Introduction:
The location of interest in which is central to this research project is small section of a city that has a significant cultural impact: Little Italy. Little Italy, or College street West is an lively neighbourhood located in Toronto, Ontario and is best known for it’s countless amount of Italian eateries, cafes, farmer market and little shops. Little Italy is a strip located on College street, that reaches all the way from Ossington Avenue to as far as Bathurst Street. (Seen in Figure 6) For this assignment, I tried to focus my research on a smaller section of little Italy that reached from Palmerston avenue throughout Clinton Street on the main strip of college. As old as the neighbourhood is, Little Italy is
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On this day, I tried to observe the conversations that buzzed around me even though I decided not to use “naturally occurring conversations” as part as my methodology. Since it was a weekend the Italian strip was busier than ever. In this part of my research, I positioned myself on College street, between Euclid Ave and Manning Ave. Since it was a weekend the Italian strip was busier than ever. There were children running up and down sidewalks, Italian music blasting from each restaurant and people outside enjoying a glass of wine on the patios. I first started my research by walking up and down the small section of Little Italy that I chose. I walked up and down this small section to be sure I would not miss any written texts, pictures, or historical artefacts that would be beneficial to my research. By walking around each small area I paid close attention to the conversations that surrounded me. I simply wanted to see how many people spoke fluent Italian in the area. This gave me an idea how Italian this area still was. I was stunned to find that the area was more Portuguese and Japanese than I thought. Around me I heard all types of language in conversations, including Japanese as the more dominant language. I found that fluent Italian was not commonly spoken. I could easily tell who seemed Italian due to their heavy accent, although I only briefly caught one couple speaking Italian throughout this
Elijah Anderson, a modern day sociologist, takes us on a walk down Germantown Avenue. Germantown Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the City of Philadelphia, which connects to inner city Philadelphia to some of the surrounding high-wealth suburbs. Philadelphia has a rich and long history, not all of which is good. Many people when speaking of Philadelphia comment on their diverse neighborhoods, much like little towns. Unfortunately, while some of these neighborhoods are good, some are just life threatening dangerous. Anderson through his writing is able to articulate a visual distinction as he walks down Germantown Avenue.
In Richard Lederer’s article “All American Dialects”, he states the ironic truth that “most of us are aware that large numbers of people in the U.S. speak very differently than we do.” (152) How is it that one language can have so many speech communities? It is because of the way our nation was developed. Our language is a mixture of culture and lifestyle that has diverted our English dialect, so that each region’s speech is unique. How I speak can define who I am, determine what I do, and locate exactly where I’m from in the U.S. This is the value of my, and my language’s speech communities. If one was to travel to Germany they would be constantly hearing German. What they wouldn’t notice is that each city within Germany tends to have their
Vineland, New Jersey, though I have not lived here that long, I have come to realize that it has a few special things about it. In my essay I hit on points about my neighborhood, the local area, and the regional terrain as well as the landscape. How strong urbanism plays a role in Vineland. If the area I reside in, is formal or functional region or if it is a combination of both. Then, if the boundaries of Vineland are sharply defined or board zones of transition. Also the effects that Hurricane Sandy had on New Jersey and the surrounding states.
The film “Gran Torino” has many examples of “self” vs “subject” and the issues one faces when it comes to aspects of culture and social construction, the film highlights the modern conditions surrounding many aspects of these two examples. Walt Kowalski whose wife just recently died and who is a Korean War veteran has a difficult time getting along with people who do not hold the same views and values that he does. Some of these people are his children, relatives, and neighbors. He lives in an era that he does not understand and does not agree with. Since his wife died he stopped communicating with people. Walt lives next door to a Hmong family and slowly befriends them. He has a very difficult time with this at first but as the days go on you can see him progressively become more comfortable with them. One of the reasons he was a little uncomfortable communicating with his neighbors is the fact that he once fought and killed these people on the battlegrounds of Korea.
In the thirty-five years preceding World War I, the United States was flooded with seventeen million “new” immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe. Each group brought their own distinctive food habits from the “old” world. The Italians, a large portion of which came from Southern Italy, were part of th...
In conducting this assignment we visited the neighborhood of Washington Heights. During our visits we interviewed several of the residences; so that we could get a first hand prospective of what it is like living in the community, why they settled in the community and the many changes that they have witness durning their time in the neighborhood.
