Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: Assimilation Music

Don't look for the term Assimilation Music anywhere because I coined it
myself.
During the late 40's and 50's after the height of migration of mostly
Southern Italians to the US and during the goverment-imposed restrictions to
limit more Southern Italians entering the US, a large number of
first-generation US citizens of Italian descent were establishing themselves
in a culture that was both hostile and consuming of their cultural heritage.
Italians weren't being lynched as they were twenty years earlier in
Louisiana but there was still enough prejudice against them that some
Italian-Americans changed their names to hide their ethnic identity and
obtain jobs to feed their families.
Also, of course, it was after WWII, and the US was in pursuit of a
middle-class focused consumer economy driven by changing fads and
technology. US residents might appreciate the artistic skills, hard work,
and inventive minds of Italians but being Italian was still a definite
disadvantage as many colloquialisms from that period can attest.
Until several years ago, the popular music (and I do mean popular music, not
High Art) that sprung from this community used to be a bit of an
embarassment to me, given my somewhat elitist artistic perspective (I'm
working on it, as Bill says). Then, as I began to understand the music in
it's historical and cultural context, and within the context of popular
music, an enlightened perception blossomed. Now I love this music that marks
the transition to US culture and beyond, and I respect and appreciate the
artists involved as pioneers in the assimilation of their culture into the
evolving US culture, while changing it through their own contributions.
One of the fads during this time was Latin music. US TV even had a hit TV
show that portrayed a Cuban man who spoke with an accent married to a
"Northern European" woman. Songs like "Calypso Italiano," or "Mambo
Italiano," were commercial songs that had to bridge not only Italian and
Latin ethnicity but also appeal to a broad US audience. The comedic and
musical talent of Italian-Americans, such as Louie Prima, created some
enduring popular music that surpasses in quality much of the popular music
of that time.
If you got this far, thanks for your interest,
Ron
USA

USA
I did indeed get this far and I loved it, Ron. Nobody in my family got as
far as the US (I think I only have a few distant relations from my father's
mother's side in France) but the stories of the Italian immigration always
strike a chord within my sentimental weepy self. The sheer hell it must have
been.
Thanks.
Isa
Mamma mia, dammi cento lire
che in America voglio andar
Cento lire io te le do,
ma in America no, no, no.

Isa
You are very kind, Isa.
A quei tempi, anche in Italia, c'era molta miseria.
I did not intend to be too off-topic with this post, but perhaps my emotions
got the better of me.
Ciao,
Ron
USA

Dear Ron,
I read with with a great deal of interest your post which was
insightful in many ways. I am blessed with a large family on my
mother's side, many of whom were part of the very wave of immigrants
seeking those fabled streets, paved with gold, during the period you
cite. They have for the most part returned home now, though some,
finding their life in the US beyond their possibility of endurance,
moved even further south, to Venezuela, Argentina and son on.
I would be interested, if you know, to learn of some of the
colloquialisms you mention. Quite possibly they are familiar to me,
but perhaps without my having realised their origins.
The music you make reference too also offers  great  insight into this
life, especially when one understands the circumstances under which
they were written.  Whilst I may have made light of this type of music
in an earlier post, it was an easy quip.  It is well to remember how
such a form of popular music came about. As I have previously
confessed, I can be caught out singing many of the songs in moments of
careless abandon.
Thanking you, I remain, ecc
Bambi
dtb

in an earlier post, it was an easy quip.
Stai tranquillo, I wasn't offended, the opinion is too pervasive to afford
that reaction.
I can understand a distaste for this music as well as for any popular music.
In the end it's not musically sophisticated or lyrically inspiring, it's pop
music. But it is a window, along with written words, oral history, and other
preserved popular icons, into a human experience maligned by the
short-sightedness that pervades most time-, class-, and culture-bound
perceptions. My point was only that I've found a way to appreciate the view
and I hoped a few others might join me. I also get indigestion from "a big
pizza pie," but the lyrics of most modern popular songs are no easier to
digest.
In ogni caso, ti sono grato per il messaggio, e devo dirti che la mia vita
qui e' bella, vi ringrazio nonni.
Ciao,
Ron
USA

 che in America voglio andar
Perche' non intervenite ogni tanto su soc.genealogy.italian? E' un NG
frequentato da americani di origine italiana i quali dell'Italia
ignorano la lingua, la cultura e il luogo di origine. In compenso sono
desiderosi di recuperare la loro identita'. Fra l'altro mi pare che
spesso il loro inglese sia peggiore del mio, un principiante che lo
sta studiando da appena due mesi.
Alex
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Stai tranquillo,
TranquillO?
Ron, fai casino con le desinenze oppure Bambi è un MASCHIO e io sono l'unica
che non se n'è accorta? Eppure avrei giurato...
Ari, Janis, subito nel mio ufficio... URGE un accurato censimento della
popolazione di i.c.l.ing!
Ciao
Isa

Dear Isabella
As always, HRH is correct in her divination as to my  gender.
Female.
I remain, as always,
Bambi
dtb

