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Italian-American fishermen on a wharf, San Francisco. The mass Italian immigration to the United States began in 1889; however, Italians had been among the first explorers, priests, sailors, and settlers in California and more poured in during the Gold Rush. As of 1890 there were more Italians on the West than East Coast, with northern Italians being particularly successful in the wine industry. ca. 1891. |
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Christmas tree market outside Barclay Street Station, New York Central & Hudson Railroad. New York City. Like the Costa family, many grocers sold Christmas decorative greens and goods during the holiday season. ca. 1900. Detroit Publishing Collection, Library of Congress. |
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Shoppers selecting bananas from a cart at a street market. Italian immigrants were some of the first banana importers and distributors, from Central America. Location unknown, ca. 1905. Library of Congress |
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San Francisco earthquake, Latin Quarter, 1906: Church in distance: St. Peter's and St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church. First building at extreme right: the Flor d'Italia Restaurant. Banker Amadeo Giannini physically rescued his deposits and built up his future Bank of America as a result of quake, giving loans on a handshake from a plank counter on a San Francisco street. Deposits of other banks could not be taken out of heated vaults for several days. Giannini who had been a produce dealer in Santa Clara Valley had gone into the banking and insurance businesses, because of the inability of local farmers and himself to obtain loans. Later Giannini was largely responsible for the early financing of Hollywood production studios. |
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Cumberland Glass Works Co.: Italians, Greeks, and African-Americans were employed in many glass houses, among other skilled trades. Bridgeton, N.J., November 1909. |
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Immigrants buying railroad tickets on Ellis Island, the U. S. Federal Government processing center, now a museum. From the 1880s on, the largest number of immigrants arrived from Italy, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Turkey, and other southern and eastern European nations. New York Harbor, ca. 1912. |
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Immigrants on a ferry boat near Ellis Island. Typically Italian-American men immigrated first to send money home; wives and fiancées followed, ca. 1912. |
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Italian family in the United States only one month, living on East 116th Street, Manhattan apartment building, 2nd floor back. Mother is learning to make lace for factory nearby, 1911. Library of Congress. |
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Young produce peddlers on Boston street. Many Italian families depended upon child and adult members to work in their small businesses, 1915. Library of Congress. |
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Young man viewing job notices in front of Italian-American employment agency during the Depression. Given that often whole towns immigrated to the same American locales and the discrimination they often faced, Italian-American communities set up aid groups, e.g., the Italian-American Women’s Club of Madison, Wisconsin founded in 1934, their Workmen’s Club in 1912. Mostly northern Italians came as stone cutters to work on the State Capitol and University of Wisconsin buildings. Photograph: San Francisco, ca. 1936. |
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Family textile mill of Max Rosenbloom, Paterson, similar to others in northern New Jersey cities such as Jersey City and Hackensack. Many Italian, Austrian, and German skilled weavers were employed in the late nineteenth century; at the time silk mills were at their heights of production, but were largely replaced by nylon and rayon fabrics during the 1930s and ’40s. June 1937. |
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Italian women from Philadelphia picking carrots on large truck farm. Most southern Italian and Sicilian immigrants had been farmers and tradesmen in Italy. Camden, New Jersey, 1938. Library of Congress |
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Pressers in the N. M. dress shop that made blouses for the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. They were members of Local 89 of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers' Union, predominantly Italian-American. 1943. Library of Congress. |
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World War II Sgt. Norwood Dorman of Benson, N. C., rests at the memorial to Italian soldiers of World War I, Brolo, Sicily. Italian-American men enlisted in large numbers during the war, some families sending three and four sons. August 1943. |
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On board fishing vessel, Alden, out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Italian spaghetti is served after a hard day's work. 1943. Library of Congress. |
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New York City Italian-Americans wave flags and toss paper as they celebrate news of Japan's unconditional surrender to Allies, August 14, 1945. Press Association. |
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