Italians in America

As Italians entered America, many were met with hatred and prejudice. Their customs and their Catholic faith was oftentimes feared. Italians were looked upon as different from the old generation of immigrants and were often viewed as people of lower class. Many residents of the United States feared that the Italians were lazy and lacked intelligence. In reality, however, there was little difference between the old and new immigrants.

For all immigrants, it was difficult to adjust, or assimilate. As they came to America they all brought with them their own traditions and languages. The Italians were no different. For them, their culture became their safety, the only thing they could rely on. The Italians largely distrusted American insurance companies, just as they themselves were not trusted by the Americans. As a result, many Italian communities formed their own associations to aid families in times of need. The Italians also brought with them their own means to obtain work. In Italy, it was common for a boss to find jobs for the unemployed (though they were often unskilled) by negotiating with employers. This was called the pedrone system. In America, these bosses made a lot of money, as they cheated many non-English speaking immigrants. In time, however, the immigrants were able to make their living without the help of these bosses. Though the Italian culture was very dear to the immigrants, in time it became impossible to hold on to one's traditions. No day went by without contact with a completely different culture. Many Italians were Americanised in some way or another, but still remained very Italian in other aspects. Even though many customs could be upheld, the conditions for upholding such customs had changed. For example, in America, it was impossible to make an Italian dinner without using American food, or to be understood by everyone without using English. Therefore, the Italians adjusted to English, as it was needed at work and in school. As a result, many Italians quickly learned the language, though it was largely unpopular. Partly because of their knowledge of the English language, the Italian immigrants came to influence American society, especially in when it came to religion. The Catholic faith increased as Italians, Poles, Hungarians and Slovaks joined together religiously. Such large numbers of Catholic believers greatly impacted the American society of the 1900s. Even today, the Catholic religion has a great impact on American life. Even so, the Catholic faith has adjusted to the United States. As time passed, it became more and more common to use English in the churches, even though services were supposed to be performed in Latin. The Italians largely resented this Irish-dominated American Catholic Church. As a result, the Italians formed their own parishes and built their own churches. Many Italian immigrants, who were mostly males, came to America to earn money instead of settling and begin a new life. However, as time passed the urge to return to Italy became less powerful. A few Italians did return home, but it was usually just to get married or to visit. As more Italians decided to reamain in America, the number of women and children that immigrated increased. As a result, the image of Italian families became more common in 19th-century America. The Italians came to compete with the Irish for the same occupations, and as the number of Italians in the United States increased, they began to dominate many of the occupations that was earlier controlled by the Irish. Most Italians came to live in the industrial cities, especially in the north-east of U.S.A. States like New York and Pennsylvania attracted many Italian immigrants. There they worked in various industries, such as woollen mills and shoe factories. Some Italians also became miners. In time, the Italian women came to compete with Jewish women in the clothes industry.

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References
9 Maldwyn A. Jones "Chapter 9 - The Italian Exodus" Destination America . London - U.K, Thames Television Limited 1976. p.193-216

10 Mary Beth Norton, David M. Katzman, Paul D. Escott, Howard P. Chudacoff, Thomas G. Paterson, William M. Tuttle, Jr. "Chapter 19 – The Vitality and Turmoil of Urban Life, 1877-1920" A People and a Nation Ann West. U.S.A, Houghton Mifflin Company 1998. p. 544-551



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