Kristen Ersando's Digital Oral History

"Living in Immigrant Shoes"

The Early Life & Perspectives of 

Lavinia Puglia Zanassi

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

I. Introduction to Interviewee

II. Issues of Self-Identity

III. Feelings of Isolation As a First Generation American

IV. Changes or Differences In Growing Up & Now

V. Parents View On Education

VI. Family Values & Cultural Differences

VII. Evolution of Identity & Its Positive Impact

Introduction to Interviewee:

     In this segment, Lavinia Zanassi, her maiden name being Puglia, introduces herself as a first-generation American in California. Lavinia gives background to the very strong Sicilian- Italian influence in her life as well as she sets the context in which most of her stories take place, “at a time where that was not much cross-cultural awareness nor was there a significant amount of openness about people and culture and situations that would require the ability to connect with others that may have been raised in either a different environment, different language or different culture" (Zanassi).

Issues of Self-Identity:

     Lavinia begins to describe the factors that played into her issues of self identity. Because of her differences she was able to bond with children of other races. Despite looking “American” she always felt as if she did not belong with the majority of children because her strong Sicilian culture, which at that point was not completely accepted. By hanging out with other minorities, many of whom were immigrants themselves, Lavinia felt comfort in the fact that they were all learning and struggling to fit in together. 

     The shared experience between minorities is not exclusive to Lavinia. In the an academic journal article, “Family, Culture, and Filipina” written about Filipino Americans living in California, the author, Yen Le Espiritu states, “For example, when asked what makes their group distinctive, Italian Americans (di Leonardo 1984), Vietnamese Americans (Kibria 1993), South Asian Americans (Hickey 1996), and African Americans (Lamont 1997) all point proudly to the close-knit character of their family life” (10).

     Overall, having to balance her Italian culture at home, trying fitting into an unknown American culture, as well as be apart of a racially and culturally diverse group of friends added another level of complexity in Lavinia’s identity.

Feelings of Isolation as a First Generation American:

     Lavinia explains that her Italian culture was much more strict than what she saw in comparison to her American peers. She felt that she was not able to express her feelings and perceptions of the world; for example she saw that her parents’ experience coming to America for a better life was really just as hard, if not harder than their origin country. Lavinia recalls the details and stories of not being able to openly say, “I don’t understand this” and having to smile or laugh to mask her embarrassment of not understanding her peers. Through these situations, Lavinia not only gained the value of appreciating the little things such as understanding cheesy jokes, she also developed creative thinking and ingenuity skills through coping in these tough circumstances.

Changes or Differences in Growing Up and Now:

     When asked if she can recall changes of discrimination from her childhood to modern day California, Lavinia points out that in some aspects things have actually not changed. Despite having a higher level of education, many minorities still experience discrimination or suffer from the stereotype that they are not as good as the Americans with the same education. 

     This is a reoccurring theme we see throughout California history. In the Academic Journal Article, “Chinese American Women Defense Workers in World War II”, the author, Xiaojian Zhao, referring to the mistreatment of Chinese Americans during the 1940s, states, “The way they were treated in the job market was even worse: engineering graduates of Chinese decent from the University of California, Berkeley, were frequently rejected by American firms” (146).

Parents' View on Education:

     When asked if her parents value on education was due to their struggles in this country, Lavinia agrees. Coming to this America with little money, they saw education as an opportunity in this country to be more successful.

Perspectives Gained Through Family Hardship:

     Lavinia shares the fond memory of her parents, her brother and her four year old self all working together to decipher the paper work of buying a new home. Despite the difficulty her parents had that interactive dynamic made them a closer family. Lavinia states that sometimes its hard to explain those feelings of frustrations with people other than family because they just don’t get it.
     Those experiences shifted her to be more mindful as well as teaching her a sense of responsibility and maturity.

Family Values & Cultural Differences:

     Lavinia goes into the details of the ways in which her family values included being very protective over one another. Even though in points of her life it caused her to feel embarrassed, Lavinia expressed the same protective behavior in her young adulthood towards her younger family members. 

     Lavinia also describes the way in which her father separates their Italian culture and American culture. Her father’s attitude are similar to the attitudes of the Filipino Americans that are featured in Yen Le Espiritu’s academic journal, “Family, Culture, and Filipina”. These are both direct quotes from the various parents of first generation Filipino-Americans the author interviews:

"American Society lacks caring. The American way of life is more individual rather than collective. The American way is to say I want to have my own way. (Filipina immigrant, fifty-four years old)"

"Asian parents take care of their children. Americans have a different attitude. They leave their children to their own resources. They get babysitters to take care of their children or leave them in day care. That's why when they get old, their children don't even care about them. (Filipino Immigrant, forty-six years old)"

Evolution of Identity & Its Positive Impact:

     Throughout the segments Lavinia has expressed her difficulties of being a first generation American. In this clip, Lavinia admits that at one point in her young adulthood she decided to stop playing the role of a chameleon. However, through life experience and maturing, she began to embrace it. Not only did she find the beauty in her multi-cultural life, Lavinia was able to find her career through this realization. 
     Currently, Lavinia spends her days as a devoted professor and counselor in Skyline's Career Service Department. She expresses how her childhood and experiences has motivated her to help students. Through this clip we can see the true passion she has for her profession and dedication for her students.
     As a student at Skyline and Ms. Lavinia Zanassi's teaching assistant, I can attest to the positive impact she has on all the students she encounters.

note from the author/interviewer:

          Often times as we go through hardships, we lose sight of a positive outcome. After fifty nine years of life and thirty years of experience working as a college counselor, Lavinia is living proof that despite the complications of society, you do not have to choose between two cultures.
          Lavinia lived through the day when it became legal for little girls to wear pants at school. Society will always have its issues, and even though we all wish the rate of progress could be much faster, Lavinia first handedly experienced that change is possible. One day and one student at a time, Lavinia strives to be apart of that change.

Espiritu, Yen Le. "“We Don’t Sleep Around Like White Girls Do”Family, Culture, and Gender in Filipina American Lives." Gender and U.S. Immigration Contemporary Trends (2003): 263-84.

Zhao, Xiaojian. Chinese American Women Defense Workers in World War II (1996)