Q & A: Students with Italian Heritage Experience Italy

Q & A: Students with Italian Heritage Experience Italy for the First Time

by: Emily Bennett

 

 

 

 
Italian-Americans are the seventh-largest Census-reported ethnic group in the United States.
 
Between the years 1820 and 2004, around 5.5 million Italians made the move to the United States.
 
Italian navigators played a significant role in the settling of the Americas; Christopher Columbus himself was an Italian. In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzona made waves as the first European to map the Atlantic Coast of our present United States.
 
The University of Chicago conducted a study and found that out] of 15 ethnic groups, Italian-Americans had the lowest divorce, unemployment, welfare and incarceration percentages. Concurrently, they scored among the highest percentages of two-parent families, older family members still living in-home, as well as families who eat together on a regular basis.
 
Pittsburgh has its own Little Italy. Settled by Abruzzi region Italians, it has served as a center point for Italian-Americans to find residence. Each year, Bloomfield hosts a Little Italy Days celebration. The festival celebrates the rich history of the neighborhood.
 
Italian-Americans were vital to Pittsburgh’s formation as well as its evolution.
 
Local colleges like the University of Pittsburgh offer Italian courses, stemming from Elementary Italian to Songs of the Italian Self to Italian Conversation and Culture. Point Park University’s Spring 2018 International Media Course offered an exploration of Italian media and culture, finishing off with a 13-day trip to Italy to experience the country and the professional media environment.
 
For certain students in this course, this trip felt a little closer to home.
 
For Francesca Dabecco, Nicole Pampena and Laura D’Alessandris, they were learning directly about their families’ heritages and home places.
 
The three students experienced the course, as well as the trip, through a specialized lens that opened their eyes to the richness of their histories.
 
I sat down with the first-time Italy visitors and posed identical questions to each of them: What are your favorite Italian traditions? Do you feel as though you had a different experience than non-Italian students? Would you like to go back?
 
Their answers are varied and filled with warmth for their Italian legacies. A consensus? The food was good and Assisi was dreamy.
 
Do you know what region of Italy your family is from?
 
Francesca: Both of my grandfathers were full Italian.
 
On my mom’s side, our family comes from Sicily. My great-grandparents chose to come to America after the 1908 Messina earthquake that hit Sicily and Calabria. The cities were almost completely destroyed and close to some 200,000 lives were lost.
 
On my dad’s side, our family comes from the southern region of Basilicata. They chose to come to America for better work opportunity. It wasn’t a happy life in Italy back then.
 
Nicole: From what I’ve been told, my grandpap first came to America when he was 16 from a small country town in southern Italy called Spigno; it’s about two hours from Rome. My nonna’s origins trace back to Italy as well.
 
How important was your Italian heritage growing up?
 
Francesca: I guess a good way of answering this would be to say that, growing up, I was always aware of my Italian heritage and I was proud of it. Between my looks and my name, it has always been a part of my identity. While we, as a family, were always proud of our Italian heritage, we were also very much proud Italian-Americans.
 
When my grandparents and great-grandparents came to the U.S., it was important to carry on their Italian heritage, but they also wanted to assimilate as much as possible. Remember, at that time, Italians were a large portion of the immigrants, and a lot of people were prejudiced toward them. So, for these reasons, they didn’t parade their Italian customs.
 
Nicole: Growing up, I mostly just viewed it as the majority of my heritage, and I knew I always wanted to learn how to speak the language, which led to me learning Spanish in high school since I knew the two were close. It hasn’t been until recent years that I dove into a deeper appreciation for that heritage and its traditions.
 
Laura: A tradition we do keep up, although it’s a small one, are the names that we call each other. For example, all of the men in my family who become grandfathers on that side are referred to as “ nonno” and all the women as “nonna.” My nonno was from Patrica when he moved here with his father and brother when he was 7 years old. My father lost his mom at a really young age, so he spent a lot of time with his father. This made the Italian heritage super important growing up for him and for me and my siblings because it’s what he knew most.
 
What are some of your favorite memories pertaining to your Italian heritage?
 
