Why Italian Americans don't speak Italian
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- My favorite books: www.amazon.com... #ancestry #findingyourroots #immigrants #americanhistory #italians #worldwar2 #familyhistory #genealogy
Finding your roots? Explore the little-known history of Italian Americans during World War II: the hidden story of surveillance, detention, and internment faced by Italian Americans after Pearl Harbor. From Proclamation 2527 to Una Storia Segreta, delve into the violations of civil liberties and the untold struggles of Italian Americans during this tumultuous time and gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and resilience of Italian Americans.
Resources:
www.italianhis...
www.italianhistorical.org/smithactalienregistrationactof1940origiinalandtransferred.pdf
www.iamla.org/
fortmissoulamu...
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This explains why my grandmother refused to teach me Italian. She would say " no, you are American. You have to speak English".
same in my family too
I have always wondered why my mother and her siblings didn't learn Italian from my grandparents. Thank you for sharing this important history.
@Andy DeJoseph Not really. The Amish are still speaking German.
@@attan5127 The Amish actually speak Pennsylvania Dutch. It is a dialect of German that originated out of the Swiss German dialect. So the Amish technology speak German, but only in the loosest form of the word. Most Amish consider Pennsylvania Dutch, which they speak at home, and German, which is what their Bible is written in, to be two different languages. The Amish speak English in school, so most of them consider themselves fluent in three languages. There have been very informal “studies” done, and people who only speak Pennsylvania Dutch, people who only speak German, and people who only speak Swiss German can only understand each other some of the times. (They usually know the words they are saying, but the words mean something different in their dialect.) It’s similar to how Sicilian is technically a dialect of Italian, but only in the loosest form of the word.
@@andydejoseph
The Pennsylvania Dutch never did.
It's more likely they spoke dialect at the time not Italian that's the other reason reason Italian American Don't speak the language
My mother refused to let my grandmother teach us italian. She also hated going in the sun because of her olive skin.
As a Black American woman living in Italy who has learned the Italian language... I'm even more proud to adopt the language after watching your video😮❤
How are you doing in Italy? They treat you well?
they're u tube content creators that say Italy is very racist towards blacks
I was working at an Italian restaurant. The cook was Black and spoke Fluent Italian. I figured he was from Africa because he had a blue/black complexion. I asked him how he learned to speak Italian so well and he told me he was from Ethiopia which was once ruled by the Italians.
Proud of you Queen for learning the language
born in Sicily immigrated to Canada in 1953 yes there was racism and we had to fight for our rights,human beings don't seem to realize were all in the same boat or planet,things are much better in Canada,but what the hell is going on down there in USA,you have a political party that wants to get rid of democracy, REALLY !!!
Danielle, the only thing I ever heard about internment camps was the Japanese people because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My father was a first generation Italian American that served in the US Navy for Christ's sakes! Unbelievable that you had people interned at the same time that other Italian Americans were fighting for this country!
First generation Navy just like my grandpa Dom! I know. The juxtaposition was incredible to me. My family always taught me to love america, and I do, but this story was hard.
We had Japanese-Americans who also served in the military, mostly in the European theater while their relatives were in American concentration camps...
Black people served in the military and were and STILL treated like 2nd class citizens. It happens
That's what happens when people are paranoid and scared 😮. We fail to talk with each other as people. That's why this is so sad 😭.
This was NOTHING compared to what the British did to their citizens of Italian backgrounds during WWII. Italian Americans were lucky that there were far more of us in number than Japanese Americans, and that Italian Americans like Frank Sinatra were so mainstream in popular culture at that particular time and that the actual mafia had by that time purchased our "white card" for us by having direct ties to the government that it would've made it extremely difficult to do the same thing to our community that they did to the Japanese Americans.
My grandfather immigrated through Ellis Island in the late 20's, my father never learned Italian either. The background of how the climate was at that time makes sense as to why the Italian language wasn't passed down. My family is in the process of getting dual citizenship in Italy because my Italian grandparents were not US citizens when my father was born. I wish the language was passed down.
I would love to hear about dual citizenship if you do, I’m considering it myself
@@nytn my niece is getting all the paperwork together and is using a lawyer who is getting the required documents from Italy. If your parent was born before their parent became a US citizen you can get dual citizenship. All descendants are eligible for it.
Thank You Danielle. You gave me so much insight into my mixed Italian heritage 😊😊
That's awesome!
Sister dropping deep knowledge.
We are all learning together!
Great work here. My father, while from Italy, became a citizen and fought for the US. He went through Italy on his way to France and was 15 miles from his grandmother and wanted to visit her. The Army would not allow him because he was told it was fraternizing with the enemy.
Oh my goodness😫
@@nytn Are you from Troy, NY?
@@dr.doolittle4763 yes! Well, I was born there :) I live in Nashville now
@@nytn I was born there as well. Grew up across the river.
