure in violence. Another popular portrayal was that of the “fesso.” The “fesso”, meaning fool, was an Italian-American character alongside the mobster who was unaware of what was happening or couldn’t hold any intelligent conversation. Characters such as these still appear in the present popular shows that include Joey Tribiani in “Friends.”

There have been successful accounts of those making it in America. Such as establishing family owned businesses that have been passed down to generation to generation. Along with providing enough security financially and domestically to provide their families and future relatives a better life. Other famous figures, LaGuardia and Sinatra, have proved that they were beyond their circumstances and stereotypes and were able to prove themselves to be the Italians they studied about; ambitious and passionate.

Stories both told from my mother and father, do not emphasize enough of the importance of the risks that were taken to survive here. With facing both stereotypes, barriers of language and cultural assimilation, the battle of reaching a better life was successful. However, both lives of my parents would have not changed for the better if the denial of entering the U.S. was possible. There are those who take advantage of entering a new country, causing an unfortunate turn of events instead of seeing the worth of benefitting themselves. But there are who those who came, kissed the soil they have instantly loved and cared, and planted a whole other life of devotion to themselves and family. To reject the potential safety, hope, and opportunity for an individual is not only against what my country stands for, but the humanity of all. I stand before not only my family and my culture, but those who are in search to be free.