How have Italians progressed in the United States?

Answer 1

Italians have made great progress in the United States of America. Many are the descendants of immigrants of the 19th century. Through no fault of their own, many of these immigrants barely had survived in the homeland. But the will to survive accompanied them on their voyage to their new homeland. They never let go of that determination, and it served them in good stead.

In their new homeland, some found work in businesses that tended to hire Italians. Others found work in businesses that were run by Italians. But no matter the situation, they worked hard and focused on their family and friends. The work ethic and the strong social network helped Italian immigrants to save and move from being workers to becoming managers and even owners of small businesses.

Italian businesses tended to be small scale and family operated. That made it easy for family members to dominate every aspect of a business. Consequently, growth in business led to growth in jobs and profits that were used to the benefit of the family. For example, the younger generation may have had to help out. But in return, they were encouraged to become better educated than their parents, and to apply their learning to the benefit of the business.

The result was a proliferation of increasingly more professional, more responsible, salaried positions for each generation of Italian Americans. A business may have started out as a small grocery store. But over time, it became a bigger store. It added catering, deli options, and full restaurant service. At the same time, and with each burst of growth, the equally growing network of the extended family moved into top paying jobs within the business in the mushrooming fields of technology, marketing, law, finance, and advertising.