How Did Italian Immigrants Seek The American Dream

Italians Immigrate to Seek the American Dream

The very heart of the American dream derives from an era in history known as European Immigration. During this time period, the Italians, one of the various immigrant groups who traveled great distances to the prosperous country of America, hoped to seek an improved lifestyle for the future generations of their family and to provide them the potential of living in a modernized country. The Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute states, “Italian migration was an opportunity for liberation; the hope for a better life.” In the early 1900’s, both of my great-grandparents families traveled to America from Sicily, Italy, an impoverished country at the time, in search of providing the opportunity of the American dream to their

future offspring. Even though my great-grandparents never saw the American dream, which was the privilege of higher education and the freedom to work towards whatever lifestyle they wished to live, it took two generations for their family to eventually achieve the American dream. Furthermore, without my great-grandparent’s motive to attain the American Dream, my family and I would not be where we are today.
First, the United States was the ultimate lure for thousands of Italian immigrants. Studies show the vast quantity of immigrants who arrived, “In the 1800s, they numbered 300,000; in the 1890s, 600,000; in the decade after that, more than two million” (Library of Congress). Each reason for the vast numbers of Italians immigrating to America varied for different personal situations. Some escaped Italy’s “decades of internal strife that had left a legacy of violence, social chaos, and widespread poverty united under one flag” (Library of Congress). Others, left as a result of diseases and natural disasters. As soon at the Italian immigrants arrived in America at Ellis Island, they were in search of jobs to provide for themselves or their family because they owned little to nothing, making the excursion across the sea and leaving everything behind. Ellis Island represented the official federal immigration station where Immigrants from all over the world came to “pass through long lines for medical and legal inspections to determine if they were fit for entry into the United States” (history.com). The website history.com states, “approximately 80 percent successfully passed through in a matter of hours, but others could be detained for days or weeks.” A majority of the immigrants who came to America were farmers. Those who were farmers experienced trouble in making money fast because farming takes a long time. Most did not see the American dream, but provided the potential of the American dream for their future offspring. According to The Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, “the National Origins Act of 1924” established a quota to “limit the numbers of immigrants to 2%” that would be allowed to enter America each year.
That being said, the process to enter the United States was not easy whatsoever. Many families were separated or sent back to their previous country after weeks of travel.
Isolated against American society, Italian Immigrants were far from being treated as equal citizens.

The immigrants had to create work for themselves because they were discriminated against and faced poverty once again. They were restricted certain privileges because of their nationality. Sometimes violence struck out against Italians. Additionally, many American citizens feared that the immigrants would take away their jobs during the trade union movement because “the European immigrants would be willing to work for just about any amount of money” (The Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute). Italians were viewed as childlike, criminals, or subhumans through drawing and songs. In 1891, one of the most gruesome situations took place in New Orleans. The chief of police was found slaughtered to death on the street, the mayor blamed “Sicilian gangsters” and rounded up more than 100 Sicilian Americans. Eventually, they were found not guilty as a result of a lack of evidence. Then, a mob of 10,000 people, broke into the jail, and lynched the Italians. Italians worldwide were outraged, but the U.S. press approved of the action. That day in history was notorious for the largest single mass lynching in U.S.

history.
On December 24, 1911, my great-grandfather, Guiseppe (Joseph) Pillitteri, a former policeman in Palermo, Italy, arrived in America at Ellis Island. His intentions were to provide a better lifestyle for his future offspring, hoping they will have the opportunity to experience the American dream. Previously residing in Palermo, Italy, Guiseppe (Joseph) Pillitteri was a policeman, leaving everything behind to seek greater job opportunities overseas in America. He came to America to seek more potential in life too. After arriving in New York, he had to petition for naturalization. Naturalization means “to confer upon the rights and privileges of a citizen” (dictionary.com). Not only did he make a living working as a shoe maker, but also at a US steel Mill in Fairfield, AL. He believed that in order to work in the steel mill, a man needed good shoes to support himself. Joseph traveled to the United States to become a citizen of America for freedom to work for the lifestyle he hoped to live. On December 24, 1911, my great-grandmother, Natalia (Natalie) Cerasa, traveled with her mother and four siblings to Ellis Island from Bisacquino, Italy. Natalia’s father came to America a year before to find work, then sent word for them to come too. After passing the health test and all inspections at Ellis island, her family got on a train and departed to Alabama for work. A certain philosophy that intrigues me is that the Pillitteri’s believed, “the harder you worked, the more you will earn. There is no limit on your potential income.” Lastly, this statement verifies that anyone can reach their highest potential or the American dream that they wish accomplish. But the amount of work put into that goal, is the outcome that will come out from it. Whatever situation one may be in, it is possible improve the situation if the effort is put fourth.
In conclusion, after two generations, my great-grandparents offspring were able to achieve the American dream of higher education and the freedom to work towards whatever lifestyle they wished to live. Both of my great-grandparents knew they would acquire a better lifestyle for their future offspring if they lived in the prosperous country of America, which later ensured more freedom to the Italian Immigrants than Italy could ever offer. Although they never saw the prosperity that their children now see today, they sacrificed their whole life to create this wonderful opportunity. They faced the hardships of discrimination and difficulty in finding work at first. In Italy, they were not in a situation where they had to leave to survive. But they chose to do leave Italy willingly, in hopes of providing a greater economic potential for themselves and their offspring than Sicily could possibly offer. Two generations later, the offspring achieved the American dream; the privilege of higher education and the freedom to work towards whatever lifestyle they wished to live. Lastly, without my great-grandparent’s will to provide a better future lifestyle, the potential for my family and my mom’s family to attain the American Dream would not be possible.