Figure 1.--Here we see the Catholic Congregation in front of Our Lady of Pompeii Church in Tickfaw, Louisiana. The photo was taken in 1922. Large numbers of Italians emigranted, large numbers to the United States. Most were rural people, but settled in the large industrial cities of the Northeast and Midwest. Relatively few moved to the Southern states.

Here we see the Catholic Congregation in front of Our Lady of Pompeii Church in Tickfaw, Louisiana. The photo was taken in 1922. Large numbers of Italians emigranted, large numbers to the United States. Most were rural people, but settled in the large industrial cities of the Northeast and Midwest. Relatively few moved to the Southern states. Before the large-scale immigration of the late-19th century, some Italians had migrated to Lousiana. In the early 20th century many people of Italian descent moved into Tangipahoa. We are not sure just why. Most of them had worked on sugar plantations around New Orleans. After some time, they had decided to go into farming for themselves. This was relatively unusual. Many came to Tangipahoa to raise strawberries. In early 1920s a wood framed church was erected and a priest was commissioned to take up residence in Tickfaw. Our Lady of Pompeii (in Italian Madonna di Pompei) remained an autonomous parish.

Italian Americans

Italians are one of the major Amercan immigrant groups. They are an especially important Catholic immirant groups. Large numbers of Italians emigranted, large numbers to the United States. Most were rural people, but settled in the large industrial cities of the Northeast and Midwest. Some Italians went into farming, especially truck farming specializing in produce. Most Italians found jobs as workers in the exapanding Amerian industrial economy. Others opened up small shops ad restaurants. Quite a number of Italians returned to Italy, mny with nest eggs they could use to buy a smsall fsarm or shop. Most stayed and made a major contribution ton the ASmerican ethnic melting pot.

Italians in Louisiana

Relatively few Italians settled in the Southern states where they encountered hoistility from the staunchly Protestant population. Louisiana is an exception, possibly because of the presence of other Catholics. Italian-Americans today make up a significant portion of south Louisiana's total population. Many arrived at the port of New Orleans from southern Italy, especially Apulia and Calabria, and from Sicily in the years immediusately after the Civil War. This was a decade or two before the massive Italian immigration of the late-19th century. They initiallly found work often as plantation workers, replacing the newly freed slaves. As soon as possible they sent for their families. Children often worked alongside parents in the cane fields. The strawberry industry in Tangipahoa Parish drew many Italians who sought land there. Eventually, those who had worked hard and saved their money were able to buy small plots in the parish. The southern Italians not onnly faced nativist Protestat hostility, but hostility and suspicion from other European immigrants, including northern Italians. These problems strengthened their communal bonds, and religious and secular traditions kept heir communities close. Today, many communities in Louisiana have an annual Italian festival, and the prejudice of long ago has faded.

Tickfaw

A reader writes about Tickdaw, "My father's family was from Louisiana, the northern part. I was born in Shreveport. I know something about the Pelican State, having visited relatives there many, many times. Tickfaw is located in southern Louisiana, between New Orleans and southwestern Mississippi. (On the map Mississippi looks like a boot. Tickfaw is south of the sole of the boot.) The Acadians expelled by the British have had aajor cultural impact in Louisiana. Louisiana's Acadian (or "Cajun "- and they won't mind a bit if you call them that!) country is well known for its French traditions. Many Irish, Italian, and German immigrants also settled along the lakes and bayous. There is one little town called Des Allemands, French for "The Germans", meaning a German settlement there. Tickfaw is in Tangipahoa (pronounced TAN jih puh HO a) Parish, a parish being the Louisiana equivalent of a county. Tangipahoa is known for two things: they raise wonderful strwawberries and have an annual strawberry festival--thanks to the Iralians. The second, they make no secret of, the towns collect a small fortune in speeding tickets! The towns in the parish are not really bashful about being known as 'speed traps'!"

Our Lady of Pompeii Church

Before the large-scale immigration of the late-19th century, some Italians had migrated to Lousiana. We are not sure just when. In the early-20th century many people of Italian descent moved into Tangipahoa Parish. We are not sure just why. Most of them had worked on sugar plantations around New Orleans. After some time, they had decided to go into farming for themselves. This was relatively unusual. Many came to Tangipahoa to raise strawberries. In early 1920s a wood framed church was erected and a priest was commissioned to take up residence in Tickfaw. Our Lady of Pompeii (in Italian Madonna di Pompei) remained an autonomous parish. Here we see the Catholic Congregation in front of Our Lady of Pompeii Church in Tickfaw, Louisiana. The photo was taken in 1922. The boys wear both knee pants and knickers. And as was common in the South at the time, many boys were barefoot.

Source

Parish web site.

Created: 9:37 PM 11/14/2009
Last updated: 5:40 PM 11/16/2009