HAVE YOU EVER….THOUGHT ABOUT MOVING ABROAD?

Many people immigrated years ago to the United States….and what a move it was!!  It wasn’t as easy as it is today to travel. I come from an Italian immigrant family, so I know.

Everywhere you look in the U.S. the work of Italian immigrants is apparent.  They came in search of a better life.

In the past, they took on jobs that were far from being glamorous.  They faced the challenge of coming to a new land with little to no money.

The sheer determination to make their family proud, paired with hard work and humility, led Italian immigrants to stay and build the foundation for their families.  Many spoke little to no English and with no place to help adjust, they were facing an uphill battle.

They laughed, they loved, they saved, they cried, they built something lasting.

I am a first-generation American of Italian heritage.  The more we put down roots, the more important it is to preserve family history and traditions.  Whether it is making tomato sauce during harvest season, or learning how to make pasta from scratch with Nonna, these are my honoured family traditions that need to be cherished.

My family’s journey is not at all different from many others who immigrated.  They know the difficulty in becoming an American.  It isn’t a sudden process.  You get over it but you don’t ever quite get over it.  You carry your heritage with you.

For Italians, the strategies for survival and success, rested upon two pillars:  work and family.  Relatives helped one another to immigrate, they shared households, loaned money to eachother for business ventures and helped in job searches.

Assimilation has never meant a “melting pot” where everyone “melted” into a homogeneous “American” stew.  It meant that immigrants adapted and changed in disparate domains.

My life was simple and uncomplicated.  Routine, habit and customs created stability for us.  Sundays were a time to catch up with family.  No one was permitted to leave the table until dinner was over.  I used to listen to my family members reminisce.  We were a very large family.  I had 16 aunts and uncles and 35 cousins.  All of my family members wanted us to fit into the American culture, but not to forget our heritage.  “Be proud Americans”, they said, “but never be ashamed of your heritage.  It is a story you must preserve”.

My family used to say “è vero che anche noi siamo cittadini Americani, eppure, il nostro sangue sarà sempre quello Italiano”.

Take care