Italy

Italy is a country in Europe that belongs to the European Union. The capital is Rome, and the official language is Italian.

Learn more about Italy

Immigration

Italians have a long history of migrating to foreign countries as a way of coping with poverty and dislocation. More Italians have migrated to the United States than any other Europeans. Poverty, overpopulation, and natural disaster all spurred Italian emigration. During the mass emigration from Italy during the century between 1876 to 1976, the U.S. was the largest single recipient of Italian immigrants in the world. However, their impact was not as great as countries like Argentina and Brazil. That was due to the fact that hundreds of thousands of immigrants from nations all over the world were migrating to the U.S. at the same time and American born natives already made up the majority ethnic group. The Italians did play a major role though, socially with individuals rising to national stature in many different fields. The earliest Italian immigrants to the United States were northern Italians, who became prominent as fruit merchants in New York and wine growers in California. Later, more and more migrants came from the south and the communities and institutions they formed reflected the region's fragmentation.

Culture

Religion

More than 90 percent of Italy’s population is Roman Catholic. About 95 percent of Italians are baptized. The church’s role in Italy has declined over the last 50 years. Civil divorce was introduced in 1970, and abortion was legalized in 1978. In 1985, Roman Catholicism was officially removed as the country’s official state religion. At this time, mandatory religious instruction in the public schools was also abolished. Religious minorities in this country include Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Waldense, Muslim, and Jewish. The constitution of Italy guarantees freedom of worships to these religions.

Italian Language Education

Italian is widely taught in many schools around the world, but rarely as the first foreign language; in fact, Italian generally is the fourth or fifth most taught foreign language in the world.

In anglophone parts of Canada, Italian is, after French, the third most taught language. In francophone Canada it is third after English. In the United States and the United Kingdom, Italian ranks fourth (after Spanish-French-German and French-German-Spanish respectively). Throughout the world, Italian is the fifth most taught foreign language, after English, French, Spanish, and German.

In the European Union, Italian is spoken as a mother tongue by 13% of the population (64 million, mainly in Italy itself) and as a second language by 3% (14 million); among EU member states, it is most likely to be desired (and therefore learned) as a second language in Malta (61%), Croatia (14%), Slovenia (12%), Austria (11%), Romania (8%), France (6%), and Greece (6%).[32] It is also an important second language in Albania and Switzerland, which are not EU members or candidates.

Italian-American Population

Demographic Population in America

The 2000 U.S. census reports that nearly 16 million Italian American live in the U.S. This makes up approximately 6 percent of the U.S. population. Most of these individuals are descendents (grandchildren and great-grandchildren) of the 3.8 million native Italian immigrants who entered the U.S. between 1899 and 1924. Some of these individuals are the relative of Italian-speaking immigrants who came traveled from Austria, Switzerland, and Latin America. More than 1 million of the total immigrants moved to America after the end of World War II, in 1945. Two-thirds of the immigrant population lives in the northeastern part of the U.S. in or around large cities.

According to the 2000 Census, the largest concentration of Italian-Americans lives in New York with 2,737,146 people making up 14.4 percent. New Jersey has the next highest amount of Italian-Americans, with 1,503,637 people making up 17.9 percent of the population. California has 1,450,884 Italian-Americans, making up 4.3 percent. Pennsylvania has 1,418,465 Italian-Americans, making up 11.6 percent of the population. Florida has 1,003,977 Italian-Americans, making up 6.3 percent of the population.

Religion in America

Most Italian-American immigrants were Catholic in Italy and continue to practice this religion in the United States. There is a tendency to become more devout once in the United States, since religion becomes a key point of their cultural identity. It is important to note that some Italian immigrants associate with minority religions, such as Weldense, Greek Catholocism, Greek Orthodox, and Judaism.

