Interviewer
Roberta Smith
Files
Download Full Text (1.4 MB)
Description
Helena Venturino Howell was born on September 19, 1913. She was the first child of her family to be born in the United States. Her father emigrated from Italy to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 16. He first worked as a pin boy in a bowling alley and then took a job on the railroad. Her mother immigrated to Williamson, WV, with Mrs. Howell’s older sister in 1912. Mrs. Howell’s family lived in neighborhood in Williamson comprised primarily of Italians. Her family moved to New Boston, OH, when she was a young girl. During her interview, Mrs. Howell discusses being an Italian immigrant in the United States. She focuses on the tight-knit Italian communities in which she grew up, as well as, the prejudices, racism, and discrimination she and her family faced. She also discusses her love of school as a child, arranged marriages, and food preparation. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Howell discusses her mother’s arrival to Williamson, WV, and the Italian community in Williamson.
Publication Date
Summer 7-8-1974
Type
Text
Keywords
Italian immigration, Williamson, WV, railroads, prejudices, racism, and discrimination, religion
Disciplines
Appalachian Studies | Cultural History | Italian Language and Literature | Labor History | Oral History | Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures | Social History
Comments
Interview is included in the Marshall University Oral History Collection. The index number is OH64-142. This interview was conducted by Roberta Smith. MDS exhibit prepared by Jennifer Gehringer, August, 2014.
Rights
Educational use only, no other permissions given. Copyright to this resource is held by the content creator, author, artist or other entity, and is provided here for educational purposes only. It may not be reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission of the copyright owner.
Recommended Citation
Marshall University Special Collections, OH 64-142, Huntington, WV.
Included in
Appalachian Studies Commons, Cultural History Commons, Italian Language and Literature Commons, Labor History Commons, Oral History Commons, Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures Commons, Social History Commons
Library of Congress Subjects
Howell, Helena Venturino, 1913- -- Autobiography. Railroads -- Employees -- Oral histories. Family -- Huntington (W. Va.) -- Oral histories. Prejudices -- Huntington (W. Va.) -- Oral histories. Rural churches -- Huntington (W. Va.) -- Oral histories.