😅While the army was fraternizing with satan
Just found your channel! Thank you for sharing the Italian history. One thing I love is that our elders did not teach us to hate others. I am sure our faith has a lot to do with that. We still face things today, but this is life and so does everyone. We are very blessed to have freedom. Every generation of my family has served.. about 100 years now. I think we have done our time. I just wish everyone could come together and stop all the hate we see in our country now. It is only tearing our country apart.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I didn't know that Italian Americans were also in internment camps... and I have a degree in History. My great-grandparents came to America from Italy in the early 1900s. I didn't know we were Italian until I took the Ancestry DNA test, so I'm wanting to learn as much as I can now about Italy and Italian American culture and history. Keep up the good work!
Im so glad you are here! My undergrad was in history and I never learned about this either...
@@nytn There's also an unsolved mystery revolving some Italian kids that went missing during a mysterious housefire that happened in West Virginia around the time that WW2 was happening. They were called the Sodder Children.
@Adam&Erin Stone The early 1900s is not that long ago. My grandparents came from Europe. I was very close to one grandfather who told me many stories about the Old Country. How did you not know about such recent ancestry? Was your family trying to hide something?
Italians in Louisiana experienced oppression, discrimination, and hangings. This is often overlooked, and it's great that you enlighten your audience about their experience.
Unfortunately, "a degree in History" can mean all the more that one is indoctrinated away from a greater understanding of truth in that very field. ( Not meant as a personal slight, but an opinion on the state of affairs in Academia / Education. )
I did not know Italians were interned during WWII. Thank you for posting about this! I graduated from high school in 1966. In junior year, we studied American history through the Great Depression. We did not learn about the Japanese internment, either, even though there was a camp about 100 miles from us. I was embarrassed when I asked a Japanese friend in college how her family got to Denver and she told me about the internment camps. I agree with you that we need to know about our history. It makes me sad and scared that so many people don't think history is important.
my grandfather was german living in the us during ww one. his family was so harassed that he ran away from home at age 13 and never spoke german again. he changed his name too. when he married my grandmother years later she made him contact his family to let them know he was still alive
It was even worse if you were both German AND Catholic, particularly where the KKK was strong, like Indiana post-WW1, which was literally run by the Klan, thanks in part to a devil from Houston, TX named D.C. Stepehnson. My Great Grandfather's generation had to pull armed guard of the rural SW IN parish.
My mother's father anglicized their Bavarian/German surname during WW1.
It's crazy how English anglo Saxon people are , unbelievable they are so threatened with everything different
@@Србомбоница86 Its not just the anglo saxon, that's just patriotism, i'm from Brazil and foreign languages were forbidden in Brazil's past too, immigrants couldn't speak japanese, italian, german, polish and etc, they could only speak portuguese.
They also ended the transatlantic slavery trade -They also created the Magna Carta which the US constitution is based on .They were also the ones who printed the first Bibles in English which was a total game changer . The gov of countries bc corrupted and sell out and are sabotage at times -Stop watching controlled Hollywood TV
I saw a stat somewhere that said 98% of the Italian American male population served in the Military during WWII and came back using English as their every day “get things done” language from their time in the service..
This story must continue to be told. I had no clue that Italians went through this. 😮 This reminds me of when I first heard about the internment of the Japanese-Americans. 🙁
Thanks for sharing, Danielle. ❤
Italians, Japanese and German Americans went to the internment camps.
I had no idea anyone besides the Japanese were sent to these camps 😌
Germans too? I'll have to read up on that. Thanks.
@@JustFluffyQuiltingYarnCrafts en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_German_Americans I did see this. My mom largely assumed that Germans weren't largely interned because it was hard to distinguish between a white American and a white German back in the 1940s. She didn't bring up Italian Americans. She did bring up Japanese Americans though. I did hear around WW2 that German was banned from being spoken.
@@Neku628 Thank you for that link. Your comments here have taught me a few new things about things that have happened here in the U.S. that are not widely known.
I had wondered about that . My old neighborhood in the 1950s and early 60s had a huge concentration of Italians and they really didn’t speak Italian . I’m glad my teenybopper son had a neighbor who spoke Italian because she’d teach him and he can hold a conversation in Italian without having learned the language in school. He also speaks French and Spanish for the same reason. We’re Black and losing your ancestry through coercion like that is a sore point within the Black community.
I grew up in Carroll Gardens and Bensonhurst Brooklyn in 1960’s and 1970’s….. there were many IA who spoke Italian.
Same in the Italian community as u know. My family lost their Italian heritage due to stigma, and not wanting to be left behind.
I usually post rather comprehensive responses to your videos. I always try to base my responses on accurate historical facts. And, like you are doing, I try to bring the receipts by citing credible sources Therefore, I completely and totally agree with you that we must all know the true history of oppression in our country. It is not to make anyone feel ashamed for what their ancestors may have done. Quite the opposite, we need to know the mistakes that were made in order to make sure we do not repeat them. Keep going, Danielle.
