And here is the representation of Italian Americans and Little Italy by Italian journalist-writer Amy Bernardi, in 1911.
To be happy in
America one needs an aptitude for mechanical things; an opportunistic and
entrepreneurial spirit, sharp about business and dull and primitive in
everything else. One needs to be conventional and follow all approved standards like a sheep. One
must show great interest for everything American and superior contempt for
everything Latin, even the things that made Latin life great and beautiful. The
Italian immigrant, to the contrary, is full of rural vitality, individualism
and regionalism. His business sense is rudimentary. Although he doesn’t know
and cannot express it, his soul is burdened by the ancestral traditions of his
bloodline. This soul, tenacious and constantly challenged, impalpable but
omnipresent, is what we feel in Little Italy (the nickname given by Americans
to the neighborhoods where Italian immigrants live). You are moving across
American life and then, suddenly, you feel that something is going through your
spirit, and penetrates it, and bares it under the attacks of hyper-civilized
barbarism. You feel a little tear in the fabric of your being: a regret, a
longing for everything that was, for everything that is and that maybe will be.
It is the waft of exile, cold and thin; it is a moment of void, loneliness and
pain. Everything around you seems to break up into smithereens, collapse, suddenly
fall down, in the incurable nostalgia of your lonely heart. Then, with its boredom,
with its travails, American life takes over again. What was it? It is the soul
of Italy that passed you by.
COMMENT Does the description apply to the many "new" ethnic neighborhoods in the city?
Are there any aspects of the description you can relate more closely to? (Notice that the writer doesn't even mention sensory experiences, visual, auditory or olfactory. It is all abstract and mental.)
I think that this thinking is kind of out dated and doesn't really apply to new neighborhoods because nowadays there is melding of different cultures together. This kind of brings different traditions and values into all walks of life. "Although he doesn’t know and cannot express it, his soul is burdened by the ancestral traditions of his bloodline". This quote spoke to me because there are some traditions that I myself was burdened with when I was younger. I was raised Roman Catholic but I never felt a connection to religion. Even so, I was sort of forced to go to church and get confirmed. Now, I never go to church and the only thing that getting confirmed did was make me happy that I was done with religious school and receive large sums of money from distant relatives.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree in saying that this sounds very dated. While I do still find that ethnic, religious, racial groups still tend to prefer to congregate together, I do think the division and the disconnect in which the author is describing is no longer the case in these modern times. This, to me, although I do NOT have experience in the matter, sounds very much like what other immigrants endure, not just Italians. There is something universal in what they are saying here, but I think the same could be said for anyone and everyone coming to a new place, and again, doesn't have to be America. Growing up in the cultural melting pot that is New York may have a different effect as we see all walks of life here, but, again, because I was born here and can't relate, everything this person is feeling is valid especially when coming to America during a time when unity wasn't actively practiced.
ReplyDeleteI in a sense can see what the writer means about losing their attachment to their roots and I also can see how it applies to ethnic groups today. Even thought we have become a melting pot there is still apart of your roots that you leave behind. You have to adjust to a new life and when you have to learn new language , be around new people, and new environments you lose a sense of yourself. The writer is telling us how they feel their identity leaving them mentally. You are forced to adapt to what you are around and it sometimes just naturally happens. From personal experience I have seen people no longer be fluent in their native language, feel torn between two worlds and even leave majority of it behind all together. So in my opinion I feel it depends on how well connected they are to their roots some people never let it go and some people never adjust to moving from one country to the next.
ReplyDeleteThe way that this passage is written comes off dated as my fellow classmates expressed. I truthfully did not like how the passage consisted of so much innuendos toward some hard ships the Italian Americans faced. I prefer when reading a passage that there is some metaphorical sides to it as well as, being up front about the true emotion. I wish the passage presented some forms of ethos so I would feel okay relating to what is being said. One thing said in the passage that stood out to me most was "This soul, tenacious and constantly challenged, impalpable but omnipresent, is what we feel in Little Italy". This stood out to me the most because I feel that everyday for my whole life I have always been challenged and I feel that we are all challenged on a daily basis and we feel challenged close to home just as the author said the people felt their soul challenged constantly in Little Italy which was the Italian immigrant home.
