Throughout the history of The Bronx there have been many immigrant groups that make up the beautiful tapestry of our diverse borough.
Italians are no exception with over a century of history in The Bronx that has left an undeniable presence that’s more than just Little Italy and Arthur Avenue in Belmont but in every facet of daily life from politics to entertainment to the arts and science.
The immigrant experience for Italians wasn’t an easy one even in The Bronx with many facing discrimination for simply being different. (sounds familiar? Check out this thoughtful piece on Italian Americans: When We Were The Muslims)
Now, Dr Kathleen LaPenta, PhD of Fordham University is seeking to document the history of Italians in The Bronx as part of the overall Bronx African American History Project.
Known as The Bronx Italian-American History Initiative, the goal is to compile interviews of Italian Americans that lived or currently live in our borough which will provide a wealth of untold stories to add to our historical collective.
Fordham News reports:
“According to Kathleen LaPenta, Ph.D., director of the new initiative and an lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, the BIAHI seeks to honor the cultural diversity of the Bronx— which was also home to a significant number of Irish, Latinos, Jews, and blacks during the mid-20th century.
“While [it will] very much celebrate the rich Italian-American heritage in the Bronx, it is also about putting that heritage in contact with the heritage of others who were living in the Bronx at the same time, as well as calling to mind the notion that we are all in some way very transitory,” she said.
Gabelli School senior Bentley Brown, a research assistant on the BAAHP and BIAHI teams, said the new initiative is a microcosm of immigrant contributions to American society.
“We’re helping to build a narrative that includes everybody,” said Brown. “Everybody has had a part. Everybody has had a hand in building this country, and the Bronx happens to be a great example of the necessity of multiculturalism in building a country like ours.””
“LaPenta said the BIAHI has become imperative, especially since Italian-American neighborhoods that were first established in the 1920s have been declining over the years.
According to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006-2010 American Community Survey, there are approximately 57,527 Italian Americans living in Bronx County. In 2000, there were about 69,289 Italian Americans in the borough, bureau records show.
“We’re open to whoever wants to be interviewed and has an experience to share,” said LaPenta. “But the urgency of the project is for those people who are elderly, who might not have their stories to offer [because]they are getting up there in age.”One of the goals of the BIAHI is to bring to light lost narratives from Italian-American immigrants, some of whom were marginalized, when they emigrated to Bronx neighborhoods such as Pelham Bay, Morris Park, Williamsbridge, City Island, Castle Hill, Melrose, and Belmont (“Little Italy”) decades ago.
“What we want to do is try to recapture what was there 50 years ago,” said Naison.”
There is so much we can learn from these histories and untold stories and we only hope that the program continues to expand to capture the voices of everyone.
Connecting with the past gives us a better understanding of our present and guides us towards out future.
For those interested in participating, please contact Dr Kathleen LaPenta Long at klapentalong@fordham.edu
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