Always appreciate your insight and thoughts. Im learning in public and that means making mistakes publicly, too! But Im going to include more sources going forward because I am not manipulating or making things up...just finding them. The stories are there to be found by whoever wants to see them. Thank you for being here with me!
GOD bless you sweetheart
I just recently found your channel ... Thank you so much for all of your work! I had known some of my history, but not this. My paternal grandma came here to NY in 1921 from Italy (she was 19) and my maternal grandpa came here from Italy, as a baby, in 1906. No one ever talked about any of this. I always wondered why we never spoke Italian at home. My father spoke it, but only to his mother. I was told later on, that we wanted to be American, so that's why we spoke only American english. I did know my father had a hard life, they were poor and he had to quit school in the 6th grade to go to work. He also wound up becoming a "tough guy" because he was bullied for being Italian. My mom started looking into our ancestry and she compiled quite a bit until her passing in 2021. I have learned so much and am delving into my own journey. I'm rambling, lol ...Thank you again! Got you a coffee! Enjoy!
thank you so much!! I drink a lot of coffee while researching, it's my bad habit :) Im so glad you found the channel. We have a rich history, lots to dig into together.
@@nytn I look forward to it
Same here. We weren't taught Italian because we were Americans now. We spoke English.
Very much like my family’s history! God bless you.
I was today years old finding your wonderful channel
My grandma was pregnant with her first baby, my daddy, when Pearl Harbor was bombed. She never spoke of her WWII experience. She also never spoke Italian to her kids or grandchildren. Sad, I would have been bilingual from birth instead of learning the language when I got older.
I can't imagine what my grandmother felt, she was not an American citizen at that point.
Chiara, I cant imagine either. I wish we had learned Italian, too.
My dad was born in 1941. He always said that his parents spoke Italian to each other, but never to him or his siblings.
Same with our family. We kept the food and most traditions but lost the language.
Technically we are slightly more Irish than Italian but culturally more Italian.
LA LINGUA ITALIANA NON È DIFFICILE DA IMPARARE, DOVREBBE FARE UN SOGGIORNO IN ITALIA ,IN TRE MESI IMPARERÀ GIÀ DELLE BUONE BASI DeLL'ITALIANO. IL CONSIGLIO CHE POSSO DARTI ED DI IMPARARE CON I BAMBINI, SALUTI DA ROMA 🇮🇹🇮🇹🏛🍷🍦🍕🛵
@@denisedevoto5703 oh, yes. If they didn't want us to know what they were saying they spoke Italian. I forgot about that... wow, I miss them so much.
Thanks for sharing all your info and history. My grandson is also Southern Italian, Mexican and African American. I love your channel
Carla, he's basically the same as me! Thank you for being here:)
I was aware that Japanese Americans were rounded up and forcibly sent to camps during WWII, and I always wondered why Italian Americans and German Americans were not treated in the same manner. Your research and personal family history is a revelation which shows that they were. This IS American history and we need to know the truth so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.
Granted a lot more Japanese Americans were rounded up and put in camps than Italian Americans or German Americans. But it still should be taught.
Yes Italians and Germans were rounded up and put in camps. It depended on when their family immigrated. The government assumed that newer immigrants were more loyal to their homeland rather than to the US.
The sad reality is that little has changed within the extremist mindset….. only the targets have shifted.
Most Germans assimilated quite fast, many wouldn’t know who was German-American or just plain American by then
@@bastian9693 many also anglicized their names after WWI. My Husband's Mother's family changed their name in Canada to Roseborough to not sound German. There was a lot of anti German sentiment. They even changed the name of the town to sound more English.
The kids of Italian immigrants who migrated to the US in the late 60s n 70s speak Italian. Due to advancement in Technology, we have Italian TV and radio in our homes. We visit Italy often and love everything Italian.
The italians have used only the dialect to comunicate for at least 2 thousands of years. And yes only after the economic "boom" this language, born in 1861 (the year if the national unity) from the roots of the tuscan vernacular, took place.
Great video, thank you for making this! I did not know about the history of italian americans during ww2, thank you for educating me
Thank you so much for this. So many ppl don't know any of this. Our families never talked about any of it.
Thank you Sister!
Did you know about the Italian American experience in WW2? Let me know in the comments!
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My uncle served in the US Army and my father was in the US Navy. Both were born in the USA. My Maternal Grandfather came to the USA in 1913. He was drafted in 1917 and served in the US Army if France in 1918. He was also a member of the "Lost Battalion".
Wow! Thank you for this video. Don't let others try and discourage your searching for your family's history. My grandparents moved to San Francisco in 1947 from Chicago. I had heard of the Japanese going to camps but never the Italians. Maybe my mom never knew because she was born in 1940 and I don't know if we had family in California before 1947 but I would assume there would still be some discrimination and prejudice even after they were released. I know she hated our curly hair all her life and constantly straightened it. I thought she had a pretty nose but she hated that as well. This gives me some idea of maybe that is why.
