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Old 02-23-2008, 06:55 PM
 
111 posts, read 464,531 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by King0fthehill View Post
Nice cheapshot on our Hispanic friends there....

if the shoe fits.......
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Old 02-23-2008, 08:47 PM
 
14,727 posts, read 33,242,287 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyT View Post
Briefly though, there was a Little Italy in Los Angeles. It occupied the area that is now known as Olvera Street and extended up to the borders of New Chinatown. This whole section of the city was the location of Italian owned and operated businesses.

Many of the businesses in Little Italy were forced to close during the Second World War, due in large part to discrimination and government imposed restrictions on non-resident Italians.

Some businesses however did continue on well into the 1950's and 1960's. The residential areas were slowly abandoned after the war as Italians moved into the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys.
Very heartwarming and very sad. Right, you talk about the northward movement to the two valleys...most of the Italian kids I knew were tied to one of the two valleys, though I grew up on the West Side. And you are very right about the Olvera Street reference...the most important of the Italian parishes, St. Peters, sits right above Olvera Street. I went there a time or two with my parents as a teenager...and it was SOOO Italian and SOOO New York-ese. It's like you expected to hear "Dimmi quando quando quando..."

We are a culture that, once we get to the states, we lose our traditions. Because my parents came over toward the end of the immigration waves of Europeans, and clearly after the war such that there was no reason to hide you were Italian, we were raised in a manner that made us very proud of our roots...watching "Moonstruck" or "Big Fat Greek Wedding" is still very close to my frame of reference. I go to Italy 2 out of every 3 years. And I will never forget when Alitalia finally came to Los Angeles in the 80s, flying their 747s to LAX. What a sight, the majestic Boeing 747 in the very stylish Italian paint scheme "floating" over Sepulveda Boulevard as it was about to touch down on the tarmac of the north runway.

Wouldn't you say thought that the biggest cause of the lack of interest in Italian culture is the fact that the next generation intermarried to the tune of about 80% +? That is, kids born in the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s to two Italian parents RARELY married another Italian.

Last edited by robertpolyglot; 02-23-2008 at 09:49 PM..
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Old 02-23-2008, 09:40 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
29 posts, read 78,428 times
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Have you tried Venice Beach area. There is a gondola boat ride type of setup over there with the river and bridge and what have you.
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Old 02-23-2008, 09:54 PM
 
14,727 posts, read 33,242,287 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sunray View Post
Have you tried Venice Beach area. There is a gondola boat ride type of setup over there with the river and bridge and what have you.
I haven't but then, see, I moved away a number of years ago. I don't live in Southern California anymore.
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Old 02-23-2008, 10:26 PM
 
Location: So Cal
10,008 posts, read 9,431,180 times
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They all went into the witness protection program?


Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyT View Post
If you do a search for a thread titled "Why Doesn't Los Angeles Have a Little Italy?" you will find two rather extensive posts I wrote regarding the role of Italians in Los Angeles and about the old Italian Quarter.

Briefly though, there was a Little Italy in Los Angeles. It occupied the area that is now known as Olvera Street and extended up to the borders of New Chinatown. This whole section of the city was the location of Italian owned and operated businesses. The residential areas of Little Italy were primarily the foothills of Elysian Park and Lincoln Heights. Many of the businesses in Little Italy were forced to close during the Second World War, due in large part to discrimination and government imposed restrictions on non-resident Italians. Some businesses however did continue on well into the 1950's and 1960's. The residential areas were slowly abandoned after the war as Italians moved into the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys.

So while it is true that there is no Little Italy in Los Angeles now, there was once a very vibrant and thriving Italian community downtown whose presence has both been forgotten and ignored for far too long.
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Old 02-24-2008, 01:05 AM
 
14,727 posts, read 33,242,287 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VLWH View Post
They all went into the witness protection program?
Clever. LOL. It's easy even for Italians to make fun of Italians. They are "molto divertente."
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Old 02-24-2008, 02:05 AM
 
Location: Turn right at the stop sign
4,407 posts, read 3,964,626 times
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Robert:

Actually I would disagree with you on the intermarriage issue. My paternal great grandparents arrived in California, Los Angeles specifically, in 1905. With the exception of one, all of their children were born in the U.S. However, they all married Italians. While my father did not marry someone of Italian descent, my brother and I were brought up to acknowledge and be extremely proud of our Italian heritage. My brother is doing the same with his children as our my numerous cousins, the majority of whom are full blooded Italian and have married the same.

I do not believe that any of the generations that have followed since say the turn of the last century have a lack of interest in Italian culture. I suspect that they have adopted the mindset that was instilled in my grandparents by their immigrant parents, which they in turn passed on to my father. That being, you are American first. You must never forget who you are and where you come from. You should always celebrate your traditions, honor and take pride in your heritage, but America is the land of your birth and you should acknowledge it as such.

Perhaps my view on the issue is skewed by my upbringing. It is possible that my experience is actually the exception rather then the rule. But I have met many people during the course of my life, of all ages, that possess varying amounts of Italian blood. And not one has ever attempted to ignore their roots, but instead have embraced them wholeheartedly.
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Old 02-24-2008, 03:19 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles, which as I understand was once upon a time ago part of the United States of America
849 posts, read 1,037,355 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by King0fthehill View Post
Nice cheapshot on our Hispanic friends there....
Don't recall mentioning Hispanics in my original post. BTW, I've never even been to Spain.
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Old 02-24-2008, 03:23 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles, which as I understand was once upon a time ago part of the United States of America
849 posts, read 1,037,355 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VLWH View Post
They all went into the witness protection program?
No, you're thinking of former Scotch-Irish moonshiners.
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Old 03-12-2008, 08:14 PM
 
Location: California
3,172 posts, read 6,733,814 times
Reputation: 335
Quote:
Originally Posted by BreaOC View Post
No. We do have a Little Tokyo and a Chinatown in downtown Los Angeles. There is also a Little Saigon and Koreatown in Orange County. Los Angeles doesn't have a large Italian population, most of the immigrants are of Asian, Latino, and Jewish background. If you consider Jewish people to be immigrants (some do some don't). If I am correct San Francisco is the only city in California with a little Italy unfortunately. The previous poster is correct in saying that there are some pretty amazing Italian restaurants locally.

Theres actually a Little Italy in San Diego, too. Right next to Downtown.

I don't think its very large though.
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