The Immigrant
The great wave of Italian immigration in the late 1800s and early 1900s brought thousands upon thousands of Italians to the shores of the United States. Mainly from southern Italy and Sicily, these immigrants searched for a better life than the one they had in their home country. Many were impoverished, barely able to afford passage on a steamship that crossed the Atlantic, and most had next to nothing when they arrived at Ellis Island. Philip Vampatella left Sicily as a teenager and with his father came through Ellis Island in 1913. From there, he overcame challenges and prejudices to make a new life for himself. He found work, learned a new language, served in the U.S. Army, became a naturalized citizen, developed a trade, married another Italian-American, and had six children and more than a dozen grandchildren. He suffered hardship, endured a hurricane, sent two sons off to war, became a widower, and married again. Philip's story is really the story of so many immigrants that came to the United States.In an age when immigration is once again at the forefront of the national discussion, reflecting back on past stories of immigration may be helpful to give us perspective. Philip's story is set within the context of the larger immigrant waves, of how Italians were treated in the United States, and the complex relationship between this immigrant population and the country they now called home.
The great wave of Italian immigration in the late 1800s and early 1900s brought thousands upon thousands of Italians to the shores of the United States. Mainly from southern Italy and Sicily, these immigrants searched for a better life than the one they had in their home country. Many were impoverished, barely able to afford passage on a steamship that crossed the Atlantic, and most had next to nothing when they arrived at Ellis Island. Philip Vampatella left Sicily as a teenager and with his father came through Ellis Island in 1913. From there, he overcame challenges and prejudices to make a new life for himself. He found work, learned a new language, served in the U.S. Army, became a naturalized citizen, developed a trade, married another Italian-American, and had six children and more than a dozen grandchildren. He suffered hardship, endured a hurricane, sent two sons off to war, became a widower, and married again. Philip's story is really the story of so many immigrants that came to the United States.In an age when immigration is once again at the forefront of the national discussion, reflecting back on past stories of immigration may be helpful to give us perspective. Philip's story is set within the context of the larger immigrant waves, of how Italians were treated in the United States, and the complex relationship between this immigrant population and the country they now called home.
The great wave of Italian immigration in the late 1800s and early 1900s brought thousands upon thousands of Italians to the shores of the United States. Mainly from southern Italy and Sicily, these immigrants searched for a better life than the one they had in their home country. Many were impoverished, barely able to afford passage on a steamship that crossed the Atlantic, and most had next to nothing when they arrived at Ellis Island. Philip Vampatella left Sicily as a teenager and with his father came through Ellis Island in 1913. From there, he overcame challenges and prejudices to make a new life for himself. He found work, learned a new language, served in the U.S. Army, became a naturalized citizen, developed a trade, married another Italian-American, and had six children and more than a dozen grandchildren. He suffered hardship, endured a hurricane, sent two sons off to war, became a widower, and married again. Philip's story is really the story of so many immigrants that came to the United States.In an age when immigration is once again at the forefront of the national discussion, reflecting back on past stories of immigration may be helpful to give us perspective. Philip's story is set within the context of the larger immigrant waves, of how Italians were treated in the United States, and the complex relationship between this immigrant population and the country they now called home.
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