Paulo Russo
Homeland?
Acerno, Salerno, Italy
Year Immigrated to United States?
1968
Age when immigrated?
24 years old
Why did you leave your country?
For a better job and more money.
What had you heard about the United States? What expectations did you have?
Good things, there was more work.
Did you leave your family behind?
Yes.
Where in the United States did you arrive?
Glen Cove, New York
What was the journey like?
Scary, in an airplane for the first time, a lot of people.
What was your first job in the United States?
Landscaping.
As time has passed, how does your experience in the United States compare to what you expected?
It was very different, life was a lot better.
Has your cultural identity changed? If yes, how?
Italian-American, I love to be an American and have dual citizenship.
How do you maintain your culture and customs of your home country? Is it difficult to do so?
I go to Italy every year, I speak Italian still, and make a lot of food like I would in Italy.
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?
Making a family and making more money than in Italy. Leaving my family in Italy was the hardest part. I always feel American.
What do you wish more people knew about immigrants?
Come, there’s a lot more opportunities.
What are some important things people could do to make the process of coming to a new country better?
Save enough money, work hard for what you want. You have to have respect for people.