Remembering Yesterday

Paul DiRenzo

Description

America, still today, for many people throughout the world remains an attraction; instead, for many others, they see America as a beacon of hope from political and religious oppressions to the needs to overcome hunger from their countries poor economic conditions.
Nevertheless, "Remembering Yesterday," talks about a timid little immigrant boy named Gregorio; his wonderful protective mother; his working, dedicated, and honest father, who was forced to immigrate to six different countries before coming to America, looking for work so his family could survive; and his two siblings: Andrea, the daring one; and Matteo, the thick headed one.
The book opens up with the main character Gregorio Di Nardo as an adult teaching English as a Second Language at a local Community College, to immigrant adult students. the author then moves to narrate more about the main character as a little boy growing up in his little village. The story continues with some surprising and unexpected information: Gregorio and his family would be leaving their little town for America. The news upsets the little boy for abandoning his present existence, his friends, the piazza, and his small house; but his mother and siblings however, were happy as they could be to leave the poor conditions behind and embrace new ones knowing they were starting from nothing. The narration picks up with a long dangerous journey to America: first on a train, then on transatlantic boat named "Vulcania", and finally growing up to adulthood in the city of Newark with no language, no friends, no one to cling to except his parents and two siblings. The family settles in the city of Newark, where they lived and experienced Newark reality at its best and safest period; as well as its downfall. It is here where they first experienced one of the many gloomy embarrassments, despondent, sour moments of racism and hardships. The desperate souls came with nothing except their clothes, a strong will to work and produce; and to overcome the hunger they left behind due to poor economic conditions they were subjected to.

Sujets

• América
• Biography
• Italy
• My Last Duchess
• Autobiography
• America
• Calabria
• Immigration

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 29 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665732536
• Langue: English

Extrait

REMEMBERING YESTERDAY
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAUL DIRENZO
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
Copyright © 2023 Paul Direnzo.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3251-2 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3252-9 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3253-6 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022919877
 
 
 