Francesca: When I think of some of my favorite memories pertaining to my Italian heritage, I think of three very important things: family, good food and quality conversation. Like the way Italians enjoy a meal in Italy, sometimes my family’s dinners would take hours (both preparing and eating). There was never a rush to go somewhere or move on to the next thing. Rather, we took our time to enjoy the food that was lovingly prepared, the company we had beside us and the stories that would be told. And even long after the meal was over, we would still sit at the table, the coffee (or espresso) would come out, and the conversation would continue. These moments are when I heard some of the best stories about my family and learned about my heritage – like the story about how my grandfather was supposed to have an arranged marriage with an Italian woman but chose to go with his heart and marry my all-Irish grandmother …
 
Nicole: My Italian heritage has blessed me with not one, but two killer pasta sauce recipes in my family. The first belongs to my nonna, naturally, and the second is my mom’s spin on my nonna’s recipe. She has no Italian blood whatsoever, but she made the recipe her own by adding a bunch of spices that gives it more kick than a traditional sweet sauce. And to tell you what, even after two weeks in Italy, my mom’s sauce is still the best I’ve ever had.
 
Laura: Although I’m 25% Italian and my dad is 50%, my grandfather passed a while before I was born, so it was hard to keep up with an Italian heritage when the person who was straight from Italy wasn’t around anymore. But I think my favorite aspect of having the heritage is the big family. My family is very large, and it’s impossible for us to not stay in touch. When we all do get together, everyone’s food is amazing. My aunts and uncles had enough time with my grandfather to know what good Italian food is supposed to taste like.
 
Do you have any traditions that your family keeps up?
 
Francesca: I think that the traditions my family upholds are less obvious but very much a part of our Italian culture.
 
For example, as I mentioned in the previous answer, the way we eat our meals and enjoy our company is definitely an Italian tradition. Those meals usually begin with a Catholic prayer because, obviously, Catholicism is extremely important to Italians, which my family has pretty much carried on since my grandparents and great grandparents came to the U.S.
 
Sometimes they are just small traditions – like making a fresh pot of tomato sauce on a Sunday afternoon and letting it cook down to perfection until dinner. You can almost guarantee there is always wine and fresh bread on the table to accompany it.
 
Every Christmas, my mom, my sister and I make biscotti and pizzelles, two iconic Italian cookies.
 
In the summer, you can often see my family and I playing bocce in the front yard (it’s a common European sport, but its ancestry can be traced back to the Romans).
 
I suppose, some of our traditions that come from our Italian heritage are just so naturally a part of our family culture that it’s hard to really point them out. But I guess that is what makes them traditions – They are carried and passed on from generation to generation, organically and gracefully.
 
Nicole: This isn’t exactly a tradition we keep up, but it’s one I’ve been begging my dad to revive. My grandpap who came from Italy died of cancer before I was born (we even share the same birthday), but for years and years before that, he would make his own wine every year, with crates upon crates of grapes that would ship into Pittsburgh’s Strip District by train, some whiskey barrels, and a motorized press rigged-up in my nonna’s garage … it’s about as homemade as it gets from start to finish. There’s still some bottled up that’s been fermenting for about 30 years now, but after I found out my dad used to help him and knows how to make it, I’m pulling to see if we can make some of our own one of these years. It’s a pretty high maintenance and expensive process, so I guess we’ll have to see.
 
Was going to Italy a travel goal of yours?
 
Francesca: Oh, yes! It was always a dream of my family to go to Italy. When I was little, we filled up one of those big water jugs with coins. Back then, we were saving to go to Disney World. Well … we never made it there. So once my sister and I hit a certain age, we said that it was for Italy. We’re still working on it.
 
But truly, I am a wanderlust at heart. I want to explore so many places. There are still so many spots in the U.S. that I have yet to discover. But as far as traveling abroad is concerned, Italy was always number one.
 
Nicole: Italy has actually been the first country I wanted to visit internationally for as long as I can remember. I was planning on taking International Media anyway this past semester, but when I saw that Italy was the focus this year I knew there wouldn’t be a more perfect opportunity.
 
Laura: Italy was definitely a travel goal for me. The next time I’m able to go, I would love to spend more time with my family there since the majority of them live in Rome or in Patrica.
 
What were your expectations of Italy? Did the country live up to what you had imagined?
 
Francesca: Italy was everything I ever imagined – the beautiful architecture of the buildings with adorable shutters and flourishing window boxes, the cute little cafes tucked along side streets and within the squares, the incredible food and tasty wine, the friendly Italian folks and the sound of the accordion playing in the distance. It was like a dream.
 
