And for those of you who like your news in Italian, the following article regarding our book “La Nostra Costa" (Our Coast) appeared in the News Italia Press .
Notiziario NIP - News ITALIA PRESS agenzia stampa - N° 118 - Anno XIII, 21 giugno 2006
Letteratura d'emigrazione
Comelli racconta “La nostra costa (Our coast)”
Il racconto del viaggio di una famiglia italiana verso il sogno americano
Morgan Hill – E' uscito nelle librerie il lavoro di Ivano Franco Comelli intitolato "La nostra costa (Our coast), a family's journey to and from the North Coast of Santa Cruz California 1923-1983".
Edito da Authorhouse Publishers, focalizza l'attenzione del lettore sulle storie, le famiglie e le aspirazioni degli emigrati italiani che raggiunsero la costa nord di Santa Cruz; " i ricordi che sono stipati nella mia memoria – sostiene l'autore stesso – possono aiutare le generazioni future a non perdere i valori della vita rurale sul litorale".
In particolare, Comelli, ufficiale di polizia ormai in pensione di San José racconta l'esperienza dei suoi genitori Gervasio Comelli e Valentina Bressani, cominciata in Italia a Nimis, villaggio agricolo del Friuli Venezia Giulia.
In quegli anni, i primi del regime fascista con Benito Mussolini, gli uomini si vedevano obbligati a far parte dell'esercito: unica soluzione per sfuggire all'arruolamento era seguire il cosiddetto "sogno americano", trasferendosi oltreoceano e divenire così nemico della propria patria di origine. E così fece anche Gervasio Comelli: partito dal suo paese nel 1923, sbarcò ad Ellis Island e si stabilì a Santa Cruz, 7 miglia a sud di San Francisco.
Grazie al florido periodo economico che incontrò nei primi anni della sua nuova avventura americana, Gervasio Comelli potè tornare in Italia nel 1931 e conoscere la ragazza che sarebbe poi diventata sua moglie. Così il nuovo ranchero e la sua giovane moglie appena diciottenne ritornarono negli USA e poco tempo dopo, nonostante dovessero affrontare un terribile periodo di depressione economica che si abbattè sugli Stati Uniti, nacquero i due figli della coppia, di cui Ivano Franco Comelli è il secondogenito.
Tuttavia l'autore non racconta esclusivamente l'esperienza dei suoi genitori: descrivendo infatti i modi di tutti quegli immigrati italiani lo scrittore illustra come "gli emigrati italiani dei primi anni 20 del secolo scorso colonizzarono la costa nord della California verso la città di San Fracisco. Diventarono così dei rancheros spesso improvvisati, perchè anche se continuavano a dedicarsi alle occupazioni che svolgevano in patria, si trattava di operare con persone sconosciute, di avere contatti non con concittadini, di misurarsi con una cultura e una lingua diverse.A proposito della lingua - continua l'autore - gli immigrati diedero vita ad un particolare slang qui sulla costa nelle cittadine intorno a San Francisco, una piacevole miscela di parole italiane americanizzate o viceversa, che vengono utilizzate ancora oggi, sebbene la nuova generazione sembri aver rimosso questi ricordi così importanti, questi valori trasmessi dalla tradizione".
News ITALIA PRESS
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6 comments:
Ivano, Buon Giorno.
We haven't been in touch in awhile. Hope all is well with you and your family. I read about your success in the book signing in Capitola, congratulations. We couldn't come because it was in the evening. In the future when you have another book signing I promised Gloria Comelli from Hayward we would take her and her husband. I bought her your book and she thoroughly appreciated reading it and having a copy. In fact, she indicated to me she had Comelli relatives in Ohio and the book got there also. I think now she's wondering if there was a relation between your family and hers.
I was in Half Moon Bay last week and ran into locals there - and was talking about your book. I brought over a book for them to read and it's so interesting how everyone is enjoying the book.
The article in Italia News is very good. I will have to make a copy and send to my relatives in Nimis. I guess I told you I sent them a copy and they are enjoying it also.
You had once mentioned about writing a book on Davenport. Another thing to keep in mind is the community up in San Vicente Creek that the Cement Plant created and that families that worked at the plant lived there. It was three miles up the creek canyon. In fact I went to Pacific School with quite a few kids that lived there. I'm in touch still with a Bill Wilson who's mother was a Bianconi. He now lives in Georgia. Class of '49.
Take care and keep those articles coming on the Blagga.
Con un bacin d'amor.
Thelma
LNC: Thanks Thelma. Alverda writes about the San Vicinte Community in the Cement Book. Also includes photos. ivn0
I would like you to mention again on your blog – me and so many people are so grateful
That your book has brought so many of us out of the woodwork and communicating and
Sharing memories, fotos, stories etc. that were all tucked away. Now we all realize how
Much we were all part of a history to be proud of……and all because YOU pursured writing
YOUR book which includes so many of us. Mille grazie.
Ciao per ora – Norma and Al
PS – Did you get a chance to watch your DVD on the latest booksigning?
LNC: Yes, I did Norma. Al did a terrific job. I was glad that he recorded Janet's introduction. She did such a great job. ivn0
Am going to read La Nostra Costa again to refresh my memory. My cousins in Italy love
It and are finding relatives or whomever can read it to them in Italian – so many of them do
Know English and can tell them what the book says.
Subject: L'immigrante Italiano
Ciao Ivano,
These past few days I have been going over the list of Italian songs to which I sent you a link. I have listened to most of those dated 1934 or earlier, and discovered several which my mother used to sing. Imagine the nostalgia!
There is an undated one toward the bottom of the list entitled, "L'immigrante Italiano". I think its words are close to our feelings as sons of immigrants. The following is a rough translation of that song:
"The Italian immigrant who arrived in America,
A little sack on his shoulder, the only thing he brought.
Bit by bit, the poor little fellow founded his family.
Working night and day, and to his fatigue gave no thought.
And now that the immigrant is a little old man,
and has sons in America, never forgetting his dear village,
to which he dreams of returning.
The America, America, land of liberty.
To those who have sons there, we must give respect!
The America, America, we must give honor,
only our beautiful Italy we can never forget.
Bridges, road, the mines, the railroads he implanted.
These all know the sweat of the little old Italian.
Every son of an Italian here in America knows,
be he doctor, be he lawyer, all to his papà is what he owes.
And you little old men do know that your names do carry on.
Your youth has done well by you in this land of happiness."
(repeat chorus, The America, etc.)
Doesn't that pretty much tell it as we feel?
Saluti Gino
Gino: That pretty well sums it up. I lot of blood,sweat and tears "Questo e il sentimento di nostri poveri parenti." ivano
How different the immigrants today look upon America. They look at it as the 49ers did in
1848/49. Get what you can and then go back home. Our
government used to emphasize assimilation; today the
emphasis is on separation.
Jerry
Joe
Buon giorno a tutti
I would like to remind all the people that have come to America from other continent of the world , that we as humans are slowly being set up to be microchipped .
I want you to understad this fact very carefully its for your family safety and future of your nation .
Remeber the tyrants that you left in your old country ? well they found you again and they are the ones that are asking for a bail out at the taxpayers expense and if you wont bail them out they will enable Matial Law like in New Orleans . Please do a google search on Mike Riconosciuto the Federal Mob used him and then incarcerated him in a Federal Prison Svegliatevi Italiani. Ivano se vuoi srciveri un libro io ti do gli idei per il tuo libro ciao caro Joe L'Amarca
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