Immigration into the United States of America was cherished in the late 19th and early 20th century as America was seen as a hub for contract labor and a variety of opportunities through which immigrants believed would help generate quick and huge incomes. With social and economic challenges in my home country, immigrating to the USA and taking advantage of the available opportunities gave me an urge to try my luck. As an immigrant receiving center, Ellis Island is remembered as an immigration inspection station that hosted a barn-like structure for immigrant screening where immigrants faced historic experiences .
I am Mario Giovanni, an immigrant in the US from Italy. Reliving my experience as a new immigrant, I was so enthusiastic and expected so much on arrival in the US, given that I came from a poverty-stricken background. It was in 1923 when my family arranged our journey from Italy across the Atlantic into the United States through Ellis Island. The Ellis Island was an immigration process station handling thousands of immigrants daily (Liberty Ellis Island Foundation, n.d.). Aboard the third-class passenger ship, we sailed across the stormy Atlantic for several days, endured the changing weather until finally our ship docked at the Ellis port where we were received by immigration inspection officials at the crowded island. On arrival, the inspectors asked more than twenty probing questions to establish our identities and background information. During that period, immigrants were asked a series of 29 questions in order to get citizenship. Nurses and doctors poked and prodded us as we lined up the stairs to check for any signs of sickness or disability. This was a normal procedure, which ensured that those who were sick were kept at bay until they are free from the sickness (Koman, 1999). Amid the amusement of arriving in the land of fortunes, I was afraid that I would be sent back since the bad and stormy sea weather affected me. Several people who showed serious signs of sickness were detained for a number of days until they recovered. It was the culture shock that slightly lowered my enthusiasm because the changes in food and the reception from the officials and the natives was prejudicial.
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I emigrated from Italy mainly because of poverty and political hardship. I moved to US to escape harsh political policies established by government. From back in the 1870s, the Italian government caused political hardship by promoting anarchy and socialism thereby repressing political views (Molnar, 2010). In addition, the high cost of housing, lack of roads, low wages, and unsteady employment were among the many problems that accompanied life back at home. This unfortunate situation was further aggravated by the agricultural crisis that led to loss of fruit and wine markets as well as reduction of grain prices.
I wanted to acquire land in Italy, but lacked enough money. Consequently, I chose to move to America to work and earn money so that my family and I can live a decent life. Agriculture was my family’s livelihood but due to insufficient land, inefficient farming tools, and lack of modern technology our improvement was greatly limited (Molnar, 2010).
The higher wages workers in America received, lower taxes, abundance of land, and lack of military draft motivated my immigration. Pamphlets advertising availability of labor opportunities overseas gave us the motivation to come to the US to better our lives. We were further attracted by the potential opportunities available at coal mines, steel mines, textile mills, and railroad companies. The recruiting agents promised attractive contract labor agreements to laborers.
As a craftsman and having no relative in the USA, I was received by a padrone who helped me to find a job. Life in the beginning was very difficult because most industries provided hazardous conditions and low wages (Koman, 1999, p. 32). In addition, we lived in overcrowded and unsanitary urban housing that provided an environment that I did not expect as I thought life would be very smooth in this new land. Before I arrived, rumor had it that American pavements and roads were gold-floored, only to find the worst that even no pavements existed. Furthermore, as Italian immigrants, we faced economic and ethnic prejudices. During this time most immigrants worked as scabs during strikes in railroad, industry, mining, construction and long shoring (Ushistory.org, 2018). We were derogatorily named “guineas or dagoes” and ranked last in employment due to our small stature.
References
Koman, R. G. (1999). Ellis Island: The immigrants' experience. OAH Magazine of History , 13 (4), 31-33. doi:10.1093/maghis/13.4.31
Liberty Ellis Island Foundation. (n.d.). Ellis Island history - The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island. Retrieved from https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/ellis-island-history
Molnar, A. (2010, December 15). History of Italian immigration. Retrieved from https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~molna22a/classweb/politics/Italianhistory.html
Ushistory.org. (2018). The rush of immigrants. Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/us/38c.asp
