Authored by Karen Beverly

http://saintraphaelsociety.wordpress.com/

Website Created by Mary Glynn

Project Contributors: Melissa Henderson, Tonya Ely, Zachary Housel, Margaret Mattes, Joseph Pascullo, and Kathryn Sullivan

A photograph of Santa Giuliana Giovanni and his family alongside an additional Italian immigrant. Maria Corona obtained from the Center for Migration Studies.

This particular website concentrates on the strenuous journey that Italian immigrant children of the 1900’s (most specifically, “The Lost Children of Ellis Island”) had faced when making their way to America.  While some immigrants made the trip in hopes of living the American Dream – life, liberty, and happiness – many immigrants contracted illness on their journey, passed away, and even got separated from their loved ones.  Children were therefore left alone in a new and foreign country with no guidance, unable to speak the common language of the area, and with no place to go.  Places such as The Saint Raphael Society were then established in order to look after these orphaned children and ultimately tried to raise money for those immigrants who had no choice other than to return back home to Italy.  Continue reading →