I love our curly hair! I do hate my nose, though. My aunt had a nose job, but I never did get one, even though I wanted one.
@@denisedevoto5703 haha I always wanted a nose job to but because it is long. My mom's was short and a little wider.
No, I had no idea about the Italian interment and thank you for revealing it. Nor did I know of the power of the Smtih Act. Great job here.
I really love your channel I grew up in an Italian-American family and I was always wondering why my father never taught us how to speak Italian I know my grandparents and aunts and uncles all spoken but they would never teach us kids and I really wish I would have learned but you've explained so much to me that now I kind of understand what's going on
So glad you covered La Storia Segreta!
Again, thank you again for bringing this to light. My dad was from a mid Atlantic state and never knew about these internment camps and I'm not sure he believed me when I told him.
Thank you so much! I love your channel! So much history that I was unaware of you're bringing to light! And I agree with you that this information can help us grow as human beings to be more understanding and compassionate with each other. The true struggle is for justice and fairness for all people! And realizing that it's a weakness in human nature to want to mistreat those who are perceived as different when we are all one human family. The cure being to speak up and not sit silently by when others are being oppressed,
Thank you so much for the kind words, made my night :) So glad to have you here with me
Important history I was completely unaware of. Thank you for making us aware.
I wrote a paper on this topic a few years ago. As part of the research I conducted interviews/oral histories. I also reached out to and was in communication with the author of the book mentioned. He was an invaluable resource. I spoke with people in San Pedro and Monterey, CA. When I asked my italian American friends about this time period, they weren't aware of it. Others had to ask older siblings about this experience.
Thank you for your work on this. I wish you had been around when I was writing this paper! Also, for those who are reading this, there were three executive orders that made this real, one for each group (Japanese, Italian, and Germans). Although the Japanese made up the largest population of those unjustly imprisoned and forcibly removed from society, there were Italian and Germans in these camps.
Grazie tanto!
"these stories are important" They ARE whether it's your story(Danielle) or mine. The TRUTH is important to know... For ALL OF US. Thanks, Danielle. 👍🏾
Yes, and we are better for it. Thank you for being here!
@@nytn TRUTH is it ain't about "black" or "white" we're both Americans... with ancestries(we all are). Keep tellin' the TRUTH ✌🏾
Excellent video- thank you for this important information!
I was looking through some of the records from my Paternal ancestors, a bunch of them had on their registry, Scars on their left side, of their face and on their lower arm, At first i thought it was a smallpox or passport tag, but each of their kids on both sides, sowing up with it on only their left lower arm or hand, The DePinto Italian relatives all had them on their left side of face or arm, Weird as well Olhieser>Oshea German relative from Canada also had the same tag burn scar on their left side, when they came to America.
🙌🙌🙌 YOUR CONTENT IS INCREDIBLE!!!
wow thank you!
I will add that my father was in Italy during world war 2. My family is said to have rescued a Jewish family from the holocaust. I find it interesting that Italy did not engage in the holocaust like G
to continue....like Germany and the surrounding countries. I find it interesting that mericans are reluctant to acknowledge this
@@eziocutarelli678 Sadly, you will be hated by Jewish people as you are an Italian, assumed to be Catholic.
Italy had concentration camps.
I'm confused, how was Italy different? They put Jewish people in deadly concentration camps.
There is only a small number of Jews in Italy. If there had been three Million Jews living in Italy like Poland . I’m sure Italians would have taken a big part in the Holocaust . Look what they did in Yugoslavia, Greece , Libya and Ethiopia. Oh Yes!
Thank you so much for sharing this history. This is so important.! I come from a mixed background. My family is also from Louisiana on my paternal side, black Americans, and on my mother side, Irish English in Italian, her whole life. She always thought she was only Irish in English, and luckily through the DNA we found that my second great grandmother was Italian, and gave up her daughter for adoption! I’ve always been drawn to everything Italian since I was a little kid… I feel very connected to all of me all the ethnic backgrounds resonate through me naturally, so this is exciting to hear your story. History is very important. You are absolutely correct. Anyone that accuses you of pulling a victim card wants to suppress history so they don’t have to feel bad about themselves but really they just need to embrace reality.
I appreciate your comments so much, thank you
Here in Brazil is the same. Before and during WW2, all italians, germans and japanese (I don't know If slavs also had to do the same) had to spoke Just portuguese, because was illegal to speak their own language. That's the reason my both grandmothers (one from Veneto and the other from Calabria) don't know how to speak. And I believe that in some parts of South America the same happened as in Brazil.
Thank you as always for sharing ❤ Please share more information. I love learning about all types of history from every culture ✨️
It is sad but I think this can and will happen again. Some people never learn or change.