Nicole: Honestly, at times I forgot we were on the other side of the world. That’s probably because we mostly stayed within the major cities, but I was surprised at how many similarities there were between Italy and America in plain sight. A bunch of us said Assisi was like the Italy we had been hoping to see, and it was everything we wanted and more. The other thing that got me was how much English there was, which could also be chalked up to us being in tourist cities, but there were maybe only two occasions on the entire trip that a language barrier was an issue.
 
Laura: The country lived up to how I imagined. It was super pretty and had very impressive views and history. The next time I’m there, I’d like to see if the beaches of Italy live up to what I’m dreaming about.
 
What were some things that were different than you expected? Think food, people, language, transportation.
 
Francesca: There were only a few things that were different than I expected. I thought that we would be eating a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables, but it was mostly pasta and pizza. It was all great, though. I realized that was probably because we were eating mostly “tourist” food. It’s not like Italians eat pasta and pizza every day. I know that if I get a chance to go back, I want to really explore all sides of the Italian cuisine and eat what the regions are known for. As far as language goes, I was surprised at how easy it was to communicate with others. I knew most Italians spoke English, but they are truly proficient – especially in the tourist areas. It wasn’t an overwhelming experience at all.
 
Laura: The food was as I expected. The only thing I didn’t expect was the meat selections that they had. I expected to see more variations like chicken and turkey. I did expect the people to be a little nicer on the streets, but then again we must have looked like crazy tourists, so I don’t know if I can blame them.
 
What was your favorite city you visited and why?
 
Francesca: It is so difficult to pick a favorite city. I really appreciated each place that we visited, but something about Assisi pulled at my heartstrings. The town was like a storybook between the beautiful stone buildings and the dreamy countryside. I felt as if people should start singing from the windows (think Beauty and the Beast, but Italian instead of French … ha ha).
 
I also really enjoyed Assisi because it felt like a deep breath of fresh air after a few fast-paced days in Rome. While exploring the side streets and finding unique shops and cafes, it felt like we were finally being integrated in the slow-living culture of Italy.
 
Nicole: I want to say Assisi just because of how breathtaking it was, but Rome stuck with me even while we were visiting other cities. It eventually started to feel like home. I loved the little town, Trastevere, our hostel sat near from the food to the aesthetic, and I loved just the concept of how old beyond comprehension the city of Rome. It was also fairly easy to navigate whether it was being able to get somewhere by walking or public transportation.
 
Laura: My favorite was hands down Assisi. The views were stunning, and we had a gorgeous day to visit the city. Another sweet aspect was while in shops, I didn’t feel overwhelmed to buy anything. The shopkeepers were all very nice and let us wander around at our pleasure. It was just an all-around sweet and beautiful city with an amazing history.
 
Do you feel that your travel experience was different than those who were not Italian but who attended the trip?
 
Francesca: I do think that my experience was a little different than those who aren’t Italian because I really felt connected to the area and my heritage. When you grow up, hearing stories about your family and their life, you always wonder what made them the way they were, and in turn, what makes you the way you are. In Italy, I found that.
 
This was the first time I’ve ever stepped foot in Italy, but somehow, this foreign land didn’t seem so foreign at all. It made my heart feel so happy. It has always been a dream of mine, and my family’s, to explore the land where our roots are buried. Granted, our family is from the southern portion of Italy, but any trip to the “homeland” is like a trip to heaven. I’m beyond grateful that I got to be the first one to touch down on Italian soil, and I only hope that I can come back one day and experience this magic with my loved ones.
 
Nicole: I feel like those who have Italian heritage might’ve felt a deeper connection with the culture because a lot of us grew up with familiarity of its customs and traditions, even if it’s as simple as cooking. However, I would say the experience was different for those who are Catholic instead. We visited a ton of churches and saw so many relics and references to the religion just in the streets; I think seeing our faith or the faith we grew up with in its highest and grandest form had more of an impact than those who aren’t Catholic.
 
Laura: I honestly do feel like my travel experience was different, thanks to my heritage. There are certain tales and details I’ve heard while growing up, and while we were there, I was able to pick up on those stories and understand them more, which made the trip a lot more meaningful for me. Also seeing the people’s excitement when hearing my last name and listening to the way they pronounce it was one of my favorite parts of the trip!
 
Travel photos courtesy of interviewees