Have you looked around?

Where in NY can you see examples of brick buildings from the 1920s-1930s, the kind that Geremio's gang is erecting in the book?

I am asking for a precise reference and location, not just a generic "in Manhattan" or "in the Bronx."

Christ is largely autobiographical, and, yes, Italian workers were particularly skilled at this kind of construction technique due to the fact that ALL buildings in Italy are made of stones or bricks (no wood except in the northern Alps region.)

Discussion 25: Critical Thinking (nothing to do with "Christ")

My take:

1) Critical thinking begins with the question: "Am I doing this right?"

2) Critical thinking is simply "knowledge."

3) "Knowledge" is the meaning of information.
     No information? No meaning.
     The more information, the deeper the meaning.

Do you remember one of the very first topics of the course, the "Great Migration" of African Americans from the South?

Please, read this article (NYTimes).

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/08/opinion/sunday/racism-is-everywhere-so-why-not-move-south.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region&_r=0

COMMENTS optional

Discussion n. 24: "Christ," the hard question

My take: believing in god is like being in love. It is not something you can explain to someone else.

And for those who don't believe in god, it's impossible to understand how anybody can.

Further belaboring the metaphor: in Christ, Paul falls out of love.

WHY?

Is it because he felt betrayed by his church (Father John and the cake)?

Is it because god proved to be an illusion?

Is it because he is angry at god?

Please, don't get into useless arguments pro /con the existence of god -- you are not going to convince anyone to change his/her mind.

FOCUS on Paul's perspective and HIS reasons for rejecting faith.

 

READ ALL THE COMMENTS BEFORE YOU ANSWER.

"The Godfather" book club.

Please let me know if you want to join.

I already received one subscription.

 

 

REPLY to Jared:

I was planning on having the discussion on the blog. I will post an outline with thoughts and ideas to kick off the discussion.

Discussion n. 23: Why did Annunziata tell his kids NOT to tell anyone about the house they were about to buy?

Some of you were perplex and wondered why they had to keep it secret.

Rabia graciously allowed me to post this passage from her assignment, and will reply to your comments / questions  (and she will get extra credit -- despite the fact that she didn't ask for it)

-          Geremio bought a house after 20 years of labor in America

o                    I can feel his happiness because my family recently went through this two years back. No words do justice to the joy of owning something of your own. Well, we do have to pay mortgage, so its technically not completely ours. But still, yay!

-          Annunziata, Geremio's wife, tells the kids not to speak of their new ownership or someone will send an evil eye their way.

o                    We believe in the same

o                    We kept word of our house quiet

o                    Eventually, we had to tell everyone

o                    They were all jealous and envious, more than impressed

o                    Most of them owned homes, but liked ours better

o                    My aunt that didn't own a home did not speak to us for months, as if we had done something wrong with her

o                    Such is the envy of humans

Does this sound familiar to any of you?

COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

DISCUSSION n 22: About Geremio's death (due July 8)

I am posting this anonymously as it contains personal information.

If the student who wrote it wants to be identified it's up to him/her.


“Geremio gazed about and was conscious of seeming to understand many things. He marveled at the strange feeling which permitted him to sense the familiarity of life. And yet-- all appeared unreal, a dream pungent and nostalgic.”

This quote shot me to my core because this is how I felt after losing my dad. Moments of silence, or moments that had so much going on around me yet nothing at all, provided me with so much clarity, yet utter confusion. I could sense that Geremio was on the brink of his fate. He felt he understood life so well, yet it couldn’t be possible to be so understandable. After losing my dad, I felt more vulnerable and in touch about humanity than ever before, but it all felt like a dream. I would think the most realest thoughts I have ever had, but did not believe them either. And then, in the next few pages, the gruesome details of their deaths were painful and stinging. They were so vivid. Now, I wonder what the rest of the novel will be about and how raw it will become.
 

 

COMMENTS

Discussion n. 21: That feeling of "lost" (July 5)

Just thinking....

Premise:

Kara commented  that the pics in "The Way They Were" gave her a sense of how lost those people were.

Premise:

answers indicate that this interpretation resonates deeply with many.

Condition:

supposing this could be the result of a meta-analysis or "projection":

Hypothesis:

Is it possible that so many of you responded strongly to her interpretation because you personally (and collectively, as a generation) also feel the same sense of "lost"; because you don't know what the close future is going to be like; because you worry whether your choices today (major, profession etc.) will be the right ones for the world of tomorrow?

Hazel broadened the conversation beyond concerns about personal life: she talked about finding a role in society not just as a clog that fits, but as an agent of change in society.

Is this larger role also a cause of anxiety about the future?

Open discussion.

Discussion n. 20 : Pick of the week (due June 30)

Frankly, this is one of the best classes I have taught in a long time.

I have several more samples that I could post here, but I will contain myself.

 

 

COMMENTS: pick the essay that you connect with the most and explain why.

