their homeland, many of which were centered on their devotion to their Catholic faith and to their families. The American-born children of these immigrants often felt oppressed by and disconnected from their parents’ values and ideals, and tensions between the immigrants and their children often ran high. While the Italian immigrants were devoted to their faith and on conscious, intentional, and spiritual levels, it seems that many of their children continued their religious and familial values on cultural and subconscious levels, rather than a spiritual one, and often times did so out of resignation or obligation, rather than genuine enthusiasm. One of the most important parts of the year for a member of the Italian Harlem community was the festa- the feast and celebration of La Madonna at Our Lady of Mount Caramel Church on 115th Street. Italian-American Catholics from not only the immediate community, but also other communities from New Jersey, California, and more, turned out in large numbers to celebrate and praise La Madonna, as well as to ask for blessings,…
In “Ethnicity in an Age of Diaspora” by R. Radhakrishnan theorizes how diaspora is viewed between generation and how it affects their ethnicity and background as a whole. He poses to the reader that being Indian-American, as a hyphenated aspect does not mean that an individual is being Indian. The reader begins to question, “What does “being Indian” mean in the United States? How can one be and live Indian without losing clout and leverage as Americans? How can one transform the so-called…
The Oxford dictionary defines identity as “The characteristics of determining who or what a person or thing is”. The Hebrew word “Galut”, “initially referred to the setting of colonies of Jews outside Palestine after the Babylonian exile”, when translated into Greek leads us to the etymology of the term “diaspora”, based on “speiro” (to sow) and the preposition “dia (over)” and in Ancient Greece it referred to “colonization” and “migration.” (Shuval, 2003) Thus, diaspora refers to the…
Exile is the state of being barred from one’s native country, typically for political or punitive reasons. Exile is seen as alienating, cause (someone) to feel isolated or estranged, or enriching, improve or enhance the quality or value of, but is a controversial statement whether it is justified or not. Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said has written that “Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced…
a. Migrant – a person that migrates or travels. The term also can be redefined when use in the text “Migrant Workers,” which means a person who moves place to place in order to get work, especially in the agricultural realm. I originally believed this term to be a discriminatory term for Mexicans, and not an actual term to describe farm workers. b. Pinteada- a term Victor uses for working for one dollar for each bucket. c. Pesticide- Another term I once believed meant something different. I was…
Relationshipis the bondage in which the Indian society prevails. Githa Hariharan being an Indian women writer has written many novels and short stories. In all her novels she deals with the theme of social, political issues. She also deals with problems faced by women in Indian society. One another theme is relationship. In all her novels, she deals with some kind of relationship. In the novel The Ghosts of Vasu Master Hariharan deals with the relationship between a teacher and a student. She…
Trade diaspora is defined by Crossroads and Cultures: A History of the World’s Peoples as “a network of merchant settlements dispersed across foreign lands but united by common origins, religion, and language, as well as by business dealings.” This definition is the best form of evidence that there was, in fact, a coherent community residing near and around the Indian Ocean by 1500. On the surface, this broad trade network is just that—a network. However, a closer look at the crises and…
This diaspora will often come from non-majority members of the sending society, be comprised heavily of families, and will closely mirror whatever the social class of the minority group was in the sending country. Regardless of whether this type of diaspora has been outside their home country for five of fifty years, it is highly unlikely to support state-driven efforts to mobilize its diaspora through political parties or economic development projects. Instead, if Class A diaspora continue to…
The Italian American Discourse Community During the past couple of weeks I have been observing the Italian discourse community, which I am apart of as my immediate family are Italian-Americans. Through the many observations, I have been able to grasp a better understanding on how distinct the Italian-American community is in comparison to the other communities around me. I examined the community Italian-American discourse community rigorously and I found many characteristics that make the…
Italians and Their Untold Story of Migration Since the beginning of time and the early days of civilization for as long as we can go back into time there has always been higher powers that exert themselves with control over others. This supremacy over others constitutes to slavery and racism not only in our nation but the world as a whole from sea to sea throughout history. Slavery and racism has played a drastic part of our history as this practice preaches total control over…