Introduction: Italian American Material Culture: Setting the Ground

Year 2023, Issue: 60, 1 - 15, 31.12.2023

Elisabetta Marino

Abstract

According to Christopher Tilley, “The object world is [...] absolutely central to an understanding of the identities of individual persons and societies” (61). Objects and commodities serve as tangible representations of our past, present and future; they function as a medium that enables individuals and communities to express themselves, articulating personal histories and collective cultural narratives. In turn, objects are seemingly endowed with what Arjun Appadurai has termed “a social life”: their silent presence (or absence) shapes one’s everyday life, as well as providing insight into the structure and system of values of various social groups.
Objects acquire a crucial importance in the context of migration, described by Paolo Bartoloni as “a physical, emotional, and psychological test” (96), suggesting that such experience might lead to feelings of depression and alienation, often juxtaposed with temporary states of elation and euphoria. Due to the high relocation expenses and the limited storage capacity onboard, not all belongings and possessions could travel along with the Italian emigrants to America: circumstances dictated a meticulous selection process. Cherished heirlooms, as well as useful tools and valuable items were carefully chosen to accompany migrants on their journey, furnishing them with a sense of comfort and security amidst an uncertain future. Acting as potent talismans endowed with a semi-magical power, they ritualistically contributed to transforming new houses into homes, “meaningful place[s]” (Bartoloni 98) that sheltered vulnerable subjectivities in need of reinvention and redefinition. At times, freshly-purchased objects, markers of the settlers’ acquired economic influence and stability, were placed alongside relics of the past, to visually represent one’s progress and achievements. American artifacts and luxury goods occasionally followed the reverse path: transferred to Italy when emigrants visited their motherland, they increased the sense of wonder that had originally drawn many Italian peasants to the promised land of opportunities.

Keywords

Italian-American Literature, material culture, America

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