Biagio Giambalvo
Homeland?
Roccamena, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Year Immigrated to United States?
1965
Age when immigrated?
31
Why did you leave your country?
I left my country to come find my wife who was already in America.
What had you heard about the United States? What expectations did you have?
I expected opportunities to work. I expected an easier life, one that didn't involve working long hours in the fields everyday just to make a living.
Did you leave your family behind?
I left everyone. I have five brothers and one sister who never came to America.
Where in the United States did you arrive?
New York
What was the journey like?
I arrived by airplane in JFK.
What was your first job in the United States?
I worked in the factories pressing clothes. It was easy because everyone I worked with was Italian as well.
How do you maintain your culture and customs of your home country? Is it difficult to do so?
I have very strong ties to my cultural roots. I have a very large garden in my backyard. I grow fava beans, eggplant, tomatoes, escarole, broccoli rabe, zucchini etc... This is something I was used to as it was just what we did in Italy. I spend long days working in the garden, however, different then in Italy, it is not necessary to survive.
What was the best thing about your immigrant experience? What has been the most difficult or challenging? Are there any times you felt welcomed or unwelcomed as an immigrant?
I never fully learned how to speak English. It is always difficult when I go out by myself and I can't understand what people are saying and sometimes they don't treat you very nice. I find comfort in visiting my Italian friends in the bakery. We sit down, drink coffee, play cards and talk.