Fwd: MY ITALIAN ANCESTORS

-----Original Message-----
From: rrdd3939@aol.com
To: rrdd3939@aol.com
Sent: Sun, Feb 28, 2010 7:23 pm
Subject: MY ITALIAN ANCESTORS

Editors Note: Parts 1 and 2 by yours truly and parts 3 and 4 by second cousin that we

found in cyber-space about 5 years and part 5 and for now final installment by new

citizen journalist Alexa (DePersio) Higginson. You guessed it: She's my pretty and

intelligent and talented 9-year old niece. Announcement: She a my other niece Katie

Higginson (age 13) are now Rickcosmos-Eclectic Websites: Youth Contributing Writers

                                                                            My Italian Ancestors

America! Land of the free, home of the brave! More opportunities, better jobs for more money, more rights ......those are the hopes and dreams that brought people here from all over the world! Amongst them was my family on my mom's (dads side)...the DePersio's!

The red white and blue country is the freedom country -  that is why my great, great grandparents came to America. This is what I was told to be their story. Their names were John Anthony Di Persia & Marie Josephine Di Persia. John Anthony came over under his name in Italian which is Giovanni Antonio Di Persia. They were the first family members to come to America. They came from Naples, Italy.

As many people did and still do,  they came for better jobs, freedom and a better way of life for themselves & their families.

They arrived in the very late 1800's. They traveled here by boat. I was told the boats name was called"The Iniziativa". Inziativa means enterprise in Italian. The boat came into Ellis Island. Ellis Island is in New York Bay. It is the former immigration station in the United States, where over 12 million immigrants passed through.

My great, great Grandparents traveled together. I think they dressed quite different from today's styles. The woman usually wore long dresses and hats with a lot of flowers. Men wore black top hats, suits and ties.

Later when my great, great grandparents had children & they went to school the last name was changed from Di Persia to DePersio, making the I an E and taking the space away before the P.The school felt it was more American that way.

This is the story of my ancestors on my Italian side. I am really glad they came to America for a better life. If it weren't for them making this journey, I may not have had all the wonderful opportunities and bnefits of this great country.