History of Italian Immigration

There are many reasons for migration of people from one part of the world to another. One

prominent reasons for this is the ownership of an occupation. Sabrina Diano, born in Naples,

Italy, was part of a migration in her family because of the difficulty of getting a job, as stated in

her interview. From her own family history -- where her grandfather could not get a job in his

hometown, her father moved between cities, her younger sister was given an opportunity to

switch countries for work -- Italy has shown to have problems with job stability. Sabrina Diano

took the chance to move to the United States because our country continued to have increased

ability to hire people with various talents, skills and backgrounds. Thus, the movement or

migration of families can still be due to the frustrating job-hunt in one’s own country with little

improvement from past to present.

Even in the early 19th century there were still problems with the economy, finance, and job

creation. More specifically in 1861, when the proclamation of the kingdom was created, Italy

was in the most discouraging state it had ever been in. With the “rate of illiteracy as high as 74

percent,” “agriculture was...primitive,” and “industry and commerce were almost nil”(Tosti, 48).

In other words, it was especially hard during this time for citizens to obtain work due to the

desperate stages of all forms of life in Italy at this time. For example, Diano speaks about how

her grandfather had to move to many different cities across Italy to teach. As the illiteracy rates

were still high during his lifetime, teachers were needed to teach the new generations. Although

it was easier for him to find jobs, migrating around the country was still a hardship for everyone
in his family, who themselves could not find decent jobs. This source by Gustavo Tosti gave a

good insight on what it was like in Italy back in the late 1800s. He explains in good detail how

Italy's poor government, financial and agricultural problems began and gives the reader a good

understanding on why citizens would have wanted to immigrate from the very beginning.

Even after industrialization, present day job-hunting in Italy is still a major problem. As the

interview went along, Diano spoke about how she thought there were better chances in the

United States then Italy. This is presumed as true since her sister, having the same opportunity to

go abroad, denied that chance and was unable to find suitable employment for several months

after graduation from college. Also, it took her sister more time then Diano to advance in her

career because of different obstacles Diano did not have to face in the US. One reason for the

difficulty to find a job for a young person nowadays is the “hierarchical system, with the young

deferring to authority,” meaning that in Italy “you are not considered experienced based on your

CV,...but based on your age”(Faris). Unlike the current system of Italy, the United States applies

merit system, in which it is irrelevant how young woman Diano might have been; what mattered

is whether she is able to perform a given task. This article by Stephen Feris gives the readers a

deep explanation on why people in Italy are not and were not getting jobs. It helps further

understand the struggles of an individual person who has tried to get money for their families and

make a family.

Ever since the proclamation of the Kingdom in 1861 was made, people began to want to find a

new place to settle down and live their life. One of the main places people thought about going to
was America. Poverty was the main reason people wanted to leave and many of the migrants

were farmers. Their main reason to move was because they hoped that they would be able to

return to Italy with enough money to buy their own land and take care of their family. In

addition, these Italian farmers’ tools were “​inefficient due to their antiquity and lack of modern

technology, which did not allow for prospects for improvement”(Molnar). However, someone

who was not a farmer would move due to the higher wages in America. For example, “A

carpenter in Italy would receive 30 cents to $1.40 per day, making a 6-day week’s pay $1.80 to

$8.40. In America on the other hand, a carpenter who worked a 56-hour week would earn $18​.​”

(Molnar)​. ​ This shows that owners in America were able and willing to pay their workers more.

Curiously, even after so many years, the Italian mentality is still the same and the economic

hardship stays the same. This section in Molnar's article gives perfect comparisons between the

pay difference from Italy and America. As you may have read, there is a vast difference. This

was one of the many reasons on why Italian immigrants wanted to leave for the United States.

One final reason why people also wanted to get out of Italy was because of the political hardship.

Starting in the 1870s the government started taking measures to “repress views like anarchy and

socialism”(Molnar). Due to the unfair views of socialism, that could help the lower-class, these

Italians had the desire to migrate to the United States for a better, and more free and fair life. As

being poor, and even young, affects the ability for citizens to obtain a steady income, receiving a

higher wage in a new country gave them hope to live a better life and save their families back

home. With the industrial boom of the early 20th century, there were increased openings in

factories for both unskilled and skilled labor from abroad. Leaving a politically volatile region in
Italy, immigrants still faced prejudice, being called “called derogatory names,...and were the only

workers to work alongside black people” (Molnar). Although they left a bad working

environment, they entered another prejudicially based working environment, but to them it

seemed worth the pain to gain more for themselves and their family. This is the same source as

was used in the previous paragraph. Molnar's information on why the immigration happened and

what it was like to work in America was the most important source needed in the research. This

source also helps people connect with the immigrants and feel sympathy for the sad situation

they were in. This was the best source used by far.

In conclusion, Italy has never had an ideal working environment, and, in turn, migration and

emigration occurred and still occur. The Italian people have had the idea of moving to find a

better place for themselves and their families for a long time. Diano's interview was very helpful

in giving a starting place for finding out about these problems. Finding employment was a big

issue in Italy, especially because their hiring methods were based on connections rather than

merit. Even with the workplace being hostile at times, the improvement of payment found in

America was too good for the Italians to decline and go back. Present-day Italy still has its

problems in providing jobs for those who need them, and, the movement to find a better life

elsewhere still occurs. Hopefully, as time goes on, Italy will improve economically and

politically so its citizens can make ends meet in their homeland.