Dear Patrizio, September 22, 1900
This is Francesca writing from New York City. It has been two long months since I left Milan. I am very homesick and I wish I was back home hanging out with you and everyone else. I wish I had the option to stay home, but Italy hasn’t been treating my family well since both of my parents lost their job and are struggling to find a new one. At least I can start a new life at 18 years old in New York along with my sister Carmella. The journey to the United States was very long. It took us ten days and it cost my family and I around $30 each. It took us all so long to save up but Mamma promised everything would be worth it. The conditions were far from comfortable. It was cold and rainy, and the food was not well cooked or even warm. The worst part is, we were given chicken, rice, and beans, and you know how much I hate beans! I was squished with other Immigrants from Italy as well, but I also was around German and Irish immigrants. It was dirty and I got extremely sea sick, I was also wearing pants and a shirt with a sweatshirt, but sadly it was still very cold. Once we got to Ellis, we got off and had to go through a medical exam and they had to check our papers. I was so scared to fail the physical because I had a cold, but luckily everything worked out. Many people did not have their papers in order and were sent back to their country, but luckily my family and I had everything under control. The process took about five hours, and Carmella and I were so tired that we got so cranky. We each had one duffle bag with essentials and few clothes, since we couldn’t carry everything. Afterwards, I headed to my new home at 19033 117th Rd, Jamaica, NY 1141. My neighborhood is a mix of Italians and Germans, so it makes it feel slightly better, but nothing compared to life at home in Milan. I met two new friends who happen to be my neighbors called Gianna and Alessia. We share stories about our life back home in Italy and our families share traditions and a passion for cooking. They made my sister Carmella and I feel at home and helped us learn english. What I love about America is that they have a lot of job opportunities and I can even get a job myself as well! I am currently working as a nanny to a family of five. I cook, clean, and take care of the three children my boss has. Although they are not italian, they love when I cook our main dish of gnocchi and I am able to bring some to my family back home so the $2 I get paid a day can be used as a family for other essentials. It's nice to have a job to help my family, but sometimes it gets exhausting. A lot of people here run around on the streets or like to ride their bikes, so my neighbors let me borrow their bike to run errands or even take a stroll around the neighborhood. I was honestly very surprised about the outcome, but the people here are very nice and welcoming and find it cool that I can speak Italian. The downside of being new to the country is that many places won’t allow us to apply for jobs because we are immigrants or don’t speak the language very well, but we are lucky enough to have found jobs. I hope you get here soon, I love and miss you and I hope you can write back soon, I look forward to reading your letters.
Love,
Francesca Galli
I am very proud to say that I am an Immigrant along with my parents and younger sister from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although the choice wasn’t mine, I knew it would be the best for me and my family’s future and safety. My mom is a tax advisor at J.P Morgan Chase Bank and has been offered the opportunity to be transferred to New York City many times. My mom has always put my family first, so she has rejected the opportunity plenty of times. She knew that my sister and I were happy in Buenos Aires and my dad was a successful accountant. When we received the news, I was very excited to think that I would “become famous” or “meet many celebrities”, but I wasn’t aware of how much my life would change. Although I was too young to understand, I was happy that my mom’s dream to move to New York city would come true. My mom is the rock of my family. She has always set a great example for both my younger sister and my dad, and we gave up everything to make sure she could succeed. On July 6th, 2014 we arrived at JFK, speaking little english starting a new life. We had a long summer and toured different places like the brooklyn bridge, soho, many museums, and our neighborhood. We started living at the upper west side right by Lincoln center, but later moved to the upper east side in 2018. Starting school was a struggle for my sister and I. We were both very shy girls and were scared to get mocked, but everyone was very welcoming and excited to hear us speak spanish. There was a time where I went through rough patches and stopped believing in myself. I blamed my mom for everything that was happening, my dad was struggling to find a job, and I started to struggle in school. Due to political circumstances, hispanics had a stereotype of being “illegal” and other racist slurs. I was mocked many times for not knowing how to respond to a question and for speaking spanish to my family members. I was at a time in life where I stopped speaking spanish in public because I was afraid of getting called names. I knew that I wanted to make both of my parents proud, as well as my family and friends back home in Argentina and once high school started, I met a diverse group of friends who were all proud of where they came from. I regained my confidence and more knowledge in the english language and was proud of all of my accomplishments. I told many people my story and heard many people’s struggles that related to mine. As I adapt to living in a different country, I learned to work hard and that making mistakes or not understanding something is natural and it should never stop me. I have made many friends that appreciate my hard work and love to learn about my culture.