In some Italian-American communities, Saint Joseph’s Day (March 19th) is a noted holiday. Columbus Day is widely celebrated among these communities along with days of feasts dedicated to the patron saints such as San Gennaro, on September 19th. Immigrants from Sicily celebrate a day of feasting dedicated to Santa Rosalia, on September 4th. Immigrants from Potenza celebrate Saint Rocco’s day on August 16th. Frequently, Italian-Americans celebrate the Christmas season by having a Feast of the Seven Fishes. In Cleveland, Ohio, members of these communities celebrate the Feast of Assumption, in which people pin money on Blessed Virgin Mary as a symbol of prosperity on August 15th. This statue then is carried through the town in a parade to the Holy Rosary Parish.

Some Italian-Americans associate with Protestant Christianity. Many of these families attend non-Catholic churches but enroll their children in Catholic or other private schools. Many immigrants joined the Episcopal Church because of disagreements with local Catholic church leadership. Immigrants who did not agree with the ritualistic nature of Catholicism sometimes converted to Evangelical Christianity.

Italian Influence on American Culture

Italian-Americans have had many influences on various areas of American culture. For example, these immigrants have influenced popular American music in the 1940’s, with Frank Sinatra, up through the 1970’s.

Italian words and dialectal phrases have infiltrated films throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Italian-Americans have also become the characters in many popular television shows and movies such as The Godfather, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos. However, portrayal of these characters is often cited as stereotypical and only represents a small percentage of the actual Italian-American population.

These immigrants have contributed their traditional feasts to our culture. Examples of these include the Feast of San Gennaro in New York City, the Our Lady of Mount Carmel “Giglio” Feast in Brooklyn, New York, and Saint Joseph’s feast held on March 19th. Italian-American culture can be found in areas designated “Little Italy” in various cities around the U.S. There are more than 300 Italian feasts celebrated around the country, and these are attended by millions of people each year. Feasts consist of communal meals, religious services, festive music, games, and elaborate parades.

Clinical Implications for the SLP

Immigration:

Italians have been immigrating to the United States since the 1800’s for a variety of reasons, mainly due to poverty and dislocation. Mass emigration of Italians occurred between 1876-1976.1

Population:

The 2000 U.S. census reports that nearly 16 million Italian Americans live in the U.S. This makes up approximately 6 percent of the U.S. population. Two-thirds of the immigrant population lives in the northeastern part of the U.S. in or around large cities.

There are 3,383 Italian language speakers in Oregon. That is .10% of the population. You will rarely encounter a child that only speaks Italian in the school systems. Most Italian chilren learn English as a second language and are primarily fluent by school age if they immigrate to the US.

The language:

While many Italians do speak English or French this is not always the case and additionally, to add even more confusion, learning Italian is sometimes not enough; Italy is home to a number of regional dialects that can be quite different. Understanding the region your client comes from and the dialect spoken can help immensely. For example, the people in Alghero tend to prefer Catalan. Take the time to learn at least the basic dialect and common phrases to help with intervention.

Importance of family:

Italian life revolves around the family. In the north of the nation traditional family units tend to cohabit, but wherever your client comes from in Italy, families remain tightly connected. In the southern regions it is not at all uncommon to find extended families living together in a solid unit so do not underestimate the importance of family or the tightness of its bond. Make sure to incorporate the family in your assessment and treatment.

First impressions matter:

Italians tend to size people up based on first appearances. The way people dress and act on first meeting can stick with them for a long time to come. Keep this in mind when working with an Italian family.

Religion:

Catholicism is an important part of the Italian lifestyle for many. Although many Italians might not attend church they often name their children after saints, keep crosses in their homes and offices and celebrate religious holidays with diligence. Be respectful of religious beliefs and associated traditions when working with an Italian client or family.

House guest etiquette:

It is unlikely that you would enter a client's home but if you’re invited to an Italian home or providing home care there are a few things you need to know. First off, don’t bring the family chrysanthemums – they’re funeral flowers in Italy. Also, arriving fashionably late is fashionable, but looked down upon when a professional does this. Make sure to dress nicely. Do not sit down until invited to do so and let the hostess act first. It is not often that you will be invited to a client's home but keep this in mind just in case!

Original Contributors: Valerie Jannelli & Caroline Bishop, 2009