About Italian Immigration

For Europeans, America was a land of endless possibilities and a way out of the stultifying class systems that kept a person from realizing her full potential. To Italians, the prospect of work and a secure future in America was all that was necessary to lure them to the United States. Understanding the patterns and reasons behind Italian immigration can shed light upon American society in general.

History

Though many Americans are familiar with the iconic black-and-white footage of Italian immigrants landing on Ellis Island where they were processed into American society, few realize that Italians began making their home in what would be the United States as early as the 17th century. Most of the Italians who made their home in the Virginia colonies were much-needed craftsmen and artisans such as glass makers and vintners (farmers who grew grapes for wine production). By the 18th century, Italians were well integrated into Colonial society, including Philip Mazzei who was a friend of Thomas Jefferson. Still, compared to even the relatively low numbers of French and Dutch settlers, Italian immigrants were few and far between.
In the late 19th century, American companies were looking for labor in the mines and mills that produced steel and coal began sending representatives to Italy (as well as other parts of Europe) looking for cheap labor. Additionally, plantation owners who resented the emancipation of slaves also sent recruiters to Italy looking for peasants who would work cheaply in the agricultural sector. Most of these Italian immigrants were poor, ill-educated, and Catholic, which upset many Protestants in America. Strong anti-Italian sentiment began to influence legislation. For example, up until 1906, an immigrant who came to America merely needed to swear an oath to become a citizen. After 1906, an immigrant had to appear before a circuit court, prove they could speak English, recite history and civics details about America, and take written or oral tests.

Geography

Though many Americans associate the Northeastern seaboard, or even Chicago, with Italian immigrants, the reality is that Italians began to settle all throughout the United States. Many poor Italian farmers jumped at the chance to become sharecroppers or minor farmers in the South in such states as Louisiana and Mississippi. Some were hired on as day laborers for cotton and tobacco plantations. Others stayed for a short time in the South and either returned to Italy or immigrated again to another country in the western hemisphere such as Cuba and Argentina. Italian farmers also moved into the more dangerous areas near the Western frontier; Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, for example, had large numbers of Italian farmers working close to the so-called "Indian territories."
Of course, the majority of Italian immigrants who came to the United States settled in large urban areas, most famously New York City, where they formed ghettos (ethnically concentrated enclaves within a city) which came to be known as "little Italy." Little Italys sprouted up in New York City, Newark, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco to name a few.

Significance

Italian immigrants did not remain ignorant, ill-educated, or ignored for long. Amadeo P. Giannini was an Italian banker who had specialized in forming banks that Italian immigrants felt they could trust. His bank, called The Bank of Italy, was formed in San Francisco in 1904 but truly became powerful after the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906. The Bank of Italy was heavily involved in rebuilding the city and grew in prominence and power. Eventually, The Bank of Italy became known as The Bank of Italy in America and then The Bank of America.
Another San Francisco-based Italian entrepreneur Domingo Ghirardelli immigrated to the rough-and-tumble frontier town in 1849, following the wave of gold prospectors to California. After failing to be a successful miner, Ghirardelli opens up a supply store selling food, mining equipment and sweets to miners and finds his niche in the western boom town. By 1852, Ghirardelli had opened more stores and a hotel but finally settled on manufacturing chocolate; currently, Ghirardelli chocolates are considered some of the best chocolates in the United States if not the world.
Alphonse "Al" Capone was the son of Sicilian immigrants who grew up in the ghettos of New York. His ruthless nature and reckless ambition brought him into conflict with the New York mob, forcing him to flee to Chicago. Capone made a name for himself as the most feared (and famous) gangster of the 1920's and 30's. Capone's legacy lives on in the criminal underworld as well as in modern fiction with the television series and silver screen movie "The Untouchables" to name a few.

Expert Insight

The tide of southern and eastern Europeans into America in the early part of the 20th century was met with serious concern in American society. Many Italian immigrants were discriminated against, usually because of their education, ethnicity, or religion. Italian immigrants were blamed for many of the ills facing 1920's Progressive-minded America. Many of the Italian immigrants were (often wrongly) associated with Marxist or Anarchist movements. The most famous criminal case of the 1920's involved charges of anarchist activity, robbery, murder, and the so-called "evils" of Italian immigration to the United States.
in 1920, Bartolomeo Vanzetti and Nicola Sacco were accused of the murder of a guard of a shoe factory who was shot during a robbery. Prosecutors asserted that Sacco and Vanzetti had robbed the store (of about $15,000) in order to finance their anarchist plans including the manufacture of bombs. The case garnered international attention and many of the defenders of Sacco and Vanzetti claimed the evidence was flimsy at best and that the real reason Sacco and Vanzetti were on trial was because they had donated to and written for an Anarchist newspaper. Sacco and Vanzetti appealed their conviction numerous times but were eventually executed in 1927.
At the time, the evidence behind Sacco and Vanzetti's trial and conviction were circumstantial at best. Some witnesses said that a man resembling Sacco had been in the area, and the bullet that killed the guard was similar to ones in Vanzetti's gun. Though historians agree that Sacco and Vanzetti were more than likely involved in criminal Anarchist activities at the time of their arrests, they are not sure that the evidence firmly places them at the scene.

Benefits

Despite, or in some cases because of, the criminal activities associated with Italian Americans, American society has embraced many of the contributions that Italian immigrants have made to American society. Spaghetti, Pizza and Lasagna are all commonly-eaten foods in American society, and Starbucks Coffee uses Italian adjectives to describe and size their coffees. Joe DiMaggio, a son of Italian immigrants, is considered one of the best and most famous baseball players of all time. Descendants of Italian immigrants have consistently made names for themselves in politics, including Fiorello LaGuardia, Gerladine Ferraro, Rudolph Guliani, and Mario Cuomo. Americans have embraced the films of Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Nicolas Cage, and Joe Pesci. Finally, films, books, and television shows such as The Godfather, Good Fellas, The Sopranos, and Serpico have consistently captured American audience attention in ways that other ethnically-based entertainment rarely has.

Resources

• Italian Americans
• Their Journey to America (Italians)
• Italians in America