Eth125 Week 3 Assignment

Italians are among the highest in number to immigrate to the United States in comparison to any other European country. Due to the poverty, illiteracy, overpopulation, and general lack of resources in their country; Italians also immigrated to several other countries. Unlike many other immigrant groups, the most severe exploitation they suffered was from their own people. This was also a contributive factor in the massive influx of Italian immigrants into the United States, as for centuries Italy was fractured into several feuding states that were often governed and controlled by foreign powers.

Many of the early Italian immigrants were strongly attached to their place of origin. As such they mostly stuck together, living in clustered tenements. Many of them formed mutual-aid type communities named after patron saints, mostly dealing with and networking amongst themselves. They met with some resistance from the older Immigrants who came to the country before them, but this eventually subsided. However, Italians encountered deep prejudice and discrimination in housing and employment for several years. The Chicago press even went as far as to call them violent criminals, paupers, and wage-cutters.

In 1941, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, U.S. agents captured several Italian Nationals and held them prisoner. The Italian Americans experienced racism, and prejudices throughout the war, along with Germans and Japanese. They were not allowed to move a certain amount of miles away from their homes, unless given permission.   They were also forced to surrender any contraband, and had a tight curfew. Many Italian Americans were classified as “enemy aliens” during this time due to the Alien and Sedition of 1798, which allowed the Italian natives to be held captive as aliens in a time of emergency.

There were several incidents of double jeopardy and institutional discrimination during the war in regards to Italian immigrants. Many of the captured...