WHY DID MY GRANDPARENTS COME TO AMERICA

After looking at all the beautiful travelogues of Southern Italy, from where my paternal grandparents came, I wondered why, at the turn of the 20th century, they would give up everything to come to a foreign land where no one spoke their language and many left their families behind to look for work in America.

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There were reasons, but what were they. It seems , due to the political climate of the country, the economy was healthy in the industrial North but in the South it was tough to make ends meet. The South was primarily farmers who worked long hours for very low wages. The Southern Italians, mostly men, came to America with the intent of earning, and saving enough money to return to a better life in Italy. They did not plan on staying in the US permanently. They were Southern Italians and that is where they wanted to be. Due to a bloody Civil

War in the last quarter of the 19th century, Southern Italy was in dire economic straits and their citizens had no other choice.

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My great grandfather, Francesco Verdi came when he was 39 with his son, Francesco Jr. my grandfather, who was 19. They listed themselves as laborers even though they were farmers.

It was a tough life and far from what they thought it would be.. My grandfather married when he was 20 to another immigrant, Maria Felicetti, also 20. They had six (6) children together. 4 boys and 2 girls. My grandfather died at 29 yars of age from a burst appendix leaving his wife of 29 years old with 6 little children. One was my father, James. My grandmother remarried, had 2 more boys, and died at age 38. All my aunts and uncles went into Catholic homes for a time and eventually stayed with their 63 year old Aunt, Maria Felicetti. So it didn't quite work out the way my great-grandfather planned it. I still haven't found out about my great-grandmother, who was left behind in Italy, but I will. All my uncles fought in WW II and survived to have families of their own.

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It is interesting to note that in a book written in 1902, "The World's Work", that the "Race Average per Capita" of money held by immigrants passing through Ellis Island showed that Northern Italians had the highest $23.53 and the Southern Italians the lowest average of $8.67. The following is quoted from this book.

"Roughly speaking, the North-of-Europe people make better citizens than those from the South of Europe. The better class go to the country and the worst to the cities. Greeks are considered about the least desirable of all; the Italians from the Southern portion of the peninsula also make poor citizens; but those from the Northern part of Italy rank with the Swiss and other desirable nationalities."

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TALK ABOUT RACIAL PROFILING. Note that this was written more than 100 years ago by an American. Is there that much of a difference in the thinking of mainstream America today?

I hope so, but I really don't think so. Well, a New Year is around the corner. I don't know if it's that different than 1910 though.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!