Italian Immigration to America: A Historic Journey
Explore the compelling story of Italian immigrants' journey to America during the era of mass migration from 1850-1920. From Ellis Island to tenement housing, discover the challenges and triumphs faced by Italian immigrants in establishing communities and livelihoods in a new land.
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Italian Immigrants: to America and the Americas ECON 3248 Summer 2019 Presentation by Matthew Elenio (with thanks to my parents Flavia and Anthony Elenio)
Background The Era of Mass migration was from 1850 1920, but more followed. Almost every Italian migrant who arrived in America came through Ellis island, and every one that came to New York or New Jersey did come though Ellis island. Most all were left Italy poverty & war. Famous Italian American Lee Iacocca raised money to rebuild Ellis Island and help keep it and its history. Question: in your neighborhood (48th to 32nd street) how many people would you say were Italian. Almost everybody was Italian or had family from Italy, I would say a minimum of 90% 2 ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019
Two great immigration advocates in picture published in memory of Lee Iacocca by the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation Inc. 3 ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019
Ellis Island ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer2019 4
Early Italian American housing and communities The tenement housing is famously known for housing early Italian immigrants as it is a small room that multiple people would live in. Areas such as Arthur Ave, Hells Kitchen, and Brooklyn are well known from containing Italian immigrants and filled with Italian culture. Question: How many stores and restaurants would you say on your street(s) were Italian? Every store in where I lived (modern day hells kitchen) were all Italian, and almost every spoke it in the streets. ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 5
Tenement Housing often over-crowded ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 6
Jobs as an Italian Immigrant Almost all of the Italian immigrants were poor and uneducated coming to America, so jobs mainly consisted of factory work, tailoring, food supplying stores, and occasional illegal activity. Although later on their were labor laws, they were not as strict as they are today, so Italian Immigrants worked very long hours and most days. Question: What did your parents do for a living? Anthony: My father was a machine worker and worked 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. MY mother was a homeworker. Flavia: My father was a foreman for a tailors shop. He worked 7 days a week 12 hours a day. 7 ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019
Ethnic bias against Italians Italians were seen as greasy, dirty, and poor amongst people in New York and were not immediately welcomed by the people already living here. Occasional criminal activity gave Italians a bad rap New York, the bias against Italians continued* It took years of integration for them to be accepted. *D McLeod 2020 update recall President Trump called chris Cuomo a Fredo ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 9
Italy and Argentina and Todays immigrants As Baily asks Were the Italians in Buenos Aires in some way better prepared for the immigration experience than those who went to New York? Did they encounter a more receptive host society? Perez, 2019 and Baily argue it was low wage job opportunity that attracted less educated and poorer Italians from Southern and Sicily Much as the U.S. attracts low skilled Latin Immigrants, Italians took jobs in construction and the garment industries on the lower East Side The moved up and out of the city making room for today s immigrants while Italian immigrants ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 10
Italy and Argentina During the mass time of migration, Argentina was the second most migrated country to by Italians. Most went to America compared to Argentina because wages for unskilled workers were higher in the US than in Argentina. Perez, 2019 and others argue Argentina received more immigrants from North Italy then America did (The wealthier part of Italy.. See Perez 2019, ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 11
Arrivals of Argentina compared to the US (Perez, 2019) ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 12
Where Immigrants to the U.S. come from ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 13
1960 Immigration to USA Previous Region Europe or Canada Mexico South and East Asia LatinAmerica Other % of immigrants to USA 84.0 6.0 3.8 3.5 2.7 ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 14
2017 Immigration to USA Previous Region % of immigrants to USA Europe or Canada 13.2 Mexico 25.3 South and East Asia 27.4 LatinAmerica 25.1 Other 9.0 ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 15
Famous Italian Americans Lee Iacocca is well known Italian American, born from Italian immigrants and became very successful in the automotive industry with the Ford Mustang, being worth over $150 million. Al Pacino a famous actor in several movies, including The Godfather Series. Frank Sinatra, a famous singer, actor and producer in the 30s and 40s. Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and beloved by the Italian community in New York City. Robert De Niro, a famous Actor and producer, also in Italian themed movies such as The Godfather Part II , Goodfellas and The Family . ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 16
