Image Curtesy of Nina Bisognani
We are all Immigrants
Barbara Kautz’s reflection about her mother, titled “MUM,” inspired me to think of other immigrants who, like her, suffered hard times. They survived by drawing on their inner strength to grow and help build this country we now call home. In the early 1900s, my maternal grandfather, Henry Tonnetti, sailed from Italy with his family and settled in York Harbor, where he found work as a stonemason. Like many other immigrants, he held several jobs. He also did carpentry, took care of wealthy summer people’s homes, and grew enough fruits and vegetables on his own land to feed his family comfortably. Henry loved gardening. The only photo I have of him is that of a small Italian man taking care of hi tomatoes. His green thumb helped him win contests for the lovely gladiolas he grew.Henry’s wife, Maria, didn’t speak English but she knit sweaters for all the children in their neighborhood. Maria acted as a midwife, helping the local doctor deliver a friend’s child. During the birth, she was cut by an unclean instrument, developed blood poisoning, and died within afew days. Her husband died months later, some say from a broken heart. By the time my mother was 15 years old, both of her parents had passed. Faith in God gave her the will to carry on. My mother was an outsider in a WASP community; an immigrant. When she was still in grade school, two boys teased her daily by trying to steal her lunch on her way to school. Instead of giving in to their bullying, she used her wits and courage to outsmart them while protecting herself. In spite of the hardships she faced, my mother worked at the post office after school and graduated valedictorian of the high school class. During her life she gave back to the community by planting public gardens, forming York’s first women’s golf league, working for the church, and volunteering to help other people in need. This isn’t just a story about the family I know best. As Governor Janet Mills said recently during a march protesting the work of ICE in Maine, “We are all immigrants.” Many of the immigrants who are allowed to enter the United States today work long, hard hours, just as our parents did. Many of their children become successful, caring people.During the Memorial Day season, we pay tribute with the highest respect to those who gave their lives to protect our families and our freedom. It is time for us to be grateful we are all
immigrants: living together and helping each other to share our own inner strengths in this
beautiful, yet damaged, world.
We are all Immigrants
Nina Bisognani