 

 

Hazelanne Blackette

 

“The Way They Lived” This was very difficult for me to watch. I had to pause, watch something else, and then come back to it. It just reminds me of America’s checkered past that continues to plagues us all. This is why some countries have an aversion to Americans and in some places, it isn’t safe to be an American. Images like this make me want to be a part of making things right. I would like for my generation to be the generation that influences our government to make changes that will give people the tools to help themselves.

 

===========================

 

Kara Criscione

 

FIND a major theme in these images and write your reactions to that theme:

EX: children, women, workers, or MAKE UP YOUR OWN CATEGORY: ex: PAIN, DESPAIR, HOPE, ACCEPTANCE, RESILIENCE etc.

“Lost” - I choose this theme because everyone is lost in some way. One can argue and say, “No, they are not lost. They are at this street or this avenue. They know where they are.” They do not know. They have little foresight. They do not know what will come tomorrow, let alone later that day. They didn’t know if they would go to bed starving. Mothers and fathers did not know if their children can be fed. Mothers and fathers did not know what potential disease could kill their children, or even them for that matter. No one knew if their job was reliable. No one knew if they could save money and become wealthier in years to come. They were all lost. They escaped terrible conditions at home to come to a new country because they were told it could potentially be better. They did not know.

 

===========================

Justine Del ValleTask 4 

WRITE: what feeling (longer lasting emotion) were you left with after listening several times? Were the song successful in depicting the soul of NEAPOLITAN IMMIGRANTS?

 

The longer lasting emotion that I felt after listening to these songs were emptiness. In Santa Lucia Luntana, they are leaving Naples and speaking about how it slowly is disappearing from their sight while on the ship headed to America. He is singing about how they feel lonely away from Naples. With feeling, comes feeling empty. I feel that these immigrants were feeling as if they lost a piece of them once they left Naples. As if a part of them has died, knowing their days will never be the same without Naples.

In Lacrime Napuletane, I also felt as sense of emptiness. This was someone who had already left their homeland and misses it immensely. He speaking about how he wants to hear the bag pipes play ad asks that they have a table setting for him at the table so he can be there in spirit. He compares America to Naples saying that their bread (America’s) is very bitter. He is sharing how America has cost him so many tears and although he has money, it doesn’t mean anything because he feels low, very low, like a bum. He repeats that they cry a lot, its costing them many tears. This shows how much pain they were going though and felt that they already lost their home and they felt obligated to stay now because they had to work for their families. It just gave me a hopeless and empty feeling. To know the pain that was caused by being away form home. Having them constantly think of their homeland and dream about being their and yet feel that they have lost their honor by coming to America when they should be honored for doing such a brave thing.

==================

 

Nicoletta

 

- After listening to Santa Lucia Luntana multiple times I was left with the feeling of want. Wanting to go back to this place, wanting to be able to see the water from the land of Santa Lucia, wanting to see the sunset one last time from the gulf. It makes me want to remember all my own memories of going to Greece and the beautiful water and sights that are there to just take in, the freshness in the air and the sun on your skin. Its a different life than the one we live in America, and this song brings me back there, the want to have that life and go back to it.

 

===========================

 

Thank you for your feedback RE THE WAY THEY WERE

As I mentioned this was an experiment. Previously, with other classes, I had assigned the slideshow before or after Son and I got different reactions (every class, even online, develops its own personality.)

I tried to move it much later as a reinforcement/reminder while we were going to switch to a serious political comedy. But I agree with you (the majority) that it doesn't work well at this point.

I will ask the same question again after we start reading Christ in Concrete.  Would it fit in that context?

Stay tuned.

DISCUSSION n. 19: Best of the week (I can only choose one.) Due Fri June 30

COMMENTS;

read and compare the style and content to your work.

What are you learning from this sample?

 

 

 

Yocheved Koschitzki

        I’m going to be honest, when we started talking about discrimination and how people perceived Italian Americans, I wasn’t really interested. Personally, before this class the thing I associated most with Italians and Italian immigrants was food – pasta and pizza which are two of my favorites.  Since my stereotypes were mild and mostly positive actually, I didn’t really think there was such a big deal about how people perceived Italians, so I didn’t think talking about it was going to be enjoyable or productive. I just didn’t think there was what to discuss! However, after going through the lectures and the texts we had to read, I began to see why discrimination against Italians really is a big deal. The videos on the Black Hand and the cartoons really helped me picture what could happen when a whole group of people is associated with crime or violence. This has shifted the way I think about other groups of people or other cultures – just like there are things that I am sensitive too because they portray me or my “tribe” in a bad light, there are things that hurt other groups and it’s important to be able avoid doing those things. Because of my newly acquired background information about the social and political situations surrounding Italian immigrants, I am better able to analyze stereotypes and the damage they cause. For example, a few months ago if I would have come across something portraying Italians as dangerous, I might not have believed the stereotype but I wouldn’t have thought it was such a big deal. Now, I can use my knowledge of how anti – Italian rhetoric and stereotypes can be dangerous or even fatal, like in New Orleans. When I come across stereotypes, I am able to see how they have the potential to cause harm to the people represented, or rather misrepresented, by the stereotype. My expectations have therefore changed, before I was expecting to not find any type of discrimination against Italians, and now I expect it will be easier for me to step into other people’s shoes and imagine what stereotypes they might be living with.