Pictures of Famous Italians ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 17
Then compared to now Today Arthur Ave and Hell s Kitchen neighborhoods are anything but Italian, most Italians now live in the suburbs. The education rates and income levels for Italians were very low, and have went up since the early 1900s. In 2000 Italian-American high school graduation rates were 29%, higher (National Average of 29%). College graduation was at 19%, 7% masters degree, 2% professional degree, and 1% doctorate Degree (OSIA, 2003, p 3) . The Median income for Italian Americans, went up to $61,300 a year, which the national median was $50,000. ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 18
Occupations As stated before, Italian Immigrants almost always took blue color level jobs, and factory work, due to their lack of education. In 2000, 66% of Italian Americans work white collar jobs (national average 64%, while 34% work blue collar jobs (National average 36%). Question: What did you do for a living? After High School I worked full time as a truck mechanic up until my retirement. I never went to college. ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 19
Currently Italian Americans, according to the 2000 US census, are 5thlargest ancestry group in America, with Rhode Island being the state that contains the most Italian Americans, New Jersey being the second, Massachusetts being the third, and New York the fourth. Many Italians today do not live in Cities, as most have moved out to the suburbs, but still leaving large remnants of Italian culture in all five boroughs. Question: When do you move out of Hell s Kitchen? We moved to Maspeth queens in 1968, then Hicksville, Long Island in 1971. ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 20
Italians born in Italy by decade ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 21
Housing then and Now 22 ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer2019
Italian Culture 100 years later After all the years of slow integration into America, Italian American is considered its own culture, and is heavily prevalent in New York and other cities. Those who consider themselves Italian Americans still hold traditions close to them such as Italian music and food at weddings, and the 7 fishes dinner on Christmas Eve (My absolute favorite day of the Year). At any Italian event there is always Italian food, music, wine and loud Italians yelling the whole time (another part of Italian American Culture). ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 23
My Italian Family Now As I used my family as an example for ItalianAmericans from back then and now, the story ends like this: My father is 52 years old and currently the CFO of a realty trust company. My Aunt Annemarie has a masters degree education, concentration in special education My Uncle Neil owns a contracting company. My Aunt Debbie is a surgeons assistant. Both my grandparents are happily married and retired in Hicksville, NY . ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 24
My Family ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 25
Grazie! ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 26
References Baily, S. L.(1983): The Adjustment of Italian Immigrants in Buenos Aires and New York,1870-1914, The American Historical Review, 281 305. Baily, S. L(2004):Immigrants in the lands of promise: Italians in Buenos Aires and New York City,1870-1914, Cornell University Press Ellis Island History - The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, www.libertyellisfoundation.org/ellis-island-history. Clark, Quiara. Tenement Housing. Tenement Housing, 2012, quiaraclark.blogspot.com/2012/02/tenement-housing-tenement-houses-in- new.html. Iacocca, LeeA., and William Novak. Iacocca: an Autobiography. Bantam Books, 2007. Luiselli, Valeria. Tell Me How It Ends an Essay in Forty Questions. 4th Estate, 2017. ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 27
References Cont. Nigro, Carmen. Tenement Homes: The Outsized Legacy of New York's Notoriously Cramped Apartments. The New York Public Library, The New York Public Library, 8 June 2018, www.nypl.org/blog/2018/06/07/tenement-homes-new-york- history-cramped-apartments. OSIA (2003) A Profile of Todays Italian Americans . Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, www.osia.org/wp- content/uploads/2017/05/IA_Profile.pdf. P rez, Santiago. Southern (American) Hospitality: Italians in Argentina and the US during the Age of Mass Migration. NBER, 25 July 2019, www.nber.org/papers/w26127. ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 28
References Cont. Radford, Jynnah, and Luis Noe-Bustamante. Immigrants in America: Key Charts and Facts. Pew Research Center's Hispanic Trends Project, Pew Research Center's Hispanic Trends Project, 17 June 2019, www .pewhispanic.org/2019/06/03/facts-on-u-s-immigrants/. US Census Bureau. Census 2000 Gateway. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 Jan. 2000, www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html. ECON 3248 Migration and Development Summer 2019 29