Life in Italy is much different than life in the United States. Italians live at a much slower pace, than American’s and they have a desire to enjoy life instead of rushing through it as many American lifestyles exhibit (Zimmermann, K. (2015). The extended family is very important in Italy, whereas in the United States, the focus tends to be on the nuclear family, which includes mom, dad, and children (Zimmermann, 2015). The differences in Italian culture and American culture are vast and varied, but with a few comparable components to demonstrate similarities.
Only thirty years after the Piedmontese army marched into Rome to unite Italy under one government, the country suddenly found itself on the brink of the twentieth century and a rapidly changing world. The twentieth century would mark the beginning of great changes throughout Europe, and Italy would not be left untouched. What set the stage for these changes, though, were the years just prior to, and directly after 1900.
Due to its proximity to the docks, North Beach was part of the Barbary Coast, a lawless place that feature saloons, bars, dance halls, jazz clubs and prostitution. After the earthquake and the subsequent fires of 1906, North Beach saw an immense change due to the almost complete destruction of the buildings, a lot of Germans, Russians, Eastern Europeans moved out permanently. However, the Italians continue to move into the district. North Beach rapidly changes, the creation of the Italian characters of the neighborhood by the Italian immigrants began. The Italian influence peaked between the two World Wars, When five different Italian newspapers circulated the neighborhood and over 60,000 of its residents claimed Italian ancestry. (FoundSF) After Word War Two, a large number of Italian families move out of North Beach to Marin and the East Bay. Since 1980, a major demographic shift in people has happened to Little Italy, changing with a mix of young professionals, Chinese and American
It lives on as a fleeting memory in the expansive history that is the city of Chicago, and crosses the minds of few regularly. Stretching roughly a mile in distance, Maxwell Street was once the epicenter of commerce, the birth of culture, and change. From its birth out of the Great Chicago Fire, to the first Jewish immigrants, to it’s final day as a bazaar, it is this rise and decline of Maxwell Street that has aided in cultural differentiation that ultimately gives insight into the urban spacing and transitions in the city of Chicago.
...ious environment. It is typical in Chicago for neighborhoods to be referred to by there Church or the cultural environment of the primary language. This is very well linked to the hierarchy of the cities as such in Mesopotamia, and the delegated jobs and status of its people. This is evident in the neighborhood surrounding the museum, as there is diversity on the streets leading through the area. It is apparent that when you arrive to Hyde Park, the affluence is increased, possibly due to the education of the people in the area and direct access to a fabulous university. I am sure as time goes by, I will have much more information after visiting this area, as to where the societal break may have derived from, or not. I am looking forward to the experience of finding out more and why. Which I truly believe this project was all about. Expanding our where and why.
Last but not least, the Italian-American’s contributed greatly to America’s past and left quite an imprint on our ‘melting pot’ culture. The Italian-Americans came to America following a dream; whether it be temporarily ‘escaping’ South Italy or a lifelong aspirations toward music. There perseverance and bravery left an impact stronger than words can express which assisted our future successes. Slowly yet steadily, Italians rose up the social ladder, opening up like a blossoming flower to their fellow Americans. Establishing their roots, then blossoming into a beautiful flower, revealing all beyond everyone’s expectations. Today, Italians have surpassed all the other ethnic groups in average job income and job prestigious, a true example of hard work paying off. As for, “Chi la dura la vince,”-He who perseveres wins at last...
There’s a lot more to being Italian than the typical stereotypes that we have come to know from movies, television and books. From the Catholic mobsters who kill during the week but always make it to mass on Sunday, to the “how you doin” views of Joey from the television show “Friends”, people often forget the more important parts of being Italian. It is a culture like no other, full of history, art, and most importantly, their passion for food. Italian food, in my opinion, is the best in the world. Italians put so much into everything they make that the time and effort is tasted with every single bite. One of my favorite dishes would have to be fettuccini alfredo and it just happens to be a fairly easy, but extremely delicious, dish to make. Trust me, if I can make it, you can make it.
Culture, according to Webster’s is, “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization” defines culture. The world has many diverse cultures spread out through many different countries. The country of Italy has had an impact on the world through its unique geography, culture and history. Italian culture and influences on world economies can be seen everywhere from food to cars and clothes. The impact that Italy has had on the rest of the world is profound than you may think.
When Italian immigrants came to America, many were not welcomed in the communities of the Germans and Irish. The neighborhoods that the Itali...