What would be the effects to American culture, politics, and economy had Northern Italians came and were numerous as Southern Italians in the United States?
As someone who isn't widely aware of the key differences between North and South Italians, what are some key points?
What would be the effects to American culture, politics, and economy had Northern Italians came and were numerous as Southern Italians in the United States?
What would be the effects to American culture, politics, and economy had Northern Italians came and were numerous as Southern Italians in the United States?
One of the things I know is that Italians were looked down upon for being "not white enough" in the South. They had to go to black schools and live in black neighborhoods under segregation.
Will that extend to Northern Italians, or would they be seen as more "white" ?
Probably the latter. Most full-blooded northern Italians look more Central/North European than Mediterranean, and the same could be said about the local culture, until the mass immigration of southerners to the north in the 20th century that mixed things up (mostly for the worse, since the southern organized crime syndicates were exported to the north as a consequence of those events). Source: I'm a product of said cultural and genetic bastardization myself.
If northern Italians emigrated to the US instead of their southern cousins, the Mafia won't be a problem, but some kind of (less powerful and widespread) equivalent organization could still exist, such as the Ligera for example. Cassoeula, minestrone and polenta would take the place of pasta and pizza in New York's ethnic restaurants. The Venetians won't like Prohibition at all, and endless rivers of grappa will flow in the speakeasies.![]()
Red haired /bearded Garibaldi cetainly wouldn´t face discrimination. He was extremly popular in North America as well. Maybe he becomes a general for the Union and forms an Italian volunteer corps. Later on these Italians sttle in the USA. Garibaldi then invites Italian from all over Italy to the States. Maybe we could have Italian Unification avoided by a few years, by butterflying Carvour and the Sardinian Kings ambitions somehow. Also Sicilian sub identety becomes even stronger (there had been low level insurgency). Then we could have a longer and more devasting decade long war between Sardinia Piemont, France and Austria over Northern Italy. Venice is sacked by Austrians, and industrial centers of Nortern Italy loose economic strenght . Maybe the Austrians win Solferino and are stronger in general. Many Northern Italians loose hope for independent Kingdom and emmigrate.
Without Italian Unification, would emigration increase or decrease?
Note that these pre-unification Kings and Dukes often did not allow their subjects freedom of movement.
Yes, the Papal States were pretty repressive, too. Maybe Trentino-Alto Adige , which was Austrian until WW1 could be source for immigrants to the US. Maybe ethnic Italians, who dont want to live ander Austrian rule, which regard them as "Welsh" ? Well, I dont know the demgarphics of ethnic Italinas in that area at that specific time.