ReplyDeleteThe point that the passage is "dated" has been made already. Sure, it may be the case for (ex) Italian neighborhoods, but what about today's ethnic immigrant communities in NY? What are the differences? Are there similarities?
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ReplyDeleteFrom my perspective this topic is closer to the first generation immigrants because these people develop attachment to their native country Italy and are able to compare and contrast how it was when they were in Italy and how it is now in Little Italy . Some of my classmates think that the author's perspective is outdated and it can’t apply to new neighborhoods, but I don’t agree with this opinion. I am a recent immigrant and I also experienced some feelings that the author described like feelings of loneliness and nostalgia. I immigrated to America alone and all my family members and friends stayed in my home country. I do compare and contrast, for example the education system in Colleges of my native country Ukraine and in Colleges of America. In Ukraine students go to the same classes with the same group of classmates for all four or five years where in America students go to the different classes with different students. I have nostalgia for my student years in Ukraine because during five years of college I developed friendly relationships with my classmates which still present today. And despite all of these mixed feelings as the author pointed out “American life takes it over again”.
Neighborhoods have changed compared to back then. Nowadays you can find something different about communities ethnic groups just based on stores around you. But if you enter like an Asian community, you find yourself treated better if you were Asian. Today's ethnic communities seem to be more diverse but from what I've seen, a lot of our own "tribes" just keep to ourselves and find it more comforting to talk to one with the same bloodline as another. The ethnicity plays a part as people are more willing to talk to someone if they are of the same origin.
ReplyDeleteI think that some of this description can apply to some of to some of the ethnic neighborhoods in the city. In the beginning of the description the author mentioned that one needs to have an opportunistic and entrepreneurial spirit. I think that this can apply to some ethnic neighborhoods today. For example, in Asian ethnic neighborhoods, they tend to have this spirit. They all work together to own businesses that markets product to their people. Additionally, they employ each other. Although they reflect the opportunistic and entrepreneurial spirit, I don’t think that they “show an interest for everything American” and put American culture over their own. I think that they probably appreciate both cultures while emphasizing their own. For example, in Chinatown, you’ll see signs in both Chinese and English. There are certain things that are exclusive to Chinese culture that can be found there. Therefore, when you pass through Chinatown you feel a different vibe. You recognize that you are in a different enclave while still being in America as described in the description.
ReplyDeleteI relate to the part that says “everything around you seems to break up into smithereens, collapse, suddenly fall down, in the incurable nostalgia of your lonely heart.” When I was younger as I passed thru Flatbush avenue, I would see Caribbean stores and restaurants, I would feel nostalgic and closer to my home and culture. Then I would see a regular restaurant like Popeyes and I would be reminded of where I am living as the soul of my culture “passed” me.
I believe Amy Bernardi’s description, was emotional and very genuine. One portion that truly stood out to me, was “You are moving across American life and then, suddenly, you feel that something is going through your spirit, and penetrates it, and bares it under the attacks of hyper-civilized barbarism. You feel a little tear in the fabric of your being: a regret, a longing for everything that was, for everything that is and that maybe will be.”. I felt this phrase was full of emotion, and personal sacrifice. I interpreted this description as a loss of culture and a loss of self when chasing the dream of the American life.
ReplyDeleteI believe this description applies to many “new” ethnic neighborhoods in the city because it can apply to anyone introduced to a new world, and new society. Although, the passage may seem dated, I believe the experiences and emotions (less extreme) would remain the same for new immigrants who move to America for a better life. Our society today, is much more accepting and diverse, however, certain ethic groups are still being discriminated against. Although, we have come a long way, I believe there is still room for change.
