On the move

Dear Victoria,

       How are you today? Is everything ok? I haven't written a letter to you for a long time. I’m so sorry for that and I really miss you. I’d like to tell you a story how I got around from Italy and became an immigrant.

     To begin with, I remember everything even in small details. It was April of 1916 and I was just a little girl. I lived in a small stunning house on the outskirts of Rome with my parents and 3 brothers. This city was unspoilt and full of vibrant inhabitants till World War I, which was declared when I was 10.

     People started migrate to better life in America. My parents, once or twice, were thinking about becoming refugees, as our government couldn’t provide us with asylum. In addition, the problem was with documents as my parents had only valid passports and needed to apply for a visa. After a few days of thinking about getting away from the war we decided to flee from it.

     We took luggage with food and clothes, left our dwelling in remote and moved from my native country. Needless to say, we were sailing on a crowded ferry. We had to dock in the USA in 7 days. Having disembarked in New York we had a visit to an “eye man” in Ellis Island. At that moment, I had a desire to leave that place as a medical examination was the worst part of our journey.

   Then we saw our new apartment in Lower East Side. The house was for 19 families and was overcrowded with different ethnic groups. Through a few days we got accustomed to this cultural diversity and have never stopped to live at peace with them. Moreover, we got acclimatized to new lifestyle, my relatives started working in order to make a living. I also had some chores, cooked a meal for a family, mopped floors and helped my mother looked after my smaller brother.

     Frankly speaking, 30 years passed, we’ve integrated to a new society, but I still have a feel of nostalgia when I remember my childhood in Italy, all that familiar faces which I met in cobbled streets. Now, I have faith that in a near future I'll visit my native country. I hope to see you, my beloved friend.

Best wishes,

Rosalia