The Italian American Experience by Louis Gesualdi - Term Paper Example

This paper outlines the experience of the Italian people when they were settling in United States. Also, it outlines the conflicts that arose when the Italians were settling In America. In this case, the most applicable theoretical approach is the functionalist theory. It is a perspective in sociology that contributes to the stability of a given society. It shows the emergence of the Italian Americans and their efforts to settle in America. Given that they were surrounded by a number of economic, political, social and cultural activities, it was evident that they contributed to the stability of the American society.

All these facts aimed at stabilizing the community using kin and village based chain migration networks. That is why they settled in more than eleven states surrounding the urban areas. Even though, they encountered hostility from American society, the Italians opted to settle and form social units. Therefore, the three essential questions that this theory outlines are: what did the Americans think of the Italian Immigrants, how did Americans react to the increase in immigration and how do you communicate in Italian language?

These are questions that answer the functions of functionalist theory in the society. . Given that the Irish people had stayed in America for a longer r period, they merged with the Italians in getting high ranks in the police department. This left Americans without hope of getting high ranks in the security systems. That is why they had resisted the entry of Italians into their colony. How did Americans react to the increase in immigration? In general, American people had mixed feelings towards the large number of immigrants who came in their state.

Not all Italian people supported the English since it faced opposition from Lawrence valley and the regions of Huran. The Americans organized strikes and brutality against the Italians in expressing their enmity and accused Italians of stealing their property. (Meyer, p. 2) They used to chase away Italians from their ancestral land and homes in the valley. That is why Ontario brought Joseph Brant from Upper Canada to settle in the stolen land together with the other six nations in 1794. How do you communicate in Italian language?

Lack of communication was a major barrier in coordinating activities between Italians and Native Americans. The Italians preferred using their mother language in their dealings since it was the only language they could read and write. However, Native Americans regarded the Italian language as a misfit in their society. Most of the Italians who visited America in 1800’s were farmers. On the contrary, they did not choose farming as their economic work. This was because of several factors such as financial problems, the high cost of land due to scarcity of land for Italians.

They lived in negligence in order to assume their problems. They were also exposed to longer working hours in regardless