Between 1880 and 1924, greater than 4 million Italians immigrated to the USA, with half arriving between 1900 and 1910. Most of those immigrants had been fleeing extreme rural poverty in Southern Italy and Sicily. This mass migration would lay the inspiration for a vibrant and resilient Italian American neighborhood, however it additionally led to widespread discrimination and detrimental stereotypes that plagued Italian People for many years.
In response to this discrimination, one of the well-known Italian People in historical past, Joe Colombo of Brooklyn, based the Italian American Civil Rights League in 1970. The League was created to fight discriminatory representations of Italians in American media and information, which regularly painted them as criminals or uneducated immigrants. Colombo, a controversial determine as a result of his deep ties to organized crime, managed to channel the frustrations of the Italian American neighborhood into a robust civil rights motion.
The League rapidly gained traction, attaining nationwide consideration and rising to over 46,000 members, together with many professionals. Colombo’s management impressed a way of unity and satisfaction amongst Italian People. One of many League’s most notable early actions was organizing the primary Italian Unity Day rally in Columbus Circle later in 1970. This occasion was a protest in opposition to the federal persecution of Italians, notably these focused by legislation enforcement below the suspicion of Mafia connections.
Below Colombo’s steering, the League turned a formidable drive. Membership required a yearly $10 price, and in return, members obtained newsletters, an identification card, a pin, decals, and entry to the League’s authorized, social, and medical providers. The League even attracted notable personalities, equivalent to New York Yankees three-time All-Star Joe Pepitone, who was recruited as one of many League’s organizers.
The League’s affect prolonged into the monetary realm as properly. Highly effective figures like Carlo Gambino, one of the infamous Mafia bosses, supported the League. Gambino alone raised over $30,000 for the group, highlighting the advanced and sometimes controversial relationship between the League and arranged crime. Regardless of these connections, the League made vital strides in elevating consciousness and combating for the rights of Italian People throughout the nation.
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