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Foundation News - All Posts

Ethan Zielinski 2022

A great Italian immigration ignited in the late 19th century due to the extreme amount of poverty in Southern Italy. Between 1880 and 1924, more than 4 million Italians fled to the United States in search of a more prosperous life. But even though in theory it made sense to come to the United States…

February 3, 2023
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January 2023 – From the Desk of Chris Pisano
Little Italy Lodge Foundation 2023 Scholarship The 2023 Scholarship Application is available here online at our https://littleitalyfoundation.org/application/ website (also click on the Application menu button). The 2023 Essay Question is: “With each generation, elements of our traditional Italian heritage tend to fade due to neglect, heritage blending and other changes. Many families have traditions rooted...
January 5, 2023
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Isabella Dolores Keh 2022

When looking back into our Italian ancestral history, we can uncover lessons to help us in our own difficulties. Italian immigrants in the late 1800s/early 1900s faced numerous hardships on their journey to the United States. While there are many distinctions between past Italian immigration patterns and immigration today, there are also many parallels between…

January 5, 2023
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Ingrid Lenzenweger 2022

Early Italian immigrants faced unique challenges that have carried on into modern-day immigration. We tend to hear the same phrases during conversations regarding newcomers to the US. Many people fear that immigrants will steal jobs, introduce crime, and/or bring unwanted change. These negative stereotypes and beliefs block some of the most rewarding elements of immigration:…

November 10, 2022
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October 2022 – From the Desk of Christopher Pisano

As I reflect on my time on the Little Italy Lodge Scholarship Foundation Board, I admire how far we have come. From a small scrappy team that got the job done to now being able to support students with over $30,000 a year in scholarships is quite remarkable. I am so proud to be a…

October 2, 2022
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Ashley Keister 2022

Italian immigration into the United States began around the 1880s, numbering approximately 300,000, and steadily rose through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, eventually coming to a taper around the 1920s by which time more than 4 million Italians had set out for a new life on American soil. Comprising more than 10 percent…

October 2, 2022
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September 2022 – From the Desk of Chris Pisano

Each 2022 LaFamiglia scholarship applicant was required to produce a 500 word essay on a topic of current interest as a major component of the application. We will feature a winning essay each month, and this month’s essay was written by Madelin McLean. Madelin was the recipient of the Mattricciani/Vondersmith Scholarship. The essay topic was:…

September 2, 2022
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Madelin McLean 2022

In researching the challenges of Italian immigrants of the late 1800s – early 1900s in comparison to today’s immigrants coming to the United States, the old adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same” proves to be true. By the late 19th century, Italy was suffering from widespread poverty, social chaos, and…

September 2, 2022
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Anthony Meek

Studiosi della Fondazione VII – A key objective of the LIL Foundation’s La Famiglia Scholarship Program is to support the next generation of Italian-American leaders as they continue to demonstrate the contributions that continue to be made by individuals of Italian descent.  This is the seventh in a series featuring past scholarship awardees fulfilling that objective….

September 1, 2022
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Brendan Elliott 2022

Comparing Harsh Working Conditions for Latin and Italian American Immigrants – Italian immigrants migrated to the United States en masse from the late 1800s until the 1920s. Despite the promise of prosperity in America, Italian immigrants faced significant challenges upon arrival to the nation. One of the most difficult challenges endured by Italians was poor…

August 3, 2022
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