 

Discussion n. 18: An isolated community?

This topic came up while I was reading Hazel's essay. (See below.)

 

Yes, there is strength in community but the flip side is that it leads to isolation and a rejection of other tribes. for instance, it was only in the 60s - 70s that Italians started marrying regularly outside of their tribe: mostly with Irish (also catholic.) It's only in the last 20 years that they started marrying Hispanics.

 

At the bottom I posted the link to a homemade video that explains a lot without even realizing it.

 

Task 3 (TOPIC: How have your reactions changed? What kind of expectations do you have now? What is still missing in order to give depth to the picture that is beginning to emerge from the texts?):

I honestly never thought much about Italian culture or history (...)   But since this is a course about Italian Americans, I will admit that I would never expect that Italians suffered the way that they have. They also have such a rich history in terms of their contributions to America that they do not get credit for. I thought that they came to America and right off the back started opening businesses. The only stereotypes I had of Italians was their good food, strong family bonds, and wealth in America. I've never met an Italian that didn't own a business. And I've met quite a few. Now I'm curious to know how they changed their circumstance over the decades. I admire the Italian spirit. They adapt and do anything that they can while pushing themselves to the limit to have a decent standard of living. I propose like any group that's oppressed, the Italian community recognized itself over any other. When this happens, you have a group of people that benefit from isolation and segregation by opening mom and pop shops and progressing from foremen to landlords. Eventually, one makes the decision to support their own by shopping at their brethren, and renting only to their brethren. This naturally creates an economic hub (...) 

I would like to know how the Italians faired against such forces. Did they hold marches, peaceful protests, or formed organizations for the rights of those of Italian descent? I also would like to know what Italy looks like today. Are the same dehumanizing traditions set in place?

GROWING UP ITALIAN youtube

 

and if you are hungry (you can't make up stuff like this, shape of bodies included)    CONCETTA COOKING

 

COMMENTS?

Just a question

Is this what you want your life to be like?

 

 

LINK

Discussion 17: June 2 -- THE WAY THEY WERE

Should I have introduced this text earlier in the course?

Every time I teach this course I end up moving this slideshow around looking for the proper position (I always re-arrange the order of the texts based on the feedback I get through your assignments).

COMMENT

Should it appear earlier or is this the right spot?

Would it have the same impact?

How did you feel after watching it?

REPLY  choose a comment that makes you want to discuss the issue further.

Discussion 16, June 26: BIRTH of A NATION

COMMENT

in two parts:

 

1) BIRTH   Focus OUR attention on a small detail you saw in the clip.  It must be something small but  meaningful, the kind of little touch that affects the subconscious, the kind of subliminal message that we are not consciously aware of and that is, therefore, that more powerful.

 

2)  without checking, straight from memory, can you summon up a detail from videos, The Italian and cartoons that had the same effect? (Granted, they weren't as sophisticated as Griffith's work.)

 

 

REPLY to a detail that you didn't notice but that you find significant and reinforces the main message.

 

 

 

Discussion 15: June 26 THE ITALIAN

So, Beppo loses his marbles and wants to kill an innocent child to avenge the death of his son.

Today, thanks to our mental blinders, we would attribute it to "temporary insanity."

This term entered psychology and criminology ONLY in the last 30 years more or less.

Before then, that concept did not exist. Either you were a nut who exploded once in a while, or you just lost it and went berserk once and for ever.

Is my argument convincing at all, that the public saw in Beppo-the-Italian a dangerous ferocious beast ready to come out when provoked?

Is the message that, this is America and there is hope even for someone like him, but in the meantime
we better be cautious about these guys?

Is the message that Italians are too impulsive, too id-driven, either for good or bad, and they cause unnecessary disturbance in the public sphere?


COMMENTS and lots of REPLIES, please.

Discussion 14: June 26 -- Lombroso and today's genetics

Believe it or not, Lombroso's approach to criminology is showing up again today in genetics-behavioral science.

Some claim that deviancy can be predicted by observing certain gene mutations in the DNA (and, these mutations are not just random, individual events, but are present in the population, like hazel eyes or certain very rare diseases.)

The temptation is to test everybody, see who carries those genes and ...? What is society going to do?
Wait until they "go off" or act preventively?
And what would happen if those genes were shown to have a higher frequency among certain groups?

(Ancient Chinese CURSE:  May you live in interesting times.)

COMMENTS AND REPLIES

RE: discussion on evil and witchcraft

I was surprised that only two people answered.

 

I thought that introducing the metaphysical would attract more attention (it certainly did with other classes -- they would not stop talking and blogging about it.)

 

But, every class has its own personality.

 

It could be that the way I introduced it was not conducive to good discussion.

 

COMMENT

How would you start a conversation about the role of beliefs in the supernatural and the difference between superstitions (practices that OTHER religions follow) and virtuous acts of faith (the practices WE follow in our religion)?

