Also...

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A Bit of My History...

At the turn of the century the La Galbo family lived in Bahleria, Sicily, just outside of Palermo. Catherina LoGalbo (my great-great-grandmother) died young leaving her husband Carl with five young children. He soon remarried and and after some years sailed to America for a new life sending for the children one or two at a time. My great-grandmother—who was 19 at the time—decided to remain in Italy working for a wealthy family caring for their children instead of coming to America with her family. But when her younger sister got pink eye and was unable to sail, my great-grandmother, Providenzia had to take her spot and sailed to America. Providenzia was 19 when she arrived in New York City and immigrated upstate to Utica, New York with her family to work in the Onieta fabric mills. She met and married a Northern Italian immigrant, Thomas Di Georgio, and together had eight children.

I have heard it said that, “You have to know where you came from to know where you are going.” I truly believe knowing where my family came from and the struggles they endured to find freedom here in America has made me a stronger person. In my current home, the ship’s manifest that my great-grandmother signed hangs in the hallway. It is a reminder to my sisters and I that if you have a goal and the will to make something happen, it can always be achieved.

As in many Italian families, family is the number one priority in my life. My mother was very close with her grandparents and has carried on many Italian family traditions. Of course, most of the traditions that I cherish are centered around food and family. I hope to someday pass these traditions along to my children.

I am currently taking an Italian language class. I believe to truly be part of a culture, you have to immerse yourself in it and learn all you can. With that said, I can hardly wait until I am in Italy studying. To prepare myself for the experience, I know I have to learn the language. I am sure it will not be easy, but I know it will be extremely rewarding. My mother jokes with me and says learning Italian should be easy because my name "Kara" comes from the Italian translation for beloved friend “Cara Mia”.... I hope so! I will soon be studying at the University of Siena at Arezzo; I hope to be exposed to cultures that I may not regularly encounter on a day-to-day basis if I were just visiting. I also hope to develop the ability to make friends and connections with the people that I meet on my journey. I also think this experience will teach me to think globally, yet act locally – a mindset that is becoming more and more important in the current day and age.

Providenzia never again had the opportunity to see her baby sister who had been forced to stay in Italy with pink eye but they wrote and exchanged letters until Providenzia died in 1982. Providenzia and her children, one of which was my grandmother, never made the crossing back to Italy and Sicily to visit; this year I hope to carry out their dream and return to the country of my heritage.