From the Enclaves: Harlem, Kansas City, and Los Angeles
As frequently as possible, we will publish information about randomly chosen Italian enclaves from around the country along with accompanying photos. Occasionally, we will add blog posts about other relatable information pertaining to Italian enclaves. We hope you enjoy!
By: Raymond Guarini & Stephen Cerulli
Italian Harlem, East Harlem NYC
East Harlem, also known as ‘El Barrio’ is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the West, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the east and North. East Harlem includes the area once known as Italian Harlem, where the remnants of a one predominantly Italian Community remain. The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is one the old churches that are linked to the Italian’s heritage, other churches include St. Ann Roman Catholic church and St. Paul & Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church as well as the recently demolished St. Lucy. The East Harlem Giglio Feast or the “Dance of the Giglio” is an Italian festival originated in Brusciano, Italy. Celebrations take place every second Sunday of August to honor St. Antonio. The neighborhood is renowned for its infamously hard to attend restaurant, Rao’s. Patsy’s Pizzeria still remains in the neighborhood along with a handful of Italian Americans living there.
Columbus Park, Kansas City
Kansas City sits on Missouri’s western boundary with Kansas, with Downtown near the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. It is surrounded to the north and south by glacier carved limestone and bedrock cliffs. Holy Rosary Catholic church was founded when the neighborhood was solidly Italian, has survived three fires, two world wars and a changing neighborhood still stands tall and serves as a cornerstone in Kansas City. Other catholic churches include; The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City, St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish and Christ the King Catholic Church. Festa Italiana is an epic three day festival that is held in Kansas City. There are still a handful of Italian American businesses in the area including a bakery, a famous Italian restaurant, Garozzo’s, and a couple of other establishments including a funeral home.
“Sonoratown”, LA’s Little Italy
Los Angeles is home to one of the nation’s largest and most diverse Italian-American populations. From the city’s early Italian settlers to the wine-producing vintners of the 19th century to the entrepreneurs, educators, civil rights leaders, and restaurateurs of today, Italians and Italian-Americans have played an instrumental role in the development of Los Angeles. From the Historic Italian Hall, a focal point for the early Italian community and still standing today, to the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, which serves to preserve the history and culture of the Italian diaspora. Italians have truly left their mark on the city. The original settlers populated the sixth and seventh wards, and the area was known as “Sonoratown” in the plaza area. With many of the city’s Italian restaurants, bakeries, and cafes still going strong, visitors can still get a taste of the city’s rich Italian heritage. St. Peter’s church is the Italian National parish in this enclave and still hosts a vibrant Italian American Catholic community.
Recent Comments