Technical suggestions, your opinion and an observation

• When you realize your comments run several lines long, it would be best to break them up with line breaks. It helps the reader follow your train of thoughts, pauses and all.

• Please review before posting. Don't run sentences together, use good punctuation and capitalize letters.

• I tend to stay out of discussions. If I see something that deserves a comment on my part, I send an email. So far it has worked fine. Is it the way you want it or do you expect that I interject my view?
  
• When we met in person, I mentioned that I never teach the same class twice because every class (little tribe that they are) is different.
  
  Case in point, the discussion on SON and in particular your collective interpretation of the Vampire: your comments are steering the entire course in a certain direction, and I will follow along, reordering the materials and re-defining the major boundaries.
  
  I will try to keep challenging your perspective so as to encourage you to provide the best possible arguments for you interpretations, always hoping that you will suddenly come to a realization that is in conflict with your starting point.

OPTIONAL 2: "Only Mass Deportation Can Save America" (June 18)

LINK: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/opinion/only-mass-deportation-can-save-america.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region


My only question would be: WHY? What are the reasons for these statistics? (Make sure you read the article before you answer.)

Discussion n. 13: on SON OF ITALY (June 18)

From the optional answer by Kara Crisione (thank you).

Finishing “Son of Italy” forced me to feel so much deeper for the immigrant experience than I have before. I may have felt strongly empathetic and cried from accounts I have read, but this story forced me to address my emotions about the experience again. I went through waves of disgust, anger, repulsion, hope, disappointment alongside Pascal. I felt as if I was truly there, but at the same time, couldn’t even imagine living that life. I even thought that I might have given up easily. I have always been a person who never stopped going after her dreams, but now I question if I would have had the same ability to persevere. I question so many foreman, bosses, landowners who were so ruthless and mean. I question why they needed to claim such privilege. I question how they didn’t have much of a heart. I cannot even fathom feeling so much physical and mental pain, so clueless as to how this whole new country operates.

This is a tour-de-force of self-inquiry and self-reflection.

It is easy to think of us as heroes whose determination will win it all. But, don't we all have doubts about our courage and resilience?

Add you COMMENT to Kara's thoughts.  And REPLY (required) to any comment that advanced the debate further.

POLLS (side bar): "Son" "Your final grade" "Reasons to take this course"

COMMENT:

 

Should we continue to have polls or not?

 

Are you committed to answering every time? (If only a few answer, they are not worth my time.)


REPLY if you read something interesting.

OPTIONAL 1: June 18: Witchcraft and SON.

ANSWER ONLY questions you feel comfortable with.

If you don't answer at all, OK.

Do you know of any interesting superstitions present in your tribe?

Do you hold any belief in the supernatural? For instance, do you believe in miracles?
Do you believe in good spirits (angels etc.)?
Do you believe in prayer to saintly figures or higher entities?

Are you skeptical about beliefs of other religions?
Are you skeptical about *some* beliefs of your own religion?



REPLY: Pick at least one comment and add your own two cents  -- (ditto about being comfortable).

Discussion 12: SON OF ITALY (June 19)

Finish reading the entire book before commenting.



COMMENT:  

Choose a SMALL moment or a SMALL DETAIL in the book that has a particular meaning for you, either because it evoked a strong emotional response, or because it contained a piece of information about the past / human condition, or because it reminded you of something close and personal.

Try to find something that probably most other people missed. Avoid major themes or turning points.

 Do not repeat episodes that have already been mentioned: choose an original one.

 REPLY:

reply to a comment left after yours that emphasizes something you missed but that fits with the detail in your comment. Explain how the two reinforce each other.

Discussion n. 11: LYNCHING (June 19)

COMMENT AND REPLY

In Salvetti you read that not only Italians but also Chinese and Mexicans were victims of organized, ritualistic lynching.

 

What else do you begin to suspect that is being kept hidden from us about history?  And why is it kept secret? Is it a willful conspiracy? Or is it just the natural collective tendency to suppress unpleasant memories?

 

 

REPLY TO THE CLASSMATE WHO WROTE THE COMMENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOURS (that means you will have to come back to check.)

Discussion n. 10: SON OF ITALY (June 19)

Finish reading the entire book before commenting.

COMMENT AND REPLY


Writing an autobiography is not like testifying in court under oath. You can fudge things a bit, leave out embarrassing details, embellish stories or even make them up.

My very personal hunch (this is not something I can prove by textual analysis) is that the climactic episode in the mountains when Pascal ran into the Vampire and gave her his lunch never happened. Maybe he did see her from afar and maybe he even thought of helping her out. Maybe he even left his lunch on a rock for her.

But the entire story seems a little too convenient: it seems he needed to make it up as a way to expiate for his guilt: the guilt of "moral complicity" with the rest of the people who believed she was *evil* (see scene in the tavern) and probably agreeing that she should be killed for the crime she allegedly committed.

Did he invent it to deceive himself, to make peace with himself, to look less bad to our eyes? I don't know. But something doesn't fit.