In my view, the author's description does not apply to current immigrant neighboorhoods in the United States. I see Chinese or South American immigrants, they live in the US but they really don't absorb all the American culture and they still live and uphold their culture.
ReplyDeleteAs for today's topic I really find no relation to the author's description, because I am not an immigrant but an international student. Therefore I still could not clearly feel the author's feelings and the sadness that the author had to go through.
I believe that the authors description of life in America for an Italian immigrant is genuine for the time, however, I do not feel that it should be relegated to that of just Italians, especially by today's standards. All over the city one will find ethnically dominated neighborhoods with first generation immigrants who brought an entrepreneurial spirit with them from wherever country they came from. wWether it be latin, south Asian, middle eastern, etc.. i've seen just about every ethnic group with the hunger and determination to make something of themselves, but also at the same time, take pride in who they are and where they have come from as to not ever lose the identity that one could argue they lost when they came here. They instill their old world customs into their children as they struggle to fulfill the American dream. In my opinion, that is the the true dream, to stay true to who you are while being able to make something of yourself and family in a place wildly different from where you came from.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this description still applies to "new" ethnic neighborhoods in the city but not nearly as much as it did then. Now, while certain minority immigrant groups are still hated very openly in certain areas of the country, there is a growing amount of support for certain immigrant groups. I also like the part when the author said "Although he doesn’t know and cannot express it, his soul is burdened by the ancestral traditions of his bloodline." because I feel this is a common thought or feeling among people who still immigrate to America from other countries. A very common experience among all people, not just immigrants, is wanting to work hard and do your best so that you can help support your family and make them proud, but this is something that immigrants have to deal with more than anyone else in this country.
ReplyDeleteThis definitely applies to most all ethnic enclaves wherever they might be. I doubt that western life hasn’t touched every corner of this earth so of course people stray off traditional practices to something newer and different in every way. It’s a virus everyone has or will succumb to as laziness and procrastination are tempting. Yet as we (anyone with any sort of ethnically background) age we discover that our roots and ancestors are much more rich in what we lack, what we were seeking. The feeling of regret and longing for what was or could be is something i can relate too, not being in the moment but in some fantasy of the future or simple memory of easy going times. I enjoyed that there wasn’t any sensory descriptives because i formed my own without even knowing it.
ReplyDelete- Niyah Knight
ReplyDeleteThe description may apply to many “new” ethnic neighborhoods in the city but not as much because in New York City, my personal opinion, we are more accepting of ethnic groups and different cultures and we incorporate the different cultures in our lives. As an example, dollar vans or “dolla vans” are a sign of carribean culture that is embraced by everyone because when you go in a “dolla van”, there are different walks of life that use it. So for New York, we internalize the culture, recognize it’s still specific to those people, but if followed as much, will become a part of New York Culture. There are not much aspects that i can relate closely to because I was born and raised in New York and i live in a country where taking cultures is how “American Culture” survives.
- Niyah Knight
I think the response to this statement can go both ways. Amy definitely has great points and has a way with words but I'm not sure if this would apply to modern ethnic groups today because as John stated, cultural groups today are gathering together and they are all working hard together to live a great life. However, I think this statement would stand out to those immigrants who suffered hardship because they can easily get flashbacks especially being in NY. We have communities that represent different ethnicities like Little Italy and Chinatown. One walking through these neighborhoods of the same race will think back to their hometown and the life they lived and how different it is living here. I would say I can relate to when I visit Little Italy because I think of my aunt's caffe and spending summers in Italy
ReplyDeleteThis post would not really relate to life today even though immigrants also feel a sense of homesickness and loneliness here. Now a days Newyork city especially is full of culture. There are neighborhods filled with culture and different ethnicity. theres jacksonheights, Kensington, coney island, china town, little italy. each neighborhood filled with culture. Theres so many way we can relate to our roots and our culture while living abroad.
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