Italian-American presense of Broward County...

[snj90]

Originally Posted by jwolfer

My sister dated a guy about 20 years ago whose grandparents were from Sicily and Naples. They were immigrants to rural North Florida and were collard green farmers. He looked like he could be right out of Brooklyn or Jersey City but sounded very redneck. ( There was a small community north or Jacksonville called Italia that was settled by Italian immigrants about 100 years ago. Not much there and now sort of overtaken by suburbia)

There were lots of Italians who came to New Orleans instead of New York. they moved to areas around the deep South, like Arkansas and Memphis, TN.

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There was an episode of 'The Sopranos" that had them over in Italy. It showed how those guys ( Italian Americans) who were very different from the people in Italy. Another poster mentioned it, here in the US people have stories and remembrances from parents and grandparents in Italy from over 50 years ago and a lot has changed.

A girl who I grew up with who is 1/4 Italian, Mom was Slovak descent and dad was Polish-Italian at least 2 generations American no one spoke Italian in her family but with a VERY Italian last name... She really over-emphasizes her Italian background, saying things like 'muzzarel' for Mozzarella cheese...

It may be the surname. My ancestral background is similar to that girl's. I have Italian heritage from my direct paternal line, but the surname is not recognizably Italian due to subsequent modification. It has occurred to me that if my surname had not been changed, I may very well have a somewhat different ethnic self-image. I identify strongly with my mother's ancestry (fully Ukrainian, born to immigrants). I still would in this hypothetical case. But for me, no one who knows my name would know my Italian ancestry without my disclosure. If I had a recognizably Italian surname, then other people could immediately infer the presence of Italian ancestry. I would posit that immigrant descendants with a more exotic surname would be more likely to identify with that ancestry.

[John Rose]

There's a large Italian American presence here, mainly from New York it seems. The condo complex I live in seems to be filled with Italians from NY. I would say the northern coastal areas seem to have the most, like Pompano Beach, Northeast Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton (although that's technically in Palm Beach County). It doesn't really seem like any one ethnic group really dominates in Broward County, though. It's not like Miami-Dade with the Cubans. There's a big mix of New York Italians, Haitians, Colombians, Jamaicans/West Indians, Peruvians, Venezuelans, Brazilians, Germans, Boston Irish, Jews, French/French Canadians, European Italians, British, Russians, etc.

[John Rose]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

Interesting old thread. I grew up in an Italian town (mostly Sicilian immigrants) outside Philly. There's definitely a difference between your NY/North Jersey Italians, Philly Italians, and probably Italians who grew up in FL and other parts of the U.S. For example, when I lived in CA, my Italian-American neighbor who grew up in LA had never heard of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. I was shocked! So I would say, just because a town in FL may have a lot of Italians doesn't mean you'll all be similar and compatible. And I'm sure there are redneck Italian kids. It's very popular to be of the redneck culture (and I mean that not in a disparaging way) in FL among the younger kids, no matter what ethnicity or race.

I think you're right about Italian Americans raised in places with less of an entrenched Italian population. But based on my personal experience specifically in Broward County, I'd say almost all of the Italian Americans are originally from NY/Jersey/Philly and I'd also say that the redneck culture is practically nonexistent here.

[NANJAMOY]

I am a first generation Italian, conceived in Italy, living in Delray Bch. I am looking to find a beach side apartment, studio, 1BR for my Aunt who speaks only Italian and French. Does anyone know if there are properties like this that have a large number of Italian speaking residents in Palm Beach or Broward counties?? She is looking for the winter months only.

[John Ranallo]

One less Italian in Pompano Beach. I moved out a while back.

[John Rose]

Originally Posted by NANJAMOY

I am a first generation Italian, conceived in Italy, living in Delray Bch. I am looking to find a beach side apartment, studio, 1BR for my Aunt who speaks only Italian and French. Does anyone know if there are properties like this that have a large number of Italian speaking residents in Palm Beach or Broward counties?? She is looking for the winter months only.

Hallandale Beach has a lot of people from Italy, France, French Canadians, especially along the beach. Really, anywhere along the beach in Broward is going to have a higher amount of this demographic. Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, etc. Where you go in particular is mainly a matter of how close you want to be to Miami, aesthetics, amenities, shopping, affordability, etc. It's generally going to cost more the closer you are to Miami.

[blestarone]

Outside of Ft. Lauderdale check out Pompano and Hollywood. Even Weston and Parkland etc but they're pretty much all over Broward and Palm Beach. Miami-Dade has many spots too.