COMMENTS (I encourage disagreement with my opinions. Feel free to say that my arguments are not persuasive because_____________.)

 I prefer that disagreements come with some kind of rationale, not just as quick dismissals.


REPLY: choose a comment that was posted after yours and reply, possibly arguing a contrary point.

Discussion n. 9: SON OF ITALY (June 19)

 

 

Finish reading the entire book before commenting.

 

 

One of my theories about Son is that the first part of the book (up to the departure from Italy) is STRUCTURALLY identical to the rest of the book part.

This symmetry is brought about by the parallel stories of the two protagonists, the Vampire and Pascal himself. I would argue that the Vampire's story is identical to that of Pascal.

Both the Vampire and Pascal are victims, defenseless, without protection, at the mercy of others, without agency in the world. And, for all his striving and struggling, at the end Pascal has nothing to show for himself except defeat. This is when he is forced to BEG: begging the editors of magazines to publish his work.  If you look closely, that's what his letter is.

COMMENT:

Do you think this interpretation is too outlandish? Don't be afraid to disagree. Indeed.

But if you find other examples of similarity, please mention them.

REPLY: pick at least one comment you found interesting. Please do not start your reply with "I agree" or "I disagree."  Anything but that.

Discussion n. 8: high standards (June 13)

COMMENT: what did you REALLY learn from this example, in terms of how to approach a task?



 I am posting in clear the best (so far) June 8 assignment  as a model and to show what kind of standards one can aspire to.

1) You can observe very efficient note-taking.

2) Cartoons:  I don't expect you to do so much work -- quantity-wise; but I hope you will set your standards high enough to try to match it in terms of quality

The comments on the individual cartoons are extremely detailed and go deeply into the materials but, MOST IMPORTANT, they show how it is possible to reflect on one's own thoughts.

In this assignment you can clearly see how the material in front of you eyes (the "text") is ONLY A MIRROR onto which you project your own thoughts. (It's much easier to talk about your personal thought process than to invent arguments about something you know little about.)






Thank you, Yocheved, for an outstanding job.

Yocheved Koschitzki                                                                                                                                                       June 8

 

Task 1: NYT article

·         Author wanted to find more information about a family murder in Italy in 1800s – details about racism in everyday life more shocking than the murder

·         Racism even from Italians

·         Current events reminding her about family’s suffering

·         Her great grandmother came to America for a job

·         Italian women were subjected to systemic rape at hands of padroni (landlords) – no way to protest because then can’t find work

·         “prima notte” – similar to Roman governors in Judea (raped brides night before their wedding)

·         In 1800s, half the kids born in Basilicata “instep” of Italy died before 5 – Italians celebrate 1^st birthdays as a result

·         Subhuman working/living conditions in Italy  (very low wages, hard labor, padrones gave meat 2x a year and bread was mixed with sawdust to stretch it) drove wave of immigration to US

·         Very expensive to come, some had to sneak in

·         Once they got to America life was still very hard – menial and dangerous labor

·         Still better than Italy – poor town lost 40% population to emigration – padroni and Italian govt upset

·         US used racist theories to keep Italians out – they are physiologically inferior/“natural criminals”

·         Influenced by Italian Dr. Cesare Lombroso – he said Southern Italians are like primates, savages

·         As a result, US Immigration Act of 1924 banned most Italian immigration – fell 90%

·         People of Italian descent should keep this in mind when discussing current political issues like Mexican/Muslim immigration

 

Task 2: Cartoons

“The Mascot” – This panel of cartoons bothered me because it felt very manipulative. The goal was first to scare people by showing them angry looking Italians to scare them, and then showing the “logical” response – to hunt them down and kill them.  I was surprised at the last one – drowning a group of innocent people alive in a cage was not something I expected people would draw as a goal.

“The Wop” – this cartoon felt less violent and in a way more patronizing. It made me feel angry because the Italian is portrayed as the “bad guy” – he looks stupid and is drooling. The man sitting down getting his shoes polished looks smug and is watching – I guess to make sure the Italian man did a good job? If so, that annoyed me because I hate when people watch me work and that’s even when we can be considered “equal.”  The man watching the Italian man working on his shoes is worse in a way, because the Italian man probably feels humiliated and degraded already, and watching him work waiting to criticize him probably just adds to that.

“Directly From the Slums of Europe” – this one was confusing because a lot more was going on. I got the reference of Italians as “rats” – unfortunately not surprising to me because that comparison has been made with regard to my own culture. I don’t understand what Uncle Sam is doing – he looks a little overwhelmed, and is thinking about the president in the cloud which I also don’t understand. President McKinley was pro-immigration so why was Uncle Sam thinking about him?

“Wake Up Sam”! – this cartoon was also confusing until I saw the commentary after the cartoon. Once I understood the background, I wasn’t surprised. Unfortunately, I feel like it’s common for people to rile each other up using fear, so showing Italian immigrants as murderers is a smart, though racist and bigoted, trick. The “sleeping” policeman is also smart because it gets the people mad at their own government for ignoring the “problem,” which puts pressure on politicians to enact laws.

