Southern European Immigrants
Click on a Country Name
France
Italy
P
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r
t
g
a
l
Spain
Greece
Finish map, then click
Portugal - Area of Settlement
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Reasons
For
Emigrating
France – Areas of Settlement
The French are largely
assimilated and scattered
across the nation
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To Reasons
For Emigrating
Greece – Areas of Settlement
Continue to
Reasons
For
Emigrating
Spain
 The Spanish did not immigrate to the
United States during the time period,
instead immigrating to their former
colonies in Latin and South America
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Areas of Settlement For Italians
• Many Italians settled in tight-knit communities within cities,
forming a “Little Italy” section in such cities as New York, Boston,
Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit.
•The few Italians that settled beyond the mid-Atlantic states settled
in New Orleans (where they worked on farms), the West (where they
worked in mines or on farms), and California (where the richer
Northern Italians formed vineyards and orchards.
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Reasons
For
Emigrating
• Over 2 million Italian immigrants arrived in the U.S. between 19001910, the heaviest period of immigration seen.
– Italians replaced the Irish as the largest immigrant population, and the
movement was deemed the “New Immigration”.
Reasons for Leaving Italy
• In 1871, Italy united into one nation, but the
South did not reap any economic benefit;
conditions actually got worse for them, with
taxes increasing in their stagnant economy.
• The immigrants were mostly poor Southern
Italians, but skilled workers (masons) could also
no longer find jobs in the underproductive,
underemployed economy.
– Basic Reason: Poverty
• Details: unemployment, underemployment, high mortality
rate, little or no medical schooling, poor housing, semistarvation, rigid class structure (no chance for improvement,
and exploitation.
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Expectations
Italian Expectations Upon Arrival
• Mostly only men immigrated at first,
expecting only to stay for enough time to
send enough money home so that their
family could improve their situation.
– After they sent for their families, stories
spread about the riches and opportunities
available in the U.S., and the mythical “streets
paved with gold” gave hope to many
peasants.
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Expectations Upon Arrival In
U.S.
 Immigrants expected economic prosperity
or at least relief from the hardships they
were fleeing
 Immigrants also expected freedom and an
end to persecution they might be fleeing
Continue to Trades
And Skills –
Portugal and Greece
Continue to Trades
And Skills –
France
Trades & Skills
 Greece
 Competent industrial laborers
 worked in factories and mills
 also worked in mines and on railroads
 Many Greeks opened restaurants
 Portugal
 Many Portuguese worked in agriculture, such
as on Hawaiian sugar plantations
 Became fisherman
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 Worked as industrial laborers
Trades & Crafts (cont.)
 France
 Making wine, cheese,
and bread
 Overly dramatic
movies
 Being disgustingly
romantic
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France – Reasons for Emigrating
 Mainly due to political events and
economic depressions
 Poor French citizens came to the U.S.
seeking economic opportunity
 Very little immigration, especially during the
World Wars
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Expectations
Greece – Reasons for
Emigrating
 Poor economic conditions in Greece led to
large amounts of immigrants from the
1890s to 1924
 Persecution by the Ottoman Empire from
1901 to 1920
 Greek Civil War (1946-1949)
Continue to
Expectations
Portugal – Reasons for
Emigrating
 economic hardship
Continue to
Expectations
Italian Trades and Crafts in the U.S.
When First Immigrated:
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Became common laborers in construction in New York.
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Worked in stockyards and railroads in Chicago, Cleveland, Kansas City and rural areas.
Textile and garment trades in New Jersey and New England.
 Replaced the Jews in this profession.
Miners and steel workers in Pennsylvania and Nevada.
Northern Italians entered the U.S. as lawyers, doctors and other professionalisms.
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Replaced the Irish and Jews in this profession.
Northern Italy was more industrialized than the south of Italy.
Southern Italians were the worst paid ethnic group other than the African-Americans.
 In 1912, mainly because of their unskilled occupations.
 Southern Italians were very agricultural and often uneducated.
Advanced to More Skilled Professions through generations:
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Became officials of various Labor Unions as well as forming their own.
 Luigi Antonini of the American Labor Union of New York.
Many became entrepreneurs.
 Owned candy and grocery stores, and Italian restaurants.
 Worked their way up to the financial and corporate industries as well as politics.
End of World War II brought about economic flexibility for Italians as discrimination was minimized.
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Because of large population of Italian Americans serving in the war.
Merchants in importing Italian goods.
 Imported items like olive oil, macaroni, ravioli, and cheese.
Italian immigrant workers at a stockyard
in Illinois
Italian immigrant entrepreneur in 1930.
Politics and Living Conditions Upon Arrival
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Most Southern Europeans settled in ethnic neighborhoods in the cities.
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Living conditions and salaries were lower than other ethnicities.
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70% of immigrants from the region spoke English after being in the U.S. for 10 years.
 Children wanted to be “American” while their parents wanted to keep their heritage.
Settled in ethnic enclaves to escape ethnic prejudice and discrimination.
 Were considered to be “dark-skinned”.
Many men came to the U.S. by themselves leaving their wives and families behind.
 34% of Italian men did this while 90% of Greeks did.
Averaged 5.5 people per two room apartment.
