EXAMINING PATTERNS OF ITALIAN IMMIGRATION TO ...

used to warm temperature during most of the year. Another reason may be the fact that by that
time prejudices about Southern Italians - and Southern Europeans in general 26 - were already
widespread and companies such as Calumet and Hecla and Quincy may have specifically
asked for Northern immigrants when recruiting.
Again the villages of provenience for many immigrants are in the province of Torino,
and as in 1880 and 1900 those villages are all in the area of Canavese. On a total of 2,201
immigrants from the province of Torino, 1,703 surely came from at least forty-seven different
villages of the area of Canavese. The remaining 498 were probably from the same area, but
there is no direct evidence. Those from the province of Lucca came from at least 38 different
villages scattered all over the province.
2.6 Italians in Houghton County in 1920: numbers and provenience
In 1920 the community counts 4,379 individuals: 2,045 (47%) were born in Italy,
2,234 (51%) had at least one Italian parent, fifty-three at least one Italian grandparent, and
forty-seven were of different nationalities. The community appears stable compared to 1910
in which the members numbered 4,384.
What changes a little is the proportion of people born in Italy and first generation
Americans. In 1910 2,539 out of 4,384 (58%) were born in Italy whereas in 1920 the number
drops to 2045 out of 4,379 (47%). There are two reasons: fewer Italians arrived in Houghton
County, and those that were already here started a family and had children. This trend follows
the general trend of Italian emigration in this decade; in fact fewer people were allowed to
leave Italy because of the war and military service.
The regions represented are eighteen as in 1910, but Marche takes the place of
Umbria. The provinces are forty. The number of people whose provenience is unknown is 878
(20%). Comparing 1910 to 1920 there are some changes in the percentages of immigrants
coming from the two main provinces represented, Torino and Lucca. In 1920 people from the
province of Torino decrease to 1,902 (43.4%). People from the province of Lucca increase to
1,261 (28.8%). Belluno is still the third province with forty-one immigrants (0.9%), followed
26 Laughlin H. H. (Statement by). Analysis of America’s Modern Melting Pot. Hearing before the Committee on
Immigration and Naturalization, House of Representative, LXII Congress, III Session, Washington 1923, Serial
7-C, pp. 725-831.
19