Italians are the largest number of Europeans to have immigrated to the United States. They were part of one group of many people who left their homeland to seek a better life in the United States of America. America was known to be the land of opportunity so they decided to seek their luck there. A lot of people from other European Nations had also immigrated to the United States so that they could start new lives there. Due to the sad economic state of Italy, lots of Italians immigrated to America. Despite their common skin and color, the Italians found it hard to assimilate amongst the American society. The Americans discriminated them against.
             Oscar Handlin, in his 1951 Pulitzer Prize winning study "the Uprooted" wrote, "...the history of immigration is a history of alienation and its consequences". In line with this theme, he emphasizes the isolation and loneliness of the immigrant, "the broken homes, and interruptions of a familiar life, separation from known surroundings, the becoming a foreigner and ceasing to belong."(Frederic Cople Jaher, 1970)
             There were several factors which provoked the Italian people to immigrate. Poverty, overpopulation and natural disasters are some of these reasons which contributed to this exodus of people. The living conditions in Italy were terrible and a lot of people were living in poor economic conditions. Most of these immigrants were from the southern region of Italy where crime and corruption were rampant. These factors prompted people to immigrate to America with a lot of gusto. About 70,000 Italians had arrived before the start of the twentieth century and they were followed by thousands of Italians in the next two decades. America was an attractive place for these people as they knew that they would not be able to live under the war-stricken conditions. The Italian people came to America with the aspiration that their lives would be changed forever once they lande...