My mother’s side of the family is mainly Irish, and my father’s side of the family is 100% Sicilian. However, I could not find any specific information relating to my mother’s side of the family. So, I will be discussing my Sicilian heritage.
Just for a background of Sicily, it is located off the tip of the Italian peninsula. Sicily is comprised of nine provinces: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Siracusa, and Trapani. The major ethnic groups include native Sicilians, Arabs, Greeks, Spanish, and northern Italians. Although the vast majority of Sicilians are Roman Catholics, there are smaller numbers of Greek Orthodox Christians. My family is Roman Catholics. My great grandparents were the ones who came here from Sicily. My great grandfather’s name was Gaetano Nuara. They did not change our last name when they came here but they changed his first name to Charles, which is now my current grandfather’s name. Sicily suffered a series of agricultural crises, which made a sharp drop in the grain and citrus markets, which is why my family immigrated here. The main areas of Sicilian settlement in the United States included the major industrial centers of the country including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Illinois, and some parts of the South. My family was originally in New York, but moved to New Jersey.
Sicilians are known for their food. The food is hot and spicy, and eggplants, olives, pine nuts, and capers are common, along with pasta and tomatoes. Sicilians are also known for their desserts, including their gelato Sicilian (Sicilian ice cream) and cannoli, a fried pastry stuffed with ricotta cheese and candied fruit. All of these dishes are still very common at our big family parties because everyone in my family carries on the tradition.
Just for a background of Sicily, it is located off the tip of the Italian peninsula. Sicily is comprised of nine provinces: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Siracusa, and Trapani. The major ethnic groups include native Sicilians, Arabs, Greeks, Spanish, and northern Italians. Although the vast majority of Sicilians are Roman Catholics, there are smaller numbers of Greek Orthodox Christians. My family is Roman Catholics. My great grandparents were the ones who came here from Sicily. My great grandfather’s name was Gaetano Nuara. They did not change our last name when they came here but they changed his first name to Charles, which is now my current grandfather’s name. Sicily suffered a series of agricultural crises, which made a sharp drop in the grain and citrus markets, which is why my family immigrated here. The main areas of Sicilian settlement in the United States included the major industrial centers of the country including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Illinois, and some parts of the South. My family was originally in New York, but moved to New Jersey.
Sicilians are known for their food. The food is hot and spicy, and eggplants, olives, pine nuts, and capers are common, along with pasta and tomatoes. Sicilians are also known for their desserts, including their gelato Sicilian (Sicilian ice cream) and cannoli, a fried pastry stuffed with ricotta cheese and candied fruit. All of these dishes are still very common at our big family parties because everyone in my family carries on the tradition.
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