“Why Not Tax Him?” – this cartoon reminded me of modern day arguments about immigration. Many people are opposed to Mexican immigration because they claim the immigrants don’t pay their fair share of taxes. It made me angry because the same outdated arguments used in the past are also used today which makes me feel like we haven’t made any progress.

“The Padrone” –  This cartoon didn’t really make me feel anything particularly negative. It seems to be portraying the Italian American “padrones” i.e. landlords as low-life thugs. Based on my understanding of the NYT article, that’s what they were. The rest of the people in the cartoon are not drawn in detail so they could be anyone. Therefore, it doesn’t seem racist or bigoted to me.

“An Age of Infernal Machines, But This the Worst of them All” – this cartoon made me feel kind of uncomfortable. Many times on the subway, people come through playing instruments for money. Whenever this happens I usually try not to make eye contact because it’s uncomfortable. Although the race/ethnicity of the people isn’t a factor in my discomfort, it still is similar to the situation in the cartoon. The only reason I have to believe this is a bigoted cartoon is because the Italian person is drawn darker than everyone else. I feel like if he would have been drawn white, the cartoon would not have been as racist.

“Sketch From the Study Window” – this cartoon was also more neutral for me. At first, I felt bad for the men because it looked like they were doing hard work, but it didn’t seem racist. The one man facing the front wasn’t overly caricatured. When I read the description I realized that they were actually organ grinders and they were supposed to be portrayed as annoying, but I didn’t get that impression which I think is why the cartoon didn’t really impact me that much. Also, I didn’t see the louse in the middle of the street until it was mentioned.

“Making Money” –  this cartoon was amusing to me because of the Italian accents used in the caption, as well as the mustaches. I was reminded of Mario the Nintendo character. After I laughed I felt bad because it is derogatory towards Italians by suggesting they all have money from organ grinders or counterfeit.

New York – This cartoon made me feel sympathetic towards the Italians because they were pleading to have the law banning them from making a living revoked Although I think it was intended to make people annoyed at the begging of these immigrants, it had the opposite effect on me. I felt bad for the Italians and angry at the mayor and his men, who looked very haughty. The gate they are standing behind also makes the mayor and his men seem cold and snobby.

“New Country, Old Jobs”, “Sharpening the Stiletto of One of New Orlean’s Assassins”, and “A Mafioso Cobbler in the Italian Neighborhood” are three similar cartoons that made me feel sad and annoyed. They were three pictures of regular people doing regular things, and then someone had to go and use them to paint a negative picture of all Italians. It’s annoying to me that people still assume the worst of everything they see.

“More Italians”? – this cartoon struck a nerve with me because of the attitudes of the American men talking about the Italian immigrants. They think of them as greedy and willing to cheat to get ahead. This reminded me of the many cartoons I’ve seen of Jewish people, portrayed as sneaky businessmen who are untrustworthy and ambitious. I feel like I can relate to this cartoon because of that.

“The Fool Pied Piper” – this cartoon is similar to the one called “Directly From the Slums of Europe”. The only additions are the European leaders in the background cheering America for taking care of their “problem” for them. It made me feel like I want to prove to those leaders that bringing Italians into America was a good decision and benefitted us in the long run.

 

Task 3: Web Research on The Black Hand

I learned the following from my web research on The Black Hand: Towards the end of the 19^th century and into the beginning of the 20^th century, Italian immigration to the United States increased dramatically. Many of these new immigrants came from Southern Italy, where there are many poor, rural villages. The immigrants arrived with very little assets, and were generally less educated. This means that many of them were only able to find work as manual laborers. Since they settled in groups, little neighborhoods populated mostly by Italians popped up. These neighborhoods were little bubbles of Italian culture with little understanding of American cultures and systems, including the criminal justice system. Criminals took advantage of this fear/lack of knowledge about police and extorted wealthier Italians through fear and intimidation. This method became known as The Black Hand. It is a common misconception that The Black Hand was an organized criminal group like a mafia. In reality, many different criminals used Black Hand methods to extort others. These criminals were not necessarily linked or working together, they were all just using the same method, which made controlling them much harder. Black Hand methods included throwing bombs, writing threatening letters, kidnapping, and others. A criminal would write a note with demands and a threat. The note would be signed with some form of a hand or a different threatening image. Black Hand is known for being practiced in New York City, however it was also used in other cities. In New York City the Black Hand extortion methods were fought by Joseph Petrosino, an Italian policeman who was hired to put a stop to Black Hand. He headed a secret police squad to help him. Soon after the squad was formed, Petrosino was killed while visiting Italy. However, after 1915, this wave of “Black Hand” crime subsided because of other factors like tougher sentencing and immigration policy changes.

