9781422277447

13

Getting Here

Not a Helping Hand

Some Italians came to their new homes with plans to meet family members who were already estab- lished there. These earlier immi- grants could help the new arrivals find jobs and places to live. But many did not have even that much of a safety net. They stepped off the boat with no knowledge of the language, culture, or geography of the country. Needing a job quickly, they often turned to a padrone . The word is related to “patron,” which means someone who will help. Unfortunately, many padrones—often

other Italians—were less interested in helping immigrants than in helping themselves. They exploited new immigrants, promising to find them jobs, but charging high fees for their “help.” Some of the jobs did not materialize, or paid less than was promised. A lot of new immigrants basically worked as servants, forced to pay off their padrone before they could move on.

Starting Fresh I n the years between Italian unification and the outbreak of WorldWar I in 1914, it’s estimated that about 16 million Italians emigrated to other countries. This period is sometimes called the great wave of immigra- tion,but it wasn’t the first exodus . In the half-century before unification, thousands of Italians—mostly from northern Italy—also left the country.