Sense of Family and Community

This photo is from bleedingexpresso.com.

The Italian-American community in the United States is driven by a sense of family, your biological family and your adopted family (other Italians).  This sense of family and community is very strong. The older generations grew up solely around the community. This can be seen in the article “Growing Up Italian American” on the site ItaliaAmerica.org. The older generations did not think of themselves as American or Italian-American, they were Italians. They grew up in a time where the  culture was much like that in Italy. They lived in a solely Italian community, spoke Italian in the home, and bought their food from multiple markets.  They were immersed in the culture and they did not give it a second thought. The article “Italian-American Culture” on squidoo.com shows how the Italian Culture has influenced American life.

The younger generations have been raised in integrated neighborhoods. The values of the family and community seem to be becoming less of a priority through the generations. With families in the U.S. becoming busier by the moment, the ethnic community has been pushed to the background.

Hartford, Conn. was once a thriving center of Italian culture. Through the decades the community began to spread throughout the surrounding towns. Due to this spread into different communities many different societies and clubs were created. Instead of gathering around a few organizations, the community began to be pulled apart by regions, saints, and sport.

This abundance of societies has led to decreased attendance at events. The Americanization of the generations and the changing priorities of families have also led to this decline.

Many Italians are also angry with the way the younger generations are portraying themselves. TV shows such as “Jersey Shore” portray the younger generations as individuals whose sole concerns are tanning and partying.Teens today buy into the stereotypes of their culture rather than proving them wrong. Whether the community likes it or not the culture has begun to change.

The video below discusses life growing-up in an Italian-American community.

Purpose

The purpose of this blog is to attempt to strengthen the bond between the younger and older generations. Organizations such as NIAF help the community to stay connected through their local community and the national Italian population. The greater Hartford area has been the hub of Italian-American activities and gatherings in Connecticut for decades. There are many different societies and groups geared towards different aspects of the community. There are clubs that are directed towards different interests such as soccer or saints. Many societies have been dedicated to the different areas of Italy that members migrated from.

In recent years it seems as though these societies and clubs have been surviving on the participation of the older generations. The younger generations do not seem to be getting involved in these clubs. This blog will attempt to find out why.

Through observation, it seems that attendance at Italian events has declined. Many families used to attend these festa’s and other activities. These events featured Italian food, music, games and often a raffle.

Has the new guido obsession taken over what teens think of their culture?  Is an individual’s culture and history not as important to the teens and young adults of today?

The purpose of the blog is to attempt to bring the generations back together through the family and the community as a whole.