During the years 1910 through 1920 the migration of Italian Americans was booming. Italians settled all over the country. Two such areas were Fredonia and Dunkirk. But how did they live after they settled? Where did they work? Where did they live? And most importantly, how did they live?
One window that lets us see into the lives of Italian Americans is the United States census from that time period. The census gives information such as: number of children, occupation, how many people in the family, and most importantly, the names of all those that settled in the area.
By asking certain questions of the census we can see how life was really like for Italians living in the Fredonia/Dunkirk area. The following are questions that were asked, the answers that the census gave, and how those answers can be interpreted. And that interpretation shows us how Italians lived.
The Following are the questions that were asked:
1. What was the
average year of immigration to the United States?
2. What percent
of Italian immigrants became naturalized citizens?
3. What percent of
these adults spoke English?
4. What was the average
age of the Italian population in the Dunkirk
Fredonia
area?
5. How many members
did the average Italian family in the Dunkirk
Fredonia
area have?
6. What percent of
school age children attended school?
7. In what industries were
Italian immigrants employed?
8. Was the Italian population
compensated for their work, by wage
or
by own account?
9. What percentage
of females were a part the work force?
10. What percentage of the Italian
population owned their home as
opposed to rented their home?
11. Of the Italian homeowners,
what percentage were free of
mortgage and what percentage were still paying one?
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Blake, James Carlson, Steve Gorney, Valerie Lloyd,
Greg Schuler, Rachel Spring, Amy Szczygiel, Amy Watches, Jason Zima.
