Thousands of immigrants flood the USA every day. They
are desperately poor, with virtually no cash or savings, and little more than
their clothing for possessions. They speak no English, and some of them never
will, because they will cluster into communities with other immigrants who share
their language, customs and values. Many are illiterate.
But this is no border crisis—this scenario occurred
between 150 to 100 years ago, when America’s industrial revolution was in full
swing: Jobs were plentiful, workers from abroad were being recruited and border
checks consisted only of health screenings. Passports were not even required before
1918.
This poster explains why many immigrants did not teach their native tongue to their children. |
The greatest number of immigrants came from Southern
Italy, and a new free museum in Washington DC has been inaugurated to tell
their story. I toured the Museum on Italian Immigration today, an outreach by
the National Italian American Federation located at 1860 19th Street
NW.
The self-guided tour includes some 70 numbered panels
arranged largely in chronological order, telling first about conditions in
Italy that caused so many to leave, then about the ships that carried them
across the ocean to face uncertain futures, and finally about their struggles
to adapt—along with stories of great tragedy and success.
It took an hour and a half to walk through and read
all the panels in the three rooms. The experience was much like reading an
illustrated textbook, and it is a well-written and appropriate tribute to the sacrifices
and dedication made by these proud immigrants. While it could be criticized for
lack of depth in its coverage, one must remember that it is a museum, meant to
be absorbed in a reasonable time and designed to whet one’s appetite for the more
in-depth coverage that can only be obtained by further study through books and
videos.
The Rosie the Riveter song and illustration likely were inspired by record-setting riveter Rosina Bonavita, an Italian American. |
I might give the museum a higher rating if not for the
fact that in 2011, I viewed a fantastic special exhibition in Lucca, Italy, called
Along
the Wake of the Propeller. It covered the same topic but in an elaborate
setting that recreated the experience of traveling on a steam ship and then
coming into Ellis Island and going through the lines and inspections. On a
scale of five, I’d give the NAIF museum a four—definitely worth the time to see—and
the Lucca exhibition a five-plus.