Sometimes I have talked about my Great-Grandfather. He was Joe DiMaggio's tailor. Joe DiMaggio was known as a star Yankee player and for his fashion style. I get complimented on my taste a lot so, I credit Rocco's genes. But I didn't know much about my Great-Grandmother, Adeline. So, I asked my dad. They are my mom's grandparent's but, she died in February of 2024 so, asking her was not an option.
My dad met Adeline twice. At my parent's wedding and she came to their first house for dinner once. In a previous post I talked about it. Rocco came to America from Italy when he was 17. The deal was he would marry Adeline and learn his father-in-law's trade. Adeline's chauvinist of a dad needed someone to pass the business down to. It wasn't a love match but, they had lots of kids so, they clearly enjoyed each other sometimes. On Rocco's deathbed he told Adeline he loved her for the first time. She called him a bastard and walked out. But the more stories I hear, the more I think they grew to love each other and just never actually said it. She was used to chauvinistic men and chauvinistic men don't share their feelings so, I think that was what took her off guard. Rocco clearly softened through time in America. When his own sons did not want to be tailors, he got them a trucking company.
My dad said that Adeline hardly knew any English so, he didn't really know what to say to her. This never added up for me. My mom and her family lived with Rocco and Adeline for many years. I never remember my mom or grandma speaking Italian. Who ALSO lived with them for years? My mom's younger brother. So, I texted my uncle who lived with them until he was 8 years old.
He said that the grandkids were strongly encouraged to speak English. Rocco, being in business, must have seen that this is the strongest path to success. My grandma spoke both English and Italian and apparently was the one writing to family in Italy. My mom didn't speak Italian but, mostly understood it because she knew Latin and French.
I asked my uncle if Adeline's Dad knew Rocco's Dad from Italy. Yes, the families knew each other before so, the conversation in letters was probably along the lines of "hey, your son is about my daughter's age, does he want a future in America? He just has to marry Adeline, and I'll teach him to be a tailor". I also suspect the reason for this is because Adeline didn't have any brothers. It does make me wonder if I still have family in Italy.
As I think about Rocco's story, I believe he came in what history calls the First Immigration, I think about all the racial profiling today. These days a browned skin person could get arrested and detained even if they are a law-abiding legal citizen just for speaking Spanish. Rocco saw back then what some Latinos are seeing now, in America you can remove barriers to success by speaking English.
I am in agreement that immigrant criminals and illegally entered immigrants should be deported. But things go too far. People here legally and citizens are getting arrested and detained even when criminal activity is absent. Their lives are affected for doing nothing wrong. Because speaking Spanish is completely legal.
Adeline clearly knew more English than she let my dad know about. My uncle said he would always tell her "I don't understand you, I don't speak Italian". Meaning she felt more comfortable with Italian but could speak enough English to communicate with her grandkids. How many Spanish speaking people are in her situation? We can't forget that most of us in America have ancestors that at one time were in the same situation as those today who speak English as a second language and not a primary language.
I am doing Duolingo in 4 languages and have been for over a year:
Spanish - because I took 6 classes in it through the years so why not, it's important and I use it
Mandarin - Zach has taken it for 10 years and does it in Duo so it's a challenge and good bonding
French - Between Ballet and "pourquoi" being my first word, it makes sense. It's harder than you'd think
Italian - Ancestry, it's easy because of how much link Spanish it is.
I say, embrace the multi-lingual!
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