Nothing new under the sun
I agree with you
Alot of ppl are npcs…..just very low consciousness
We went through a couple years recently that a certain group of people didn't take a certain drug there was a lot of hysteria against these people of all races don't forget all the threats for people jobs and discrimination to go out and eat I will never forget.
Sure will. DESANTOS of Florida is leading the way against others.
Thank you so much for this and all your videos. And your speaking at a bit slower pace (than in your earlier videos) which is easier to follow. I'm sure there is much information you try to get into these videos. Finally, thanks for listing your sources. So important.
Yes I talk so fast naturally I am trying to train myself to slow down 🥰
I immigrated to the United States from SICILY in 1972 I still speak Sicilian and Italian, Una storia segreta means a secret story
Normally it took having both parents who spoke Italian at home in order for their children to learn it. My father's parents were Italian immigrants from Calabria, and he didn't speak a word of English until he learned it in public school. Much later in life he lost the ability to speak Italian because there was no one around to speak it with.
Well, I'm cecilian and please let me know when they do do that. Because I will be standing up there with the rest of them
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the book rec! Love getting them
Danielle , I recently found your video on UA-cam and find it interesting. I'm a first generation born Australian . Growing up I never understood why my parents never spoke Italian to me and my sisters . It was like if we do repercussions would come . Growing up in Australia had its challenges , however I wouldn't have it any other way. We as humans should embrace our history , good or bad .
You mean you do not regret learning to speak Italian?
@@lucianomezzetta4332 Than you for your reply. I'm more than proud to come from Italian heritage , and I understand the language better than I speak it .
I am a 5th grade teacher and teach American History. A few years ago I got a grant for some books to use in my classroom and one of the books I chose was Penny From Heaven. Before reading that book with my students I have no recollection of hearing about the Italian Internment camps. I had heard about the Japanese camps but not Italians. I find it horrifying that fear can cause such mistreatment of groups of people but I also am shocked at how much this story has been covered up. As I have been helping to write some Social Studies lessons focusing on ethnic studies for our state I chose to write a lesson on this subject and as I search for information I am appalled at the cover up that has been in place concerning this subject.
I thank you for your personal heartfelt story as I have been searching for personal stories to use in my lesson and your video is perfect.
Thank you so much!
I really enjoyed the video of your grandfather and that he had enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17 in 1943.
My dad had enlisted in the navy at age 17 in 1945.
Italian-Americans were certainly patriotic.
During WW II there was an internment camp for non naturalized Italians at the Tanforan Race Track about five miles south of San Francisco. It held hundreds.
100% true, thanks for posting, so many today have no clue how Italians were treated in the not too distant past.
All in all, 600,000 Italians were affected by the policies, such as internment, confiscations. curfews, surveillance, and forced from their homes. Which were only lifted in 1942, once President Roosevelt realized he’d need the support of the Italian-Americans if the U.S. was to invade Italy.
The thing to also remember is not all Italians in Italy were on the side of Germany. There was an underground movement that fought against them since the start of the war. It was primarily northern Italians that wanted to fight with Germany and southern Italians wanted to fight against them. Which is important also because over 90% of Italians in the U.S. were southern Italians and also against what Germany was doing.
In fact a large number of Italian-Americans served in the U.S. military during WWII. 14 of which received the Medal of Honor. The San Francisco Chronicle in 2001 wrote the following, in regard to what happened to Italian-Americans: “We're trying to educate people so it won't happen again. The story needs to be told."
Thank you for all the work you do. I've learned quite a lot!
Awesome, thank you!
This is fascinating!...And I'm convinced if there was an opportunity to learn more about the history that was swept under the rug, we'd have a stronger American society today. I'm in my early 60s and never knew anything about this.
I agree with you!
I did not know that Italian-Americans were interned. Thank you for enlightening me. I wonder what happened to Frank Sinatra's family during the war. He was at the height of his popularity during the 40s.
I saw in a documentary that in Oneonta, N.Y., they interned Italians. Full Italian here, & so was my 1st wife. R.l.P. My Carol😢 Originally from Queen's N.Y. Moved from Queens to Bethpage, Long Island in 1962. I mentioned Oneonta, N.Y. Upstate for another reason. I retired in 2009. Moved up to Catskill, N.Y. Lasted 10 years. Had a house built on 6 acres. Beautiful up there, but l was like Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny. They never fully accept you up there. Also, they think Long Island is N.Y.C. still to this day! 😂 I'm back home now on Long Island at 70 with my 4 kids, 9 grandchildren & 1 great grandson. Thank You for your Channel. I subscribed. 🇮🇹🇺🇸
Its so interesting that we don't know this part of our history. Thank you for sharing these people's stories.