Archway Publishing rev. date: 06/27/2023
CONTENTS
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I dedicate this book in memory of my parents.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“The street of the twentieth century at whose far end or turning-we hope-is some sense of home or safety. But no guarantees. A street we are put at the wrong end of, for reasons best known to the agents. But a street we must walk….”
Thomas Pynchon: “ Gravity’s Rainbow”
I
I t was the first day of school of the winter semester. The instructor entered the room with a pleasant welcome and a warm smile, as he was greeting all the students. The classroom was overcrowded. Several students were standing waiting for the custonian to bring in additional desks to accommodate the rest of the students. While the professor was pacing toward his desk; he stopped, took a glance at the students body for its entirety; he placed his briefcase on his desk; and sat down. He took out the books from his briefcase; looked around the classroom for a few seconds more; and soon after, he approchead the board and wrote, “Level IV, English-Advanced.” He then introduced himself to his students, and made it clear to all, that he was their teacher for the entire semester.
He went on to explain the essential requirements that every student needed to attend the intermediate level. He then made clear that every student in the room must have passed the elementary level at least with a B, in order for the student to remain in the level, and must possess a good knowledge of the English language. Immediately after, he took a seat at his desk; took another quick glance around the room before he began his lesson. This time however, he took a longer pause to focus on every student one by one. The students’ facial expressions he encountered, reminded him of his first day of school in America as a little immigrant boy suspended in space, confused, and full of fear of the unknown. Their expressions reminded him dreadful wicked memories of the past. He saw in their eyes, silent lives away from the mainstream; living in isolation, confusion, fear, and with lots of uncertainties. Those qualities were alive and well in his memories as an immigrant boy attending his elementary school days in a huge and complicated city of Newark without a word to share with anyone. However, those feelings never escaped his mind, and he made sure the students’ challenges were taken into consideration with the intent to lessen and to overcome their everyday burdens and obstacles.
The classroom walls were almost empty. Behind him, nailed on the wall, there was a long blackboard covering the entire wall so every student would have the opportunity to use it and to show his or her writing ability in sentence writing. On the right side of the classroom, there were two enormous windows facing the main street, and between them hung on the wall, there was a faded, wrinkled poster with a bridge over water connecting two extreme points with a say written on it:
“Abridge the world; learn English.” He felt the message given, was clear and convincing; but it could have been propaganda for all the immigrant students to simply come together about their future so they could quickly learn the language. Nevertheless, the classroom was packed like a can of sardines; and the students were of different nationalities. It seemed for a moment, the United Nation had temporarily transferred its residence there. Nonetheless, Spanish appeared to be the dominant spoken language from the entire group. The instructor got up, walked to the front of the classroom, and asked every student to identify his or her native language, along with their country of origin. The professor didn’t stop there, he continued with another question regarding their legal status, and years living in America. He furthered learned that in a classroom of thirty-five students, only a handful of them resided in New Jersey legally; others were in the country illegally. The news didn’t surprised him; he believed bread and work was the culprit for them as well as it was for him and his family. Nonetheless, they showed no remorse or fear, whether they were in the country legally or not. Their immediate intent for each one was to learn as much as they could for the purpose of survival. He learned that most of them seemed to be well informed about how the American system works, and what the American Constitution reppresents. Nonetheless, they continued to show a strong will, with a strong grit to advance quickly with the English language.
The professor was eager and happy to teach them the essential language skills they needed to combat and to overcome their daily obstacles in such a deep complicated system. He was well aware of the system with its difficulties and dark nights of survival. He remembered how difficult it was as a young boy just off the boat with no language to speak; no friends to talk to; along with those horrible moments of rejections; discriminations, and loneliness. He was forced to move on and quickly become responsible. He quickly learned how the language was freedom, advancements, defender of human dignity, and personal identity in such a deep system of survival.
He couldn’t understand why there were so many students living in New Jersey without a legal entrance, when his father waited ten years to enter the country legally. It appears, the driver could shift the scale’s pendelum to its liking? Could it be modern politics? However, a country of laws must be followed; or caos, anarchy, or corruption, will set in like a birthmark. He also picked up that some students had already some educational studies in their own countries; some possessed a profession, and others, had years of education without a diploma. It was also revealed that some of them were forced to run away for political reasons in the middle of the night; where others were forced to leave their families behind for bread; and for work like many Europeans did, at the beginning of the Twentieth Century and beyond. However, listening to their conditions, their needs, and reasonings; helped him to recall his grandfather Filippo, who was forced also to leave his entire family behind for necessity; for work; and for political reasons. Nevertheless, he understood immediately the reasons why they were all there! He concluded that they were there to escape the miserable poverty their politicians in their own country created; forcing them to look for better living conditions and greater financial opportunities that the American life had to offer through hard work.
Finally the professor opened the program with the first lesson on the function, and the use of the present and past perfect tenses. It was known to be one of the many difficult skills of the English language for Spanish-speaking students, and less for others. For many immigrants’ students, at first, the skill appeared difficult; but with unique practical usages, the skill became somewhat clear. To reinforce the skills, the professor asked each student to apply the lesson to real everyday personal events.
The first student to volunteer from the entire group for the presentation was Rosita Rodriguez. She was a dark skinned woman, not very tall, and had intense, long, black hair. She spoke Spanish well, showed a pleasant behavior with other students, and spoke the English language as if she had lived in America for several years. In addition, she showed determination and no fear in her presentation.
She was determined to share with every one in the room her odessey experiences coming to America, stressing how irresponsible and filthy man is in our society. Her intent was to pass on her message rather focusing on her grammatical errors. Rosita went on with a strong desire to show the whole classroom how happy she was to find herself in America, and to work. Following the presentation, the professor asked her several questions about her wild, dangerous encounters she was forced to deal with reaching America. And he: “Where are you from, Rosita?”
And she: “I am Mexican. I am very proud to be Mexican, Professor Di Nardo.”
“What’s one of the r