Figure 1.--This photo (close-up) was taken by Jacob Riis on the roof of a building in Mott Street, Little Italy, New York City. The photo was taken during the 1890s. Many Italian emigrants came from the country and in New York and other cities where they settled attempted to reproduce the life of their little villages. Still today you can find in Little Italy some old Italian traditions that in Italy disappeared.

Italians were one of the most important immigrant group. Because of the level of Italian immigration, Italian neighborhoods developed in many cities--often called Little Italy. Newly arriving immigrants would seek out family or friends and acquantences from their home town in Italy. The best known Little Italy was of course in New York City. New York had a huge Italian community and the largest Little Italy. It was possible to find tenement houses in New York which were entirely occupied by immigrants from the same Italian town or village. Mulberry and Mott streets were very important in New York's Little Italy. There were Little Italies in most major American cities, especially in the northeat. Even smaller cities might have Little Italies. It is through these comminities that Italian influences entered Amerocan life. One major impact was a sunstanial increase in the Catholic population. And Italian cuisine like spagetti was made available to Americans. A major development was pizza, but this became an Italian-American dish. Italian pizza is very different.

Created: 9:30 PM 2/23/2009
Last updated: 9:30 PM 2/23/2009