This takes place at the beginning of the 20th.. On this picture we can see a street of Little Italy. There is a market and the street is overcrowded by people. There are not many cars and carts. This district looks full of life but the clothes of people lead to think that the peolple are not very rich. This market is between big buildings and there is no house. The street is messy and clothes are on balconys like in Italy. On the background, we can see that the street is very long. Behind merchants who are in the street there are shops like a shoe repairing or another. As a conclusion,we can see that Italians live like they used to live when they were in Italia.
Historical and politic context of italian immigration
From the early 1860s Italia is united but it goes through an economic crisis and for the majority of population who are peasants it become not possible to have food and eat correctly. So the italian immigration became from be seasonnal to be a definitive and from 1880s to 1914 approximately 6 millions italian immigrants took boat to Uruguay, Brazil and from 1895 to the U.S.A. They leave mainly North and South of Italia (Veneto, Piedmont, Lombardy and Campania). From 1880 to 1905 the immigration was not very great but after there were more than 50 000 immigrants who left Italia every year and for 4 600 000 of them the destination is the U.S.A.
Identity :
Name and first name : Di Staggione Francesca
Name of father : Di Staggione Antonio
Name of mother : Di Staggione Claudia
Date and place of birth : The 16, May in 1883 in Napoli
Religion : Catholic
Job : Nurse
Illiterate or not : Not illiterate
Single or not : Single
Place of living : Napoli
Physical description :
How tall : 1,65m
Colour of eyes : green
Colour of hair : Brown
Eyebrows : thick and black
Nose : Small and pointed
Caracteristic of face : Her teeth are appart
Particular characters :
Identity :
Name and first name : Di Staggione Giovanni
Name of father : Di Staggione Antonio
Name of mother : Di Staggione Claudia
Date and place of birth : The 15, June in 1886 in Napoli
Religion : Catholic
Job : Student
Illiterate or not : Not illiterate
Single or not : Single
Place of living : Napoli
Physical description :
How tall : 1,73 m
Colour of eyes : green
Colour of hair : dark hair
Eyebrows : thick and dark
Nose : Big
Caracteristic of face : There is a scar on his forehead
Particular characters : His right eye can’t be open.
17th, november 1899.
Today, my father died, he got ill 2 years ago. My mother and I have decided to leave Italy to go to the U.S.A. We have enough money but we can’t stay here because my father had to give money back to his Godfather and because he has died, they will come here to take the house and everything we have. We must leave Italy quickly, tomorrow the boat from Naples to New-York leaves at 6:25 am. I am afraid! What will we do if anything happens.
18th, november 1899.
Today, we are on the boat. We were accepted against a big part of our money. Fortunately, we have enough food and my brother feels good. We are disappointed to leave our country, it’s our former life that we leave today.
My mother prays God all the time to have a good trip. She is so worried we don’t have enough food or enough money to finish the trip and be accepted in the U.S.A. People that I know were dismissed because they were too poor or a little ill. They said it’s very difficult to enter in the U.S.A. Some people stay in Ellis Island for a couple of months and have to go back to there homeland.
25th, november 1899.
Today, when I woke up I was told that my brother was sick and the cook said : «Your brother must not infect another passengers, if tomorrow he is still sick… » This man scared me, I am scared that he is a man who works for my dad’s Godfather. The trip is too long for us, and mum is very weakened. I hope that we will soon get there.
3rd, december 1899.
Today, we have arrived in the U.S.A. I have immediatly seen the Statue of Liberty, she’s very tall. We went to Ellis Island and we had a lot of tests to know if we could get in New-York. The first was the 6 seconds test. When we arrived in the hall of Ellis Island we have to climb stairs for 6 seconds. At the top of stairs, doctors saw if we have any problem and if they find any problem they write a mark to know if we have a problem. The second was an english test.
5th, december 1899.
Today, I’m very tired. We haven’t slept well, because we were overcrowded. Mum is very sick, and I’m afraid. She can’t do the tests. The american’s ask me to know if I speak english, and we don’t have problem for this with Giovanni, because we had a private teacher at home to learn english. The last test will be a medical exam. I’m very scared if my mother or us isn’t accepted to get in the U.S.A.
8th, december 1899.
Today, it’s my first day in New-York ! I’m with Giovanni, and we have visited the city, it’s very impressive. I’m glad, we met Anita, an old women who lives in little italy and she promiss me to take care of us until my mother is allowed to come here. I hope that my mother can come here very quickly. I’m afraid without her. She said to me that she can find a good job for me in a textil industry. I think I’am very lucky to find a job quickly because it’s very difficult today.
I am very bewildered in this big city, I am homesick, I miss my father and Napoli too…
15th, december 1899.
Today, I receive a letter that my mother has sent me. She said that she can’t come in the U.S.A because she is very sick she has the smallpox and it is very contagious. In the factory where I work I have to sew many things.
16th, january 1900.
Today, I have had my first pay ! It’s not too much but it’s good. But Giovanni has spoken with an other Godfather and I said to him that it’s very dangerous and it’s because the italian’s godfather that we had to leave Napoli. He answered me it’s not too much he just went to get the money back for his boss.
19th , january 1900
Today, I have received a letter whose sent by my mother. She said that she’s not allowed to come in the U.S.A. I feel miserable. Luckily the woman who has promiss me to will take care for us. I don’t know how to declare this new to Giovanni, I couldn’t take care for him before I am afraid that he began to really work for the Godfather… After it will be too late.
28th ,october 1900
The integration is very difficult. The Irish population don’t like us and my brother think that he is more in security with the mafia and he works everyday for our Godfather. I am very worried to him.