Average Southern Europeans earned $11.30 per week in 1912.
 Southern Italians earned on average $9.64 per week at the same time.
 National average at the time was $14.37 per week for native white Americans.
Were often a part of political rings like most other immigrants in the early 20th century.
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Came to the U.S. to express their own political views.
Southern European Customs and Contributions to
American Society
 All Southern European groups.
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Christmas Eve- made it a more significant holiday.
 Tradition of not eating meat on Christmas Eve.
 Was a bigger holiday than Christmas Day in most Southern
European countries.
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Contributed to the armed forces in World War II.
 Allowed to advance their cultures in American society.
 French, Portuguese and Spanish Immigrants.
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Several words a part of the American’s vocabulary.
 Ex: h’orderves, patio, barbeque, canyon, mezzanine, lacrosse.
More Catholic people in society.
 Foundation of the Portuguese Methodist Church.
Capitol Building designed by Italian
fresco artist Constantino Brumidi
 Greek Immigrants.
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The Greek Orthodox Church.
 Italian Immigrants.
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Symbol of the Orthodox Church
Set up Italian communities where Italian was spoken like “Little Italy” in New York.
 Family life and Catholicism was strengthened.
Foods like pizza and pasta as well as wine were introduced.
Contributions in art were also significant.
 Designed several buildings including the Capitol by Constantino Brumidi.
Columbus Day- named a national holiday by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937.
Italian mobsters and the Mafia.
Famous Southern Europeans Who
Immigrated.
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Marco Giovanni Fontana (Italy)-founder of Del Monte Foods.
Arturo Giovannitti (Italy)-famous poet and labor union leader.
Anthony T. Rossi (Italy)-founder of Tropicana products in Florida.
Arianna Huffington (Greece)-author and columnist.
Teresa Heinz Kerry (Portugal)-wife of U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry.
Meyer Guggenheim (Switzerland)-was a wealthy business man.
Continue to Bibliography
A Personal Account of Immigration of John Titone.
Origin: Sicily, Italy
Reasons for Leaving: His brother and sister who lived in New York
persuaded his mother to move to the U.S. Additionally, economic conditions
in Southern Italy were very bad in the 1920’s when he left.
Family Members Who Came: Mother and two sisters made the trip, his
father joined them later.
Mode of Transportation to U.S.: Took a train to the port of Palermo, Italy
and a boat from there to New York.
Where He Settled: First time he was deported for failing the health test at
Ellis Island. When he returned for a second time he settled in the
neighborhood of Williamsburg in Brooklyn.
Occupation in U.S.: Worked as a printer in Manhattan, switching
companies frequently.
U.S. Experience: Gave him numerous opportunities in work and lifestyle
that he wouldn’t have had in Italy.
Bibliography
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Abbott, Grace. The Immigrant and the Community. New York : The Century Co., 1917.
Borrelli, Ada. Personal interview. 11 Feb 2006.
"Distribution of Italian Immigrants in the United States." Facts On File, Inc. American History
Online. <www.fofweb.com>.
Hoopler, Thomas. The Italian American Family Album. London: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Interview of John Titone by Willa Appel, February 6, 1986
"Italian: A Century in the Spotlight." Immigration. 7 June 2004. Library of Congress. 5 Nov 2006
<http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/alt/italian9.html>.
Noyes, Dorothy. "Family and Community." Italian-American Traditions. The Balch Institute for
Ethnic Studies. 5 Nov 2006
<http://www2.hsp.org/exhibits/Balch%20exhibits/italian/italian.html>.
Papanikolas, Helen. An Amulet of Greek Earth. Cincinnati: Ohio University Press, 2002.
Powell, John. “French immigration.” Encyclopedia of North American Immigration. Facts on File,
Inc., 2005. Facts On File, Inc. American History Online. <www.fofweb.com>.
Powell, John. “Portuguese immigration.” Encyclopedia of North American Immigration. Facts on
File, Inc., 2005. Facts On File, Inc. American History Online. <www.fofweb.com>.
Powell, John. “Greek immigration.” Encyclopedia of North American Immigration. Facts on File,
Inc., 2005. Facts On File, Inc. American History Online. <www.fofweb.com>.
Powell, John. “Spanish immigration.” Encyclopedia of North American Immigration. Facts on File,
Inc., 2005. Facts On File, Inc. American History Online. <www.fofweb.com>.
Continued
Bibliography (cont’d)
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Rapczynski, Joan. "The Italian Immigrant Experience in America (1870-1920)." Yale.edu. 1999.
Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. 5 Nov 2006
<http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1999/3/99.03.06.x.html>.
Veronesi, Gene P.. "Italian American." Cleveland Memory. 12 Mar 2003. The Cleveland Memory
Project. 5 Nov 2006 <http://clevelandmemory.org/italians/parti.html#7>.
Veronesi, Gene. "Italian Immigration and Settlement." Italians in America: The Formative Years
(1600-1880). 12 Mar 2003. Cleveland State University. 2 Nov 2006
<http://www.clevelandmemory.org/italians/partii.html#81>.
Wittke, Carl. We Who Built America. The Press of Case Reserve University. Baltimore. 1967.