AIFC Co-Chairs Celebrate National Heritage Week
Every year, National Heritage Week takes place in mid-August as a part of European Heritage Days. These are a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union in which over forty countries participate. Of course, we participated by celebrating our Italian-American heritage!
Italians began immigrating to the United States during the Italian diaspora in 1880, two decades after the Unification of Italy. Poverty was the driving force of immigration, as many Italians lacked access to land due to sharecropping, or mezzadria, especially those in South Italy. Many immigrants looked for any type of work to send money home to family members. It is estimated that Italian immigrants sent or took home between $4 million and $30 million each year during this period of migration. Immigrants took various jobs on, but continued to work and live in hazardous conditions, in cramped housing, sometimes with other families. They also experienced a wave of prejudice and nativist hostility from Americans. The U.S. was in an economic depression, and Italian immigrants would often be blamed for taking American jobs.
AIFC Co-Chair Lucy Calautti’s family was part of the Italian migration. Both of her grandfathers, hailing from Southern Italy, were fortunate to bring skills that kept them well-employed. Her Grandpa Serverno was an iron worker who utilized his skills to open a chandelier-making business in New York. His lighting fixtures adorned the iconic Tavern on the Green in Central Park. Her other grandfather, Giancarlo, supported his family by giving piano lessons, and eventually opened a music store in Little Italy.
Additionally, AIFC Co-Chair Susan Molinari’s family immigrated to the U.S. in the 1900s, with 5 of the children of Giuseppe and Raffaello Molinaro moving to New York. It is believed that their names were changed to Molinari at Ellis Island. Her great grandfather quickly adapted to his new home and became a barber. Her grandfather, Sigismondo Robert Molinari, joined his family in NYC at age 12. S. Robert became successfully involved in his new community on Staten Island , practicing real estate and eventually running and winning a seat in the New York State Assembly. His son, Susan’s father Guy (Gaetano) Molinari, followed his father’s footsteps in public service and served in the New York State Assembly, The United States Congress, and as Borough President of Staten Island. Susan then continued the tradition and became Minority Leader of the New York City Council, then a Member of Congress. For this Italian family, it didn’t take long to go from a barber’s chair to seats in the US Congress.
About a third of Italian immigrants settled in New York City. Due to the social and political divisions of the Italian peninsula, Italian villages tended to isolate themselves based on village and region, but they would come together for distinctive events like weddings, feasts, christenings, funerals, and festas (parades)– which would celebrate the feast day of a villages’ patron saint.
At the turn of the 20th century, Southern Italian immigrants were among the lowest-paid workers in the United States. Italian immigrants began to fight against unsafe conditions by taking organized action, leading strikes, and forming Italian Workers Unions in various parts of the U.S. This helped Italian immigrants achieve advances in the U.S. workforce and enjoy a wider range of careers. By the 1920s and 30s, the initial immigrant generation began to see their children grow up as American citizens. From then on, Italians began to be recognized as a cultural piece of American life, especially during the explosion of mass media after WWII. Italian cuisine became popular around the U.S., as soldiers returning from Europe would bring with them cravings of food they had tasted abroad. Italian icons popped up everywhere – Rocky Marciano was the world’s first undefeated heavyweight champion in boxing; Diane Di Prima was a prominent writer of the Beat movement; chemist Giuliana Tesoro was granted over 100 patents, one of which was for flame-resistant fabric; Enrico Fermi created the world’s first nuclear reactor and received a Nobel Prize for his work on induced radioactivity and discovery of trans-uranium elements; Anna Magnani was the first Italian to win an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance; Joe DiMaggio led the New York Yankees to nine World Series championships; and singers Perry Como and Dean Martin dominated American radio.
Today, Italians and Italian-Americans are broadly represented in many industries and Italian cuisine is common throughout the U.S., with pizza and pasta being some of the most popular selections of food for Americans. The U.S. additionally imports wine, wafers, coffee, chocolate, eggs, meat, cocoa, and fruits from Italy– all of which help keep traditional Italian recipes alive in the U.S.
We support the preservation of Italian heritage in the U.S. and sharing our culture with our neighbors. For more information, please visit AFICoalition.org