Why Nobody 'Came For' My Immigrant Grandparents!

The meme that you see to the left has been making the rounds on social media.

It's dumb, outrageous, abhorrent and offensive. It also happens to be totally false and, as a third generation Italian American, I'm here to set the record straight.

My maternal grandparents (Clotilda Pistonesi Perozzi and Giovanni Perozzi) emigrated to this country legally from Italy. The Perozzi family was from the Marche region of Italy along the Adriatic coast. My mother, who was born here, was named Italia after the ship that brought her mother to America. The Perozzis were merchants who pursued the American dream, opening a grocery store at Third and Pine Streets in Camden, NJ. My grandparents lived above the store, which served the Italian American community in South Camden, and both my grandfather and my grandmother worked in the store every day. They worked very hard and raised four children, supporting the family via the business. 

My paternal grandparents (Nunziata Santone Cirucci and Domenico Cirucci) emigrated here legally from Italy. The Cirucci family was from the mountainous Molise region of Italy. My grandfather got a job with the local post office as a boilerman. As far as I know, my grandmother was a homemaker. The family lived at 322 Benson Street in South Camden where Domenico and Nunziata raised their eight children. Doubtless, my grandparents worked very hard to house, feed and clothe such a large family and they were strengthened by their faith. My grandparents on both sides worshiped at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel RC Church at 832 South 4th St. in Camden. 

Standing near 322 Benson St.
in Camden NJ where my
grandparents raised their family.

Did my grandparents face prejudice and discrimination in this country? I'm sure they did. One hundred years ago (in 1926) many faced prejudice. But nobody was "coming for" my grandparents or for my parents. Nobody was attempting to round my grandparents up because they were here legally. They came into the country through the proper channels, passed through immigration services, had the proper papers (were documented) and eventually became US citizens. Was it easy for them? No! Did they have to struggle at times? Yes! Is there much to learn from their story? Absolutely!

And be sure of this: their story was replicated over and over again by so many others who came to this country legally, followed the rules, worked hard and succeeded.

Which is all the more reason why equating their story and their plight with those who broke the law to enter this country and who are now here illegally is absolute nonsense. It flies in the face of history and is an affront to all human sensibility and common decency. (Not to mention the fact that many who the federal government are "coming for" now have criminal records and long rap sheets.)

So, if you fell for this unconscionable meme, shame on you!