Vol 4-2, Maria's copy2(R).pub (Read-Only) - Filicudi.org
Vol 4-2, Maria's copy2(R).pub (Read-Only) - Filicudi.org
Vol 4-2, Maria's copy2(R).pub (Read-Only) - Filicudi.org
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PAGE 4 LA CANNA SIREN VOLUME IV ISSUE 2<br />
Those Who Came This section is devoted to the memory of those who came to<br />
America from the Eolian Islands. They taught us the values of hard work, devotion to<br />
family, and caring for others even . .strangers. Feel free to contribute to this column.<br />
Proud of my<br />
Eolian heritage?<br />
by Julie Rando Ranucci<br />
Proud of my Eolian heritage?<br />
How could I not be? My<br />
grandfather, Stephen Rando,<br />
who is still alive at 86, and<br />
lives in Waltham, is one of the<br />
"Good ol' boys from <strong>Filicudi</strong>."<br />
<strong>Filicudi</strong>, his birth-place, and<br />
what he refers to as the "Old<br />
Country," is one of the seven<br />
Eolian Islands clustered between<br />
Naples and Sicily in the<br />
Tyrrhenian Sea. It never ceases<br />
to amaze me how at age 17, my<br />
age now, my grandfather kissed<br />
his mother good-bye and faced<br />
the long arduous journey to<br />
America. He still refers to<br />
some of his surviving friends as<br />
those “ he came over with on<br />
the boat.” Imagine being all<br />
alone sailing to this new, mysterious<br />
land! I wonder if I<br />
could have done that. But the<br />
opportunities of America must<br />
have been worth the sacrifice.<br />
Yes, it was my grandfather<br />
who sailed to America in 1921,<br />
through New York Harbor,<br />
viewing the Statue of Liberty<br />
and facing the trials of the infamous<br />
Ellis Island. All those<br />
rooms, bedlam, and the confusion<br />
of immigrants from all<br />
over Europe speaking many<br />
different languages and cautiously<br />
eyeing each other. Even<br />
at this point these immigrants<br />
didn’t know if they would fail<br />
the medical exams and possibly<br />
have to return to their own<br />
countries. But, thankfully, my<br />
grandfather passed the exams.<br />
And that was only the beginning.<br />
He now faced a whole new<br />
world without his family. But<br />
with self-determination he<br />
made his way through odd-jobs,<br />
from digging “pick and shovel”<br />
in the Newton cemetery to<br />
working a farm in Woburn. My<br />
grandfather recalls the Great<br />
Depression and still bears the<br />
mark on his back from carrying<br />
the hod.<br />
In the 1920’s my grandfather<br />
married my grandmother,<br />
Rose Giardina, and although<br />
she was born here in America,<br />
her father and mother were also<br />
born in <strong>Filicudi</strong>.<br />
Eventually, with encouragement<br />
from my grandmother, my<br />
grandfather, Stephen, developed<br />
a successful landscaping<br />
business. I am also proud to<br />
admit that at times I have<br />
helped him at his business.<br />
The experience of coming<br />
to know about my grandfather’s<br />
life has developed in me a great<br />
sense of appreciation for the<br />
saga of the immigrant of all nationalities.<br />
Today the <strong>Filicudi</strong><br />
Association is one of the more<br />
prominent societies in Waltham<br />
because of people like my<br />
grandfather who took that brave<br />
step to come here so many<br />
years ago. I feel that I have inherited<br />
that determination of<br />
my grandfather and I am hopeful,<br />
that with the opportunities<br />
afforded me, I can be as successful<br />
in my own life as he<br />
was in his.<br />
Proud of my Eolian heritage?<br />
You bet that I am!<br />
PLEASE SUPPORT<br />
OCTOBER IS ITALIAN HERITAGE MONTH<br />
PARTAKE OF THE MANY ITALIAN EVENTS IN OUR AREA.<br />
www.ItalianHeritageMonth.com for event listings.