 

Task 4: Web Research on New Orleans in 1891

When I started reading the information, I was surprised. I didn’t realize there was such a significant population of Italian and Sicilian immigrants in New Orleans, I thought it was mostly French immigrants. It was interesting to read about the background of the lynchings because of the political atmosphere surrounding his death. The fighting between the different factions of Italians and Sicilians was sad because the few violent people on each side ruined the name of Italians all over the United States. I feel like many times when a nation or group is struggling or has problems, their problems are caused or made worse by the infighting, and it seems like that’s what happened here. I was also surprised by the corruption that seemed to be present in the police force, with the police and mayor colluding to collect bribes from brothels and illegal casinos in exchange for protection. Unfortunately, I was not surprised by what happened after the acquittal of the men accused of assassinating the chief of police, David Hennessey. The crowd was certain the men were guilty, and when they were found innocent the crowd was enraged and became violent. This reminded me of events that have occurred in modern times. It’s also not surprising that the mob was egged on by racist and provocative speeches from their leaders, which again, I’ve seen before. It made me angry to read that the mob was not stopped by the policemen guarding the accused men even though they had been acquitted, and allowed them to be killed, because the police should always be expected to protect innocent people from those situations.

 

Task 5: Video Short

·         Two men from The Black Hand write a note to the butcher telling him to pay them $1000 or they will kidnap Maria (wife/daughter?)  and burn down his shop.

·         The butcher gets the note and calls his wife and daughter to him. His wife panics with him, and then he takes his coat and leaves somewhere (to tell the police? Pay the ransom?).

·         The butcher is walking on the street with his daughter when she is suddenly kidnapped by two men in a horse-drawn carriage (Maria is the daughter). The butcher runs after the wagon (along with some pedestrians? Hard to see).

·         The kidnappers from Black Hand take Maria inside a shop which turns out to be their headquarters. Maria is hidden in a bed by the woman in the gang, who hits her and takes away her coat.

·         Maria tries to escape but makes a noise and alerts her kidnappers. They beat her and then one almost stabs her but is stopped by the other two.

·         Meanwhile, two detectives from the NYPD come to the butcher shop and speak to the butcher. They hide in the shop (freezer?) and wait for The Black Hand to show up.

·         A man with a gun comes and points it at the butcher. He slowly puts something on the floor (the ransom money?) and as the man comes to pick it up he is arrested by the detectives.

·         Someone slips Maria a note to unlock the door. She does, and the headquarters are raided by the police. Maria is saved and reunited with her family while The Black Hand gang is arrested.

 

Task 6: Son of Italy

Notes on the sequence of events:

·         (Chapter 1) Spends some time going over early childhood memories- his first memory is his grandmother’s death, small leaky house, childhood fights

·         One time he was accused of throwing a stone at a kid, ran away to under a bridge, was found by the boy’s sister. After she left he had a dream about climbing a huge mountain, it broke and he fell off

·         He comes home, terrified of what the villagers will do to him, it starts to rain. He thinks his family won’t protect him, but when he gets home his mother comforts him

·         (Chapter 2) Born in 1894, old hamlet near Mount Majella

·         When he was 6 he wanted to walk with his mother to the next village – she said it’s too hard but he goes anyway. On the way there is a thunderstorm, they witness an old man -think he’s a wizard- struck by lightning = first tragic experience

·         Activities of childhood – looking for nests and destroying people’s orchards

·         He wrote poems

·         Sent to school at 7 but absent a lot to help parents, still not behind and learned more from elders (Melengo, Alberto)

·         Stopped school at 12, like most kids – had to help at home/work

·         Although life was hard, very poor, he was still happy

·         (Chapter 3) Talking about beggars who came to his town, a strange scary woman rumored to be a vampire – him and his friends test by putting salt on her head but never succeed, she scares them away. One day she talks to the villagers about her powers

·         At a holiday feast the men are drunk and they talk about vampires, yell at wives not to give the strange woman food – she appears and they think she was listening in

·         One woman refuses to give food and is cursed by the witch (beggarwoman), her baby gets sick soon after and people think it’s the witch’s fault

·         He imagines about piercing her with a needle (cure the vampirism), asks his friend to help

·         Him and his friend Antonio try and fail to stab her, instead stab an old lady

·         Meanwhile baby gets sicker, people give the witch gifts to cure him and no effect

·         He meets the witch/hag on a mountain, pities her (first time – usually repulsed) and gives her food. She is injured and upset, cries and mourns. People in hamlet hear, they are suspicious that he has been affected

·         The baby dies, and the witch is found beaten almost to death, dies

·         He writes a poem about it – its published (start of poetry career?)

Discussion 7: Comments on texts (June 13)

1. Cartoons
2. The Black Hand (short)
3. Son of Italy

 

 COMMENT:  IN TWO SEPARATE PARAGRAPHS

1) What kind of image is beginning to take shape in your mind about the history of Italian immigration?


2)

The first student to post will comment on the cartoons.
The next student will comment on the short (Black Hand).
The next up will comment on Son.

Then the cycle will start again, round-robin fashion.

Now connect the answer you gave in 1)  to a SMALL DETAIL (not a major theme)  in the text you were assigned and explain how it reinforces your understanding of the issues at hand.



