Courageous Women Emigrants
Join us today at 12 noon EST Instagram UmbraAbove to honor the courageous Italian women who emigrated.
If you have a story about YOUR Italian ancestor’s immigration send it to italysearch@gmail.com and maybe your story will be told on the program.
Like many women, my nonna, Anna GRASSI, came to the USA from Napoli,with her new husband, Dr. Giovanni Lo PINTO, in 1889. Her brother, Giuseppe, came 5 years earlier, but she left her family, her Mother Emilia, & her 9 siblings. Though all but 2 came here later on. Giovanni became a Dr. in Italy, but they lived in the tenements of Little Italy for at least a decade, because he refused to do the required US residency, Nonna did beautiful stitching, embroidery, cruel work, & laces, to earn extra money to take care of her 5 children & her 2 nephew’s, who’s mother died. And she did that all while taking care of my Father, who had polio [ ca.1915]. Giovanni joined the Italian Army [WWI, 1913-1919], & came back to show her how to “soak” my Father’s legs in warm water – in a cold water flat – & move his legs. Because of nonna, my Father never even had a limp! She never learned to speak English, she didn’t have to, either her kids translated, or she lived in Italian neighborhoods. She was loving, joyful, except when she’d tell me to “Aspet! Aspet! Aspet!” [Aspetta], always 3 times.
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