From Italy. It should be kept in mind that, until about the 1950s, the first language of most Italians was their local dialect, which is what most people who went to America spoke. In 1861, when Italian unity was achieved, at most about 20% of the people in Italy spoke Italian and it was the first language of only about 10%, and I am being generous. Italian was spread in the 1950s also thanks to the efforts of an Italian American, Mike Bongiorno, born in 1924 in New York City. For more details see the Wikipedia article. On the dialects see the Wikipedia article Languages of Italy, which explains the great diversity that you can still find here. Most Italian dialects belong to the Romance group, with Spanish and French, but other languages, from German to Greek, are spoken in various parts of Italy, not by foreigners, but by native Italian citizens, for example the tennis player Jannik Sinner, who is bilingual Italian-German.
Mussolini encouraged Italians who's names didn't end in a vowel to have their surname end in a vowel .This was to creat more patriotism/ nationalism ideological fascism basically
There's a lot here. You did a good job and make some good points. I know something about the topic. An American who studied Italian immigrants to N. America and then, late in life, moved to Italy permanently. Have you ever been to the immigration museum in Halifax, NS). There's a display case with house keys, donated to the museum by people who immigrated to Canada and where sure they would return home after making some money. Some did, but it was a slender minority. There are still a lot of abandoned homes in small towns, often on a mountaintop in Italy, that were left behind by folks who never returned "home". Because "home" changes over time.
Danielle, my family came to the USA in the early 1900s and my dad was born here in 1932. I too was unaware of the historical information you spoke about but will begin to inquire with a few of my relatives that are now in their 80s. They must have some recollection of the internment of Italians during the war but they kept it a secret and did not speak about it possibly in fear of further prosecution. Nevertheless, I have always tried to learn about my families roots and this is definitely something that needs to be discussed and understood.
Please let me know what you find out! I have lots more I hope to cover on my Italian side
@@nytn I will Danielle.
As always you teach me something new about my own cultures history. Thank you soooo very much for all you do! ❤
I'm so glad!
I'm glad I found this channel. My great grandmother's surname is Amaro and I think she migrated from Italy to Mexico in the 1800s.
My teachers told my parents not to speak Italian to me because I would have difficulty learning English. They listened to them. I find it incredible that they did because both my parents were 1st generation American and spoke English and Italian.
Yeah, they never talk about the state started talking about the Japanese interment camp s in America when I was in school but they never talked about how Italian Americans had to go to interment camps in the United States during World War II
Thank you for these videos. It is very important to discuss history and doing these videos is great. I had no idea how badly Italians were treated in America. My maternal side is Italian but they came to Canada about 1910. My mother was born here. The last name was Anglesized and Italaian was only spoken in my grandparent's home. I don't know if Italian Canadians were treated the same way but I assume so.
I’ve asked my father if my grandfather knew Italian and why he didn’t teach my dad so he could teach me. I understand now.
Italian is a language,but there are so many dialects ,too.Therefore there's a huge difference between speaking a language and speaking a dialect.
Emanuele. Italian is an evolved dialect from Tuscany. The dialects evolved from Latin rather than being a divergence of Italian. I just say this as people who know something about dialects thing they come from Italian and do not appreciate that Italian is itself a dialect. I only started speaking Italian at school where we were prevented form speaking our language Ciao
My grandfather used to write to his sister in Calabria regularly. When the war broke out they agreed to stop writing for awhile since one of her sons had been arrested for speaking out against Mussolini. When the war ended Grandpa began writing again only to find out his nephew had been executed and their home was burnt to the ground in retaliation by neighbors. On a lighter note my Grandfather knowing Italian Americans were being made to turn over their weapons he hid his shotgun in a patch of Zucchini. When my dad asked him why there, he replied everyone hates Zucchini and will not go near there!
Hello Danielle, I spoke with you awhile back. Moved by your story - I did speak with a few older relatives, my cousins, who are now in their 80's and they did not have any memory of the interment camps in western USA however, one cousin did say her family, who was living in Brooklyn during the war, did make a trip to Massachusetts to visit other relatives being detained there. It's my opinion my cousin did not have many details because she would have been very young at the time. Growing up my father would often take my family with his 8 children to visit our relatives throughout Brooklyn and New Jersey and when I think back my relatives, including the cousins referenced above, were always celebrating but were also reserved and never spoke about politics or talked bad about our country. They were all somewhat successful and they owned cars and my grandparents owned an apartment building that they rented out in Brooklyn. My uncle Nick, who I had great respect for, did something that I always thought was interesting and may have been a result of his family living under the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his knowledge of the USA interment camps. Uncle Nick would tell me stories of his life experiences, especially in New York City, and if he wanted me to be careful, or mindful, when dealing with certain individuals he would take his index finger and slightly touch below his eye to indicate to me to be vigilante. He never spoke words to describe what he meant; as if he was restrained because someone might hear and disapprove of his verbal dissent. Instead he would just indicate caution and vigilance with that simple gesture.
