Did My Family Really Come “Legally”?

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Olioxenfree
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bluebunnybabe wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 10:44 pm
Olioxenfree wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:20 pm 98 percent of immigrants who came through Ellis Island were allowed into the country. There was no numbers quota, no background checks, no wait time, you literally just had to show up and pass a basic health exam. If they failed the health exam, they were allowed to wait at Ellis Island in a quarantine room until they were well and then they were allowed in. That is why every time someone said "Why can't they do it the right way, like my grandparents did" I roll my eyes so hard.
My parents came here legally when there were actual rules and laws. They had to have a sponsor with jobs for them. They busted their asses. I get that it’s harder now, but it still can be done.
Where are your parents from and when did they immigrate? My parents both immigrated 30 years ago, but they understand that just because they did it one way doesn't mean every immigrant is under the same circumstances and has the same options that they did. Just because it can be done does not make it feasible for those who need it the most.
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Valentina327
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Lemons wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:01 pm
Valentina327 wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:58 pm My grandparents and their families came here, following and obeying the laws and process set out at the time. They came between WW1 and the end of the twenties between both sides of the family. Italy on both paternal sides, Czechoslovakia which was being occupied by Austra Hungary, I believe, at the time. Poland also.

Great grandpa came here first, got work and paved the way for great grandma and the kids to come. I've actually found a manifest, some naturalization papers, and a scary letter for an uncle that he had to go for some extra hearing because something was in question on his paperwork. I think that was after he was naturalized.

I always heard the stories of how proud they were to have earned their citizenship. My great grandma was embarrassed about her broken English, so she didn't like to go out. They were very grateful to be here. ❤
At that period of time Italians were literally starving and there were no jobs. Nationalist fascist Mussolini had destroyed Italy and Italians left en masse. It must have been tough to leave and come to a country where people were openly hostile to you. Did your relatives tell you about Italy during those days? They must have had some stories hopefully passed down to you.
Kind of funny you asked Lemons. On my mother's fathers side, there's a story about mob activity, someone in my family getting beheaded or doing the beheading and great grandpa beating a hasty retreat across the pond. You know how dramatic Italians are.

I have no way of knowing if that's fake news or not, but it makes for an interesting story. I always heard about the "brigande" in the family who started all of this. I guess that's a crook in Italian. If it wasn't for him, I'd be in the old country stomping grapes right now! LOL

I heard much more about what happened after they got here, to their newly adopted home. It was no picnic here for the Italians. We were refered to as black and had the same bullshit to contend with. I think all the way into the 60s Italians were still counted as black on the census in some parts of the country. I'm not sure how we severed from that and what changed. We're Sicilian, so we always got the worst of it. Other Italians don't like to claim us. Interesting times.

Great grandpa started a barber shop and tailor shop, his boys enlisted and went overseas in WW2. We were definitely immersed fully in the American way of life. Grandpa on the other side started a mechanic shop/car lot and ran that with his brother until they retired.

The Czechoslovakian side I heard stories of great grandma running through the forest pregnant and with the kids in tow, getting out of the motherland. I guess they didn't want people "defecting" at the time. Communist living at its finest! When they got here, they were carpenters and craftsmen. My great grandpa literally built the Byzantine church across the street from the house he bought. His sons followed in his footsteps and became craftsmen. All of them served in WW2 and all of them came back.

They definitely took full advantage of the opportunities presented by being here. They definitely didn't squander this gift. They were so proud to be here and killed themselves to make sure that they'd never accept charity. They were very proud people.
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Lemons
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Valentina327 wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:31 pm
Lemons wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:01 pm
Valentina327 wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:58 pm My grandparents and their families came here, following and obeying the laws and process set out at the time. They came between WW1 and the end of the twenties between both sides of the family. Italy on both paternal sides, Czechoslovakia which was being occupied by Austra Hungary, I believe, at the time. Poland also.

Great grandpa came here first, got work and paved the way for great grandma and the kids to come. I've actually found a manifest, some naturalization papers, and a scary letter for an uncle that he had to go for some extra hearing because something was in question on his paperwork. I think that was after he was naturalized.

I always heard the stories of how proud they were to have earned their citizenship. My great grandma was embarrassed about her broken English, so she didn't like to go out. They were very grateful to be here. ❤
At that period of time Italians were literally starving and there were no jobs. Nationalist fascist Mussolini had destroyed Italy and Italians left en masse. It must have been tough to leave and come to a country where people were openly hostile to you. Did your relatives tell you about Italy during those days? They must have had some stories hopefully passed down to you.
Kind of funny you asked Lemons. On my mother's fathers side, there's a story about mob activity, someone in my family getting beheaded or doing the beheading and great grandpa beating a hasty retreat across the pond. You know how dramatic Italians are.

I have no way of knowing if that's fake news or not, but it makes for an interesting story. I always heard about the "brigande" in the family who started all of this. I guess that's a crook in Italian. If it wasn't for him, I'd be in the old country stomping grapes right now! LOL

I heard much more about what happened after they got here, to their newly adopted home. It was no picnic here for the Italians. We were refered to as black and had the same bullshit to contend with. I think all the way into the 60s Italians were still counted as black on the census in some parts of the country. I'm not sure how we severed from that and what changed. We're Sicilian, so we always got the worst of it. Other Italians don't like to claim us. Interesting times.

Great grandpa started a barber shop and tailor shop, his boys enlisted and went overseas in WW2. We were definitely immersed fully in the American way of life. Grandpa on the other side started a mechanic shop/car lot and ran that with his brother until they retired.

The Czechoslovakian side I heard stories of great grandma running through the forest pregnant and with the kids in tow, getting out of the motherland. I guess they didn't want people "defecting" at the time. Communist living at its finest! When they got here, they were carpenters and craftsmen. My great grandpa literally built the Byzantine church across the street from the house he bought. His sons followed in his footsteps and became craftsmen. All of them served in WW2 and all of them came back.

They definitely took full advantage of the opportunities presented by being here. They definitely didn't squander this gift. They were so proud to be here and killed themselves to make sure that they'd never accept charity. They were very proud people.
You do have cool stories! It’s interesting to see the new immigrants taking over what immigrants like Italians and Irish used to do. South Americans do a lot of construction, Greeks and Armenians running stores and bakeries, Middle Easterners owning gas stations, Indians and Pakistanis owning convenience stores. There’s always someone newer.
CherryTreez
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My dad's maternal line came over in 1690 from France. His paternal line came over early 1800s. They changed the family name at Ellis island. It's seems odd to me that it was a fairly common name and changes it to a uncommon one.

My mom's maternal line came from Norway in the late 1800s. Her paternal line came over in the 1700s. Her great something grandfather's house is a historical place back east along with the church that he founded. He came over due to religious differences. His brother was executed for them.

My mom and sisters are huge genealogy buffs. I remember my mom getting excited over newpaper articles, photos and film of births, marriages and deaths. It seemed so weird to me.

I am not sure how much was needed to be legal back then. Laws change and people need to obey the law.
mommy_jules
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I honestly don’t know if they came here legally or not. Both sides of my family immigrated from England in the 1600s or before.
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