Italian American Culture

Were any of your answers to the survey questions impacted by your culture and how? What culture do you belong to? Explain.

When placing the novel in the context of our course numerous topics are illuminated, such as, how these immigrants attempted to hold onto the values and traditions of their ancestors, how the immigrants faced discrimination and what certain immigrants had to do in order to make a living. The Italian Immigrants migrated to the United States eventually making their way to New York City and in particular the upper east side of Manhattan. This migration to a certain location demonstrates how the Italians felt more comfortable living with one another rather than assimilating into the American culture and living with other ethnic groups. Throughout the novel Orsi provides

Although we all are living on the same planet we have a huge diversity among us. One of these notable differences between the people on earth is their different cultures. One can notice these differences when traveling or relocating to a new country with another culture he or she are familiar with. For example, the American culture and the Italian culture both have more differences than one would expect. When people try to visit Italy they should be aware of the cultural differences, and the right way to communicate with the Italians.

As an Italian-American, I was and am still told by my mother, grandparents, and great-grandparents how proud I should be of my heritage. I was taught to respect my great-grandmother who, after arriving in America along side her husband, fully committed herself to raising her four sons and eight nieces and nephews in a two-bedroom house in Pennsylvania. She was motivated by the drive of a better life in a new, strong country for the young-ones she loved. I was taught to treasure both food and family, praying each night through the Blessed Mother. I was handed Pizzelles and Almond cookies as snacks throughout the day, and listened to Dean Martin through the stereo almost every night. My grandmother’s family came from Mezzogiorno, while my grandfather’s family hailed from the North Country. Though I had never been to Italy, as a child, I still knew the significance of being Italian and was thankful. It was not until I entered public school that I began to understand the teasing that my own ethnic group was subject to on a near daily basis.

1. How can an understanding of the complexities of culture help us make sense of the day-to-day world which we live? Give an example from your life to illustrate your answer.

Commentary: In order to develop ideas for this paper, I first analyzed the time of the Depression and what Italian Immigrants lives were like typically living in America. Using this background knowledge, I was able to analyze the lifestyles of the working class in each of the stories. Even though the background story of each of the family’s lives differed, they all had a common basis in that they were Italian Immigrant families working a hard lifestyle in order to support the family during economic hardship. I revised this paper by looking to see if my ideas were clearly expressed. I ran into an obstacle of trying to figure out which ideas to express, since the novels

I am an Italian-American, two very distinct cultures that have shaped me throughout my entire life. My father is a full-blooded Italian and my mother is American. They met when my mother moved to Italy for business and about 13 years later I was born and 2 years after me, my brother. We all moved to California in 2001, when I was almost 4 years old, because my mother is from California.

With Nicholas working in a factory and Florence as a schoolteacher they were able to scrape by and provide a modest life for their children. Growing up my grandfather described a general disdain felt towards his family by other members of the town. This attitude stemmed from the general dislike of Italian-Americans in the country during this time. Even after Nicholas returned from his time in World War 2, people still would treat him as second class. Luckily Italian-American families in the area developed a tight-knit community, mostly centered around going to church. These were the people my grandfather credited with helping pull his family up and comfort them during the hard times. For instance when my grandfather’s brother died in a car accident the community joined in the mourning and helped with the funeral. Or when my grandfather’s

´ El Dia De Los Muertos.’ Mexicans have many unusual traditions that they celebrate. Mexicans eat a lot of different foods, for example, most Mexicans eat menudo pozole, and tamales. That's all part of Mexican culture. For fun, most Mexicans like playing soccer. Read furthermore, to Mexican culture.

A misperception of the global community is that countries are comprised of a single culture. In this compartmentalized worldview, a country has the same food, ideas, and traditions as if our national borders are the only aspect to define us. However, Mexico is far from a homogenized culture or identity; there is a myriad of differences within present day Mexico and the Mexican-American Community. In Chicago, the Westside neighborhood of Pilsen showcases the rich diversity of Mexican culture. Pilsen has changed hands as many immigrants thrived in its streets throughout the century and is now predominantly Latino/Mexican. The small neighborhood’s vibrant culture is encapsulated in the brilliantly colored painted murals featured on many building,

American culture encompasses customs or traditions in the United States. Customs or traditions include, but would not be limited to, values, language, religion, or how we communicate. The population in the United States is over 325 million, (United States Census Bureau, (n.d.) and is built on immigration. In comparison to other countries, the United States is considered cultural, as most nations unite, and later mix, their culture into American culture.

The Italians’ holiday culture helped to make America a more diverse nation. Their family-centered culture and regional affiliations resulted in highly concentrated settlements called, Little Italies. Entire villages in Italy would travel over to America to form these settlements. Many were heavily clustered in cities in the mid-atlantic and midwest states. The immigrants typically viewed themselves as residents of a particular region or village, not as “Italians.” Their daily habits and life reflected this, as they usually only associated with fellow kin or villagers called paesani. The Italians were working on becoming a member of American society while still trying to maintain their old customs. During holidays, Italian immigrants still utilized traditional customs such as folk songs, folklore, and dances for special events. However, like so many of the Italian aspects of life, they were so regionally specific that they defied easy characterization.

When thinking about Hispanic parties, most people think of piñatas, traditional hollow papier-mâché creations filled with candy. Each child at the party is blindfolded and given a stick to try and break the piñata, spilling the candy onto the ground for all the children to collect (Explore Hispanic Culture, 2012). However, researchers believe this tradition extends back to Mayan times, where clay pots filled with gifts were broken open and considered to be favors from the gods (EHC, 2012).

In a recount by Addams, she explained how a young Italian girl was too embarrassed to enter her class with the presence of her traditional Italian mother wearing “a kerchief over her head, uncouth boots, and short petticoats” (Addams, 11). The younger generation appeared to be embarrassed by their parents and therefore, was embarrassed by their background and cultural heritage that they knew little about. The older generation did not grow up with the same luxuries as the younger generation. The parents, back in their home countries were oppressed and held under strict laws and religious grounds, limiting their behavior and abilities (Addams, 11). This way of living though for the older generation was a part of them. They grew up in this lifestyle and were not free until their arrival in the United

Have you ever wondered how the Italian educational system compares to that of America? Well a lot of Italians would tell you in fact, they despise it. The schooling is not the most reliable, especially when it comes to how people are hired and the rampant instability of education jobs in the country. Another fact is that Italy still offers some of the most complete didactic curricula in Europe.