I really appreciate your channel and embrace of history. I am also a history buff so I really enjoy your personal story and perspective on heritage. Keep doing the great work and I will continue to watch. Much love!
In Canada they did the same thing.
Thank you for sharing this fascinating history! 🙂 We all need to learn from and avoid repeating these sad mistakes. History helps us understand today's world.
So true!
I knew the camps existed. My family was in Pennsylvania and I had been told that yes in WWII Japanese, Italian and German ancestry people were placed in camps but that it wasn't done to people in Pennsylvania because a huge portion of the population spoke German. It probably did happen but was essentially denied. I do know that relatives of mine who had very German last names or received letters from relatives with those names were monitored more while they were in the service than some others. Do you know if there's a database that we can search to find out if our relatives were in these camps? Would be interested to know for sure one way or the other.
What a great question. Let me look into this.
I taught my daughter Italian, which helped her to learn other languages, and she is glad I did. she goes to Italy and has no problems with the language. As Italian I'm proud of my cultural heritage.
I have been learning italian because my husband is italian, and let me tell you than he and his family is so proud what about I speak his language. I don't do that very well already yet but I'll hope do it in a near future.
I had heard about this. There was a documentary done 10+ years ago that was very informative on this topic. I think it was called Enemies Among Us. I never heard any stories about my family members being interred or facing any discrimination. I don't know if they just didn't talk about it or what. My grandfather was in jail at some point during FDR's administration, but that had to do with alcohol not being Italian. I know it was about this time that they became U.S. citizens. Maybe the discrimination is why they became citizens at that particular time. IDK. There's nobody left for me to ask. A couple of my aunts were teenagers around this time, but they're both in their 90s and have dementia. My grandfather didn't serve in WW2. I was once told that unnaturalized Italian men had to be interviewed and sign an affidavit attesting to their loyalty or something. I was told that documents from that process are held by the National Archives. Some day I will go searching.
some day!
Thank you for sharing your story. It helps me understand my family better. I am surprised how little of our history I have heard despite being a fan of history.
I feel the same way, Im learning in public!
Allora, read some books.
Here in Brazil happened the same thing, Getúlio Vargas prohibited the use of Italian, German or Japanese in Brazilian society. My father's family is Italian-Brazilian and unfortunately none of my relatives learned how to speak Italian, only my grandfather could speak a mix of Portuguese and Italian.
This is new to me, thank you!(ALSO, I visited Brazil many years ago!
Que Triste !.......Santa Catarina es Italiana y Parte Alemana , Saludos desde Guadalajara , Jalisco ,Mexico
Ever heard of Crystal City,Texas they had a Internment Camp that interned Italian,Japanese,and German during the War .There a Book about Crystal City,Texas Internment camp out there it Strange all this happen doing the time of Jim Crow laws was hurting Black,Hispanic,and Asians in the 1940's
And the Government didn't close the Camp until 1948
I have not, I’ll look into it. Thank you
@@nytn You Welcome
Wow! I never knew about any of this!
❤beautiful video , and new knowlege to me as also a half italian person , your channel is a true joy...sharing😊
I’m so glad it resonated. There’s no such thing as half- if you’re Italian you’re Italian! ♥️
@@nytn ya know🤣😊
In Ghana then Gold Coast ( west Africa ) during WW2 Italians were rounded up by the British and sent to internment camps in Jamaica and probably other places. We know only cos some returned 10 years or so later and are here with us, and recently their children revealed this.
History deserves to be remembered
Another good video that has details I don't remember reading about although I was aware of the internment of Italian Americans during WWII.
Besides wanting to assimilate, either because of fear or aspirations to succeed, another reason that Italian Americans didn't learn "Italian" was that most of their parents and grandparents didn't speak it. Italian was derived from the Florentine dialect of the Tuscan language, modified in the late 19th C by linguists looking to improve it and make it a more universal "Italian" language, to help in the unification of the country - which only happened in 1870. It was the language of government officials (at least national ones), the aristocracy and the intelligencia.
Most people until at least, probably the 1960s, if not somewhat later, spoke the language of their region (I have cousins who, in their 20s, immigrated to this country in the 1960s who spoke Sicilian). As most Italian immigrants (~80%) in the late 19th and early 20th C (before Italian immigration was banned in 1922 - until the 1960s) came from southern Italy they would have overwhelmingly spoken either Sicilian or Neapolitan. Regional languages were looked down upon, sometimes even by their speakers, because they were disparaged by Mussolini's government, while Italian (the language - actually Tuscan - of Dante, Petrarch and Boccacio) was promoted as being the official, superior, and preferred language of Italy and was pushed by various Italian governments over the years in a bid to reduce regional differences and strengthen the national government. At this point in time almost everyone In Italy speaks Italian while the usage of regional languages (of which there are about 30) has fallen steeply. There are apparently more Sicilian speakers in the diaspora (US, Canada, Australia, S. America) than in the formerly Sicilian speaking regions of Italy (Sicily, southern Calabria, and Salento).
