New-York. Milano: Giuseppe Galli, Ed., 1884.

New-York reflects a frankness, thoroughness, intensity and texture in Italian about the experiences of Italians in America that is largely lacking in English-language works by Italian Americans, who were in general loathe to disclose their dirty laundry to Americans. 

The work graphically depicts the spectacle of the degradation and misery of Italian immigrants. Documenting the epic of the great Italian migration, it is an exemplar of how America's Italians were perceived in Italy: a mixture of surprise and frustration, more than disdain.

Unlike the works of many of the travel writers and observers, whose disdain and contempt for Italiani fuori (Italians outside of Italy) are stark, this work shows an understanding that while some of the immigrants’ problems stemmed from the mockery, prejudices and hostility they faced from Americans, Italy itself had left the mass of peasants brutalized in the first instance.

A journalist, opera and operetta librettist, poet and travel writer, Fontana undertook the trip providing the material for New-York in the United States from New York, where he worked as a journalist for less than a year, before heading to San Francisco in 1881–1882.

Papa remained in the U.S. for more than a year, was appointed editor of Il Progresso Italo-Americano, and returned to Italy in 1883 to found the newspaper L’Italia del Popolo. Neither this nor any of Fontana’s (or co-author Papa’s) other works were published in the United States; neither remained in the U.S. long enough to establish roots of the sort that led writers to release their works in the American Italian publishing world.

Dario Papa

Ferdinando Fontana

Giuseppe Galli, Ed.

1884

19.5 x 12cm; 502 p.

Italian