These Italian immigrants never lamented their decision to come to America. They kissed the ground when they arrived and worked their fingers to the bone to achieve success.
The children and grandchildren of these U.S. loving, hard-working, legal immigrants have become highly successful, wealthy citizens. They are living testaments to the wisdom and hard work of their ancestors.
I’m in the mood to rant on my white privilege that I must of had according to some people. Those who read about what I posted about my parents and grandparents know most of this already. But here goes.
First off all 4 of my grandparents and my father were born in Castellammare Del Golfo Sicily. They were extremely poor and starving before they came to America. Once they got here they were heavily discriminated against for first not being considered white and for being foreigners. They came with nothing and survived by working at the worst jobs no one else would take.
My Grandmother came as an indentured servant, yes a slave, allowed for Sicilians in the early part of the 20th century. My father and my other Grandmother lived through WWII starving and hiding in a farm from the German soldiers. They survived on Onions and goats milk. That’s it.
My father came to the US in 1947 and was able to join the US Navy in 1951. In 1952 he was awarded a medal for saving his ship on overnight watch in Algiers from 5 Arab terrorists. When he came back to the US, this privileged guy had to take a job as a maintenance-helper for $8 a week.
In the 1950’s he married my mother who worked in a sweat shop in awful conditions for about the same money. They had 3 kids, me being the middle child. They taught me respect, a work ethic and love. When I started public school I spoke broken English and was ridiculed by my racist teachers. I was pulled out of class to learn how to speak English “properly,” But all they did was belittle me for my inability to pronounce words the way the Wasp teachers did. So they decided not to teach me to read and left me on a 1st grade reader through the 4th grade.
Then I received my first school blessing from my fifth grade teacher who was Jewish and understood what it was like to be discriminated against. She put in the extra time to bring me up to grade in reading. I was also blessed to have a talent for math and didn’t need help there. So when my 6th grade teacher continued the good work with me that the 5th grade teacher started, she helped me excel and I actually skipped a grade.
At this point, I had passed my mother’s education level because of her starting working in a sweat shop at 8 years old. So, I had no home help or academic guidance because our family of privilege didn’t allow for an education.
My father had only a second grade Mussolini education while In Sicily until the war started. So, I inherited the job of helping my younger brother and four year older sister with school work--another great silver spoon privilege.
While my family struggled below the poverty level living in the Marlboro projects and my mother spending a lot of time in the hospital fighting cancer. My father refused to accept food stamps or anything from the government. We lived by the grace of our Sicilians family and my father’s meager wagers.
I got through high school and when I applied for college, I found out that since my father made less than $1,000 taxable wages in 1978, and the bulk of what little he made went to paying my mother’s doctors bills, I helped support the family with a newspaper route.
Great privileges I had.
Then going through college always working and commuting because it was cheaper. But my fathers work ethic was instilled in me. So, even though I still had some problems with the American version of English I persevered. Not because of any privilege. But because my family taught me how to survive against the odds and yes, against prejudice.
So if you look at my profile, whatever I accomplished was because of my Grandparents and parents making the sacrifices they did and learning a great work ethic and respect from my parents regardless what anybody said.
Just had to get that off my chest because not everyone who you meet today that meets the classification of being “White” had a background of what people are saying is white privilege.
And as a final point, just because outwardly I am a nice person, don’t mistake it for weakness.
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