Voices+-+Dear+John+Luca+&+Giseppie

Mario Divinci 007 University Street Buffalo, U.S.A. 15 December 1901 Dear John Luca and Giseppie,

As you know, I had many reasons to leave Italy. The reasons why I left Italy were because of the problems like the volcano eruptions, the earth quake and tidal wave and the lousy government. But in America things are different, the government lets us vote and we get good housing. The way to America was terribly long. The voyage took three weeks to get to America. I had to travel on the bottom of the boat called the steerage class. It was smelly and there were many people there that wanted to travel to America. There were several storms that threw me off my bed. Most of the time on the ship I spent on the deck looking at the ocean, then one day on the deck, people were suddenly shouting. I ran up on to the deck to see what was going on and there before me was a wonderful sight of the Statue of Liberty. People were shouting "freedom" then I saw Ellis Island and the ship was slowing down because we were about to dock. I knew after going through Ellis Island immigration I would be in America. I had to wait in quite a long line to get to the first clearance station. The next station was a back ground check and they were nice but after that they were mean. At the second station they asked me about what I could do for work and if I have been to school. After that, they asked me if I have been to jail which I said no. The scariest thing for me was the health station. I heard that people have been badly hurt there and also that it would be the worst station. I had to do many things like lifting heavy things over my head, and also had powder put into my eye to see if I had an eye infection. After that I had to give my loyalty oath to be officially accepted in the country. After that I had to wait for three hours for the ferry to arrive to take me to Manhattan. There I met your Uncle Lueigi and he took me for some food. Here in America the amount of food is gigantic, a pot that we share for a family in Italy is one meal for a person. After that we went to the farm where I am going to live and work and I got to look around. At the farm we have two cows and there as big as a house they have a no type of chicken witch is bigger then the house cat. They don't have donkeys but they have hoses witch are big donkeys with nice fur. The house is made of stone and the ox pull the plow in stead of humans and were I am going to be working is with the wine where the grape field are endless. They also have many dogs that help heard seep for us. In America I feel some much better then Italy. I get vote for you I want for government, I get to have my own land, the hospitals are free for emergence, and the food hear is cheaper. I also get to make more money then in Italy, and there are no dieses hear and also no volcano eruption. I can't wait till you come and we can work on the farm as a family. Also you can live in the land of freedom.

From Mario Divinci