 REPLY: reply only to a comment that tells you something you had not thought about.

Discussion 6: COMMENTS on texts (June 13)

In order, the June 8 texts were:

1) NYTimes article
2) Cartoons
3) New Orleans 1891
4) The Black Hand (short)
5) Son of Italy

COMMENTS in two separate paragraphs:

1) Connect the NYT article to one of the other texts, and explain how they reinforce each other.

2) Which one of the other texts (NYT article excluded) grabbed your attention the most?

REPLY: choose a comment that made you say "Hmmm, I didn't think about it" and leave a reply.

Discussion 5: comments on the texts (due June 13)

Read over all the comments to Discussion 4.

COMMENT:

What would you conclude from the fact that almost all comments refer to the first text (the NYT article "When America Barred Italians."), with no references to other texts, either for comparison purpose or to reinforce a point:

1) That it really was the most impressive of all texts?
2) That most people took the easy way out and wrote a comment before doing the entire assignment?

Discussion 4: Choose any text (due June 8)

TEXT  is the technical term we use to describe a complex message composed of signs and symbols: it can be an article, a novel, a film, a photo (or a slideshow), a song etc.

I strongly recommend that you read (even wikipedia is OK) about "SEMIOTICS."

If you are philosophically inclined, you may enjoy reading about "semiotics" and "semiology." LINK.


COMMENT:

1) Among the texts you analyzed in the course so far, which one made the deepest impression? WHY?

2) And, within THAT text, was there a SMALL detail that really stayed with you longer than everything else?

REPLY: read a comment posted AFTER yours that gave you an insight into the person who wrote it and his/her world of reference.

Discussione 3: "Credibility"

Click this link and open the document.

How observant are you?

If you were the recipient of these messages, how would you react?

1) As you read these messages think about them in terms of "credibility."

2) Then, write your comments about what you learned.

GUIDELINES FOR ALL BLOG COMMENTS:

• Full, complete sentences. You are not sending a text or chatting on FB.
• Accuracy in spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation.
• Civility.
• Comments are conversations with your classmates. Make sure THEY understand what you are trying to say.
• Do not address your comments to me. You are communicating with the rest of the class.

Discussion 2: "How dare you?" -- due June 8

Click this LINK and read the document.

Read the directions and write your comment. You can skip n. 1 if you are not comfortable disclosing your first reaction. If you are, go ahead and answer.  Everybody must address n. 2.

1) Analyze your first, immediate reaction.

2) Then, as a separate process, ask yourself the reason for this requirement.

GUIDELINES FOR ALL BLOG COMMENTS:

• Full, complete sentences. You are not sending a text or chatting on FB.
• Accuracy in spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation.
• Civility.
• Comments are conversations with your classmates. Make sure THEY understand what you are trying to say.
• Do not address your comments to me. You are communicating with the rest of the class.

Discussion 1: due June 1

 INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO YOUR CLASSMATES

Write your mini autobiography introducing yourself to your classmates.

Skip the details about your school and college career (courses, major, employment goals.)

Focus rather on your "intellectual" history: the books, films, hobbies and creative activities that helped you grow.

Avoid mentioning the "most important people" in your life. Keep the focus on yourself and your personal, individual, unique path, the choices you made that took you where you are.

(This may take more than the traditional 3 minutes of standard platitudes and laundry list of achievements. Actually, failures or dead-ends are more interesting than success stories.)

Feel free to reply to your classmates' comments.

 

IMPORTANT: do not post comments as "UNKNOWN." Your name must show if you want credit for your work.

===

Here is a powerful example. This was the very first comment posted by a student in a previous semester: it set the tone for the entire class.

"Hello, my name is ________________. Most of my life has revolved around cancer. Although I am not a cancer “survivor” I have survived cancer. A couple of days after my sixth birthday my younger brother was diagnosed with leukemia. My life changed. At a very young age I had to learn to take care of myself. To escape the lonely feelings I started writing in a journal. Writing made me feel at peace. Music and dancing also lifted me. Performing during my recitals, parades and charity events was thrilling and liberating. As I was starting to feel in control of my life, here comes cancer again. This time attacking my mother and my aunt, which were diagnosed with breast cancer. Immediately, I had to learn how to manage my feelings of anger. As a freshman in high school, I decided to join the cheer team. Performing to express my anger worked. I moved up fast and became varsity captain. As Captain of the cheerleading team I was accountable not only for myself but also for my teammates. I improved my skills on how to be a leader, and take responsibility for my actions and words. Throughout my stages of development, I was unconsciously characterizing and identifying myself. In Piaget’s stages of cognitive development theory, children experience sensorimotor. That is when they are experiencing the world through senses and actions. That is who I was; I first observed and then determined to face my fears. I never said, “I can not do it,” I just did it even if it was a challenge I did not stop until I succeeded. Cancer was one of the many situations that helped me grow into the person I am today. Ironically someone approached me at my job a few days ago, and said “ I see the care you have for people in your eyes, not many have that.”