Who Were the First Italian Immigrants to the United States?
Italians have been arriving on America's shores for several centuries. In fact, the very name "America" comes from Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who suggested that a new continent lay between Europe and Asia to the west. Italian-Americans are currently the fourth-largest European ancestry group in the United States.
Other People Are Reading
-
First Italians in America
-
The first explorer at what was to become New York City harbor was Giovanni da Verrazzano, whom the Verrazzano Narrows bridge is named after. On June 2, 1635, Pietro Cesare Alberti became the first Italian to settle in the future United States, in New York.
Early Italian Americans
-
Filippo Mazzei, a friend of Thomas Jefferson, played an important role during the American Revolution. However, Italians were only arriving in modest numbers during the late 1700s and throughout much of the 1800s.
-
1880 to 1924
-
The majority of Italians immigrating to the United States arrived from 1880 to 1924, with the most arriving from 1900 to 1924. Many Italian immigrants came from Sicily and southern Italy, often from rural areas and with little formal education.
Immigration Act of 1924
-
The number of immigrants allowed into the United States from southern and eastern Europe became severely limited in 1924 with the passing of the Immigration Act of 1924, also known as the Johnson Reed Act.
Italian-Americans Today
-
The 2005-2007 American Community Survey three-year estimates from the U.S. Census indicate almost 18 million Americans with Italian ancestry. The majority of Italian-Americans live in the Northeast.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Dave Kellam