I learned something new today. I’ve read about the Japanese camps and the German camps (Much smaller number than the Japanese.) but I’d never heard about the Italians getting locked up in camps before. I have to wonder what other groups were locked up by the American government during WW II?
Crazy...learn something new every day
I think just the Japanese and Italians but I am still learning about this right now!
@@nytn no, German nationals too.
@@nytn German Americans as well though mainly the Japanese Americans.
@@nytn You are right, it was primarily Japanese followed by Italians and some Germans. Roughly 600,000 Italians were classified as “enemy aliens” and put in the camps or subject to curfews, searches and seizures. They only let up when they knew they needed Italian support to fight in Italy.
My grandfather was one -- I have his little pink book. I learned about the Italian internment in the late 90s and when I told my mom about it, she got a funny look on her face and ran upstairs. She came down holding my grandfather's enemy alien booklet. I'd only ever heard about these books relating to the Japanese immigrant community. She also told me about the police coming into their home when she was little and taking their shortwave radio and flashlight away.
per amore del cielo, the 1940's.
Are there any parts of your grandfather's little pink book you would be willing to share? I teach 5th grade. Our Social Studies is American History and I am always looking for primary source documents to help students learn more about real history.
Please read a book called "slaughter of cities" by E. Michael Jones. Loads of information.
I didnt get to know my family for as long as i wish and I regret not charishing the time i had with my grandmother. Mi amore, Gigi Vivian Marie Maggio. That was my grandmothers name. ❤
I had no idea Italians were sent to internment camps. I do know my great grandma refused to learn English till the day she died.
Nothing is stopping them from learning it and speaking it to each other. Its a choice nowdays and for the last many decades that have passed that they dont want to speak italian but instead english.
That's one reason why some Italians may harbor prejudice toward newer immigrants. They maintain their language and culture, even though past generations were pressured to assimilate. Times have changed since then.
The infamous 'Arandora Star' incident would be a good topic on Italo-British who were regarded as enemy aliens in WW2. x
I've never heard a word about Italians being in internment camps.
But why not?? It floored me.
Why not? Wasn't in the history books, and never orally spoken about.
I meant how terrible that it was never taught to us ,sorry that came off different than I meant. :)
My mother spoke Italian but never taught us. She was a 2nd generation American. I had a cousin who survived the Bataan deathe march . After the war, he had to move to Florida because he couldn't take the New England winters. We didn't learn Italian because they were ashamed of being Italian.
Now you ask the citizenship back, how history develops
As a Canadian 🇨🇦.....of Italian heritage. These stories are very important!! Great job in telling us the truth and history! I don't see Italians getting the reparations they deserve. Neither American or Canadian because both countries did do this!
They don't need this...stop that victim behaviour. But i agree that americans are pretty assholes towards non-english people
Very interesting. I didn't know any of this.
That's why all of us need to learn our history about who we really are! If a lot of cultures talk to other cultures and see we have the same struggles! I love your channel! I learned so much I didn't even know! They don't teach these subjects in school!! Thanks!!😮😮😮😮❤❤❤❤
Absolutely!!
I talk a lot about my enslaved African heritage on here as well~
i speak italian but my father and my uncle don't. My grandfather came here from Naples when he was 15 and he always said he regretted not teaching them. He wanted them to fit in more but he made sure to teach me and I'm glad he did. it's funny when I meet non-Italians, who learned Italian in school, or go abroad in Italy for a couple years when they speak Italian to me and I speak back, they tell me, my Italian is shaky or not that good, but I explained to them that I speak nnapulitan dialect Which is still spoken today in the campania region.
This happened mostly in California, in the Bay Area. It was handled so poorly that my grandfather had to board up his house in Pittsburg and move the family a few towns over to Oakley, because Pittsburg fell within the no-go zone cuz it was by the water, had factories, etc. But my grandfather kept his job at the Steel Mill! So all the government did in his case was make his commute longer. I'm not sure if he had anything confiscated that he didn't get back. Pittsburg is next to Port Chicago, so my dad remembers when all the munitions blew up. My grandfather thought the Japanese were invading so he grabbed his shotgun and moved everyone into the basement.
Your surname is Romero, a spanish surname. Your vid is very interesting and accurate (I already knew the information you give), but you forgot to talk about the Hispanic people in the US. Not only the African-American, Irish, Italian people suffered such discriminations you are talking, but especially and harder the Hispanic people over there in every single age and for decades and decades, and no, not only the Hispanic as immigrants. In order to be a 'good American' the mimicking in looking down on African-Americans and Hispanics also was/is (?) a must in such a society where you live in. Greetings.
Romero is Spanish Name , Romera ( With a ) is Italian , Greetings From Guadalajarara , Jalisco , México ,
I LOVE ITALY LEARNING ITALIAN