L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D e a r r e a d e r s , September is the month we c e l e b r a t e L a b o r D a y and my late father's Vincen- zo's birthday. It is a good time, I think, to reprint this c o l u m n f r o m S e p t e m b e r 2020. *** I have always felt that, although the accomplish- ments of our modern-day astronauts and their trip to the Moon are worthy of our a d m i r a t i o n , t h e i r v o y a g e w a s u n d e r t a k e n w i t h t h e backup of thousands, both in personnel and technolo- g y . T o m e , t h e r e a l p i o - neers of travel were our fathers and mothers and our grandparents, who l e f t t h e i r i s o l a t e d a n d obscure villages to begin a j o u r n e y t o w h a t w a s f o r them like another planet. Many immigrant dreams were dashed by the reality t h a t g r e e t e d t h e m u p o n arrival in New York, Massa- chusetts, and other states of t h e e a s t e r n s e a b o a r d . I n Lawrence, Massachusetts, some 28 miles from Boston, many different immigrant c o m m u n i t i e s s e t t l e d because there were plentiful j o b s f r o m i t s b u r g e o n i n g textile industry. However, in order to keep the wheels moving, the mills depended u p o n t h o u s a n d s o f l o w - s k i l l e d l a b o r e r s , m o s t l y immigrants arrived during the great wave of European i m m i g r a t i o n t o A m e r i c a t h a t e n d e d i n t h e e a r l y 1 9 2 0 s , w h e n t h e U n i t e d States imposed a quota on t h e f l o w o f i m m i g r a t i o n f r o m I t a l y . I n f a c t , s o m e Italians traveled to France so they could sail to America from there, as no quota on immigrants to the United States from France had been imposed. Prior to 1920, thousands of Italian immigrants had been attracted to Lawrence b y p o s t e r s a l l a c r o s s t h e regions of southern Italy, p r o m o t i n g t h e c i t y a s a p l a c e w h e r e i m m i g r a n t s could find good work and economic prosperity. Upon their arrival, how- ever, thousands of Italian i m m i g r a n t s r e a l i z e d t h a t t h e y h a d b e e n s e r i o u s l y deceived by the fake posters. Living conditions were so horrendous that mill work- ers could expect an average lifespan of only 35 years. The work week consisted of 56 hours for $6.50 a week. Rent for dilapidated hous- ing, which was little more than a cold water flat, was about $3 a week. So, fami- lies shared rental space, and t h e y c o o k e d a n d s l e p t i n shifts. In order to survive, everybody in the family who could work, had to work. H o w e v e r , t h e m i s e r a b l y c r o w d e d c o n d i t i o n s g a v e rise to a host of diseases, w h i c h a c c o u n t e d f o r t h e early death rate. Working conditions in the mills were extremely unsafe, too: hours were long, social security did not exist at the time, and there was no compensation for work-associated acci- dents. *** It all came to a head on January 12, 1912, when a new law took effect which reduced the maximum work week hours. However, the textile mill owners were not about to suffer any financial loss and they sped up the w h e e l s o f p r o d u c t i o n t o make up for the lost hours. That was bad enough, but it got worse when they cut the workers' pay by two hours. T h e t w o - h o u r d i f f e r e n c e came to 32 cents a week, the cost of four loaves of bread. S o o n c e t h e d e d u c t i o n appeared in their checks, w o r k e r s w e r e f u r i o u s . I t began with the Italians and the Polish, who hollered: "Short pay, everybody out!" A n d s o , t h e f a m o u s Bread and Roses Strike began. Italians led the two- m o n t h s t r i k e , a f f e c t i n g 28,000 people who spoke over 45 different languages. Skilled organizers Joseph Ettore and Arturo Gio- Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. vannitti from the Indus- t r i a l W o r k e r s o f t h e World, the IWW, rushed to Lawrence to represent the striking workers. The IWW struck fear into locals and state leaders since it was socialist, some would say communist, in its leanings. At the mayor's request, the governor sent in uniformed state militia, armed with guns and bayonets, to pro- tect the mills and block the striking workers. The militia a l s o i n c l u d e d m a n y s t u - dents' volunteers from Har- vard University. There were clashes: the a r m e d m i l i t i a a n d t h e L a w r e n c e p o l i c e o n o n e side, and the unarmed strik- ers on the other. Law and order became impossible to m a i n t a i n . T h o u s a n d s o f angry strikers courted con- frontation and defied the m i l i t i a b y d a i l y m a r c h e s through the streets. Finally, acting to keep their children out of danger, Italian par- ents sent 240 children by train from Lawrence to New York City, where strangers volunteered to serve as host families. The children were housed, fed, and well cared for until the strike was over. The sight of the underfed, shabby-looking, pitiful Ital- i a n c h i l d r e n m a r c h i n g through the streets of New York shocked the nation. Newspapers headlines of innocent children moved Congress to hold hearings. The mill owners capitulated, a n d t h e s t r i k e e n d e d i n March 1912. The workers won a series of pay increas- es and better working con- ditions.

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