Bambi
I stand corrected.[1]
I guess you can't always assume with this newsgroup that a name that ends in
"i" is a man.
Ciao,
Ron
USA
principiante in italiano, capitolo 11
[1] una frase idiomatica, che significa "I accept the correction"

popolazione di i.c.l.ing!
Ehm, sono un po' in ritardo per il summit eh? : )
Pero` ho portato la giustificazione... (segreta) : )
Bambi era certamente una donna, solo Ron che e` un sognatore poteva
pensare ad un ragazzo che scrivesse in quel modo : )
Mi sembra che non ci siano altri dubbi...oddio...ho notato Bambi dare
dell'uomo ad Arianna...ma la cosa e` passata inosservata mi pare...
baci piccola
JanisMom

pensare ad un ragazzo che scrivesse in quel modo : )
Si, sono un sognatore, o forse un'uomo con un'immaginazione troppo ricca, ma te,
credo che eri stata lontano da San Francisco per troppo tempo.



cosa?  L'ultima volta che mi sono fatta analizzare i cromosomi erano XX.
ciao
arianna


ma te, credo che eri stata lontano da San Francisco per troppo tempo.
That's definitely true, but what this has to do with my quoted
sentence? : )
baci
Janis
p.s. btw the phrase "eri stata lontana" means I'm not "lontana" from
San Fran anymore, while I still am.

San Fran anymore, while I still am.
Just in case you missed the city, have a look at the SF Cronichle web site,
http://www.sfgate.com/liveviews/
 :
there's a SF view from the Skydeck building, updated every 30 seconds.
You can see the Cohen Tower and Alcatraz, or the Oakland Bridge (I think).
Say Ron, why don't you go at the Cohen Tower with a big, huge Italian flag,
and stay there for a whole day, so that we all can see you from here?
: ))
Note
(*)not so sure about that, when I think of Corazzini...

sentence? : )
I meant to say that you have been away from San Francisco for too long otherwise
you would not consider it that unusual to encounter a man with a strong feminine
style of writing. One could easily suspect we had another Queen in our midst.
Ciao,
Ron
USA
principiante in italiano, and it shows.

style of writing. One could easily suspect we had another Queen in
our midst.
R..o...n...!!! I thought you were such a good boy just to find out
you're a twisted mind little evil thingy! : )
Oh gosh I'm actually Rolling On the Floor Laughing!
Laughing at my naivete that is : )
Janis
p.s. Are you gonna tell them the other meaning of Queen? : )

cosa?  L'ultima volta che mi sono fatta analizzare i cromosomi erano
XX.
Azz...avevi bisogno di quella prova? : )
j/k
Janis

p.s. Are you gonna tell them the other meaning of Queen? : )
EVERYONE on this NG must know by now. If not, read "The Queen is Back" and don't
miss my insipid attempt at a poem in italian.


...
:
aria...@my-dejanews.com
 ha scritto nel messaggio

:
:

HRH the masculine gender.
Now, pray tell, what was she supposed to be referred to as?
A writess? Writress? Writeress? Authoress? Postress?
Isn't Virginia Woolf the *author* of "To the Lighthouse"?
And while we're on it, how do you call a female playwright? (A profession
sadly spelt "playwrite" by so many people...). Very un-PC of me, but I've
always loved words like songstress, waitress, manageress, actress...
unfortunately, there are only so many. I would gladly call Janis a
lawyeress, if I could (and if she let me).
Baci
Isa

 always loved words like songstress, waitress, manageress, actress...
Isa, you can no longer use the word actress.  It's out.  Now they are all
actors.
bye


Dear Isabella,
:Isabella Z ha scritto
:Bambi ha scritto nel messaggio
:
:>I did indeed, refer to Arianna as a writer of a post, attributing to
:>HRH the masculine gender.
:
:Now, pray tell, what was she supposed to be referred to as?
:A writess? Writress? Writeress? Authoress? Postress?
In my dotage, reference to which has already been made elsewhere by
the undersigned, I confused the writers of two posts, namely Arianna
and Dario.
Dario wrote:
    :E' già il secondo messaggio (in pochi minuti) in cui percepisco
    :un lieve refolo di astio nei confronti del British English.
to which Arianna replied:
    :Ma no, figurati, io amo Londra, la Gran Bretagna e gli Inglesi
I, in turn, replied saying:
    : the writer in question has stated that was not his intent,
    :and I for one, believe him. He writes so beautifully as well.
In so doing transforming the writer into a man. Oops!
As I have stated, I am sorry for the confusion.
Otherwise, had the phrase been constructed differently, I should
have said simply ' the writer '  or ' the author ' as you noted.
I remain, as always,
Bambi
dtb

romance with our very own Ron.
Detribalized eh?...It seems you're not honey : )
Janis

lawyeress, if I could (and if she let me).
Just call me Mom ; )
Anyway, I still think counselor sounds better, but then I should
translate it into barrister (which I hate, dunno why) for you and your
sis BritQueen : )
baci
Janis

Janis
That's because she's detribaliSed... :-)))
Love
Isa

...
:>My thanks to  Janis (who, if I remember aright, once,  signed
:herself,
:>the evil one ) for making public my error.
:>
:>Notwithstanding which, (snip)
:Detribalized eh?...It seems you're not honey : )
:Janis

...
:Anyway, I still think counselor sounds better, but then I should

:
: