We are collecting the stories of Italian families who emigrated around the world in search of a better life. People who often left all their loved ones and their belongings to ensure a future for their families. It is right to tell these stories of strength, love, resilience, and attachment to one's roots, in a world where too often everything is taken for granted. Today we tell you the story of Antonio Pontoriero's family:
It all began in my small town San Calogero, then the province of Catanzaro, now the province of Vibo Valentia, Calabria. In 1940, at the age of 20, my father and 19, my mother, got married and after a very short time my father was called to do military service during the war, in Greece. He was taken prisoner by the Germans (in the meantime, my older brother was born in the town). At the end of the war, my father was freed by the English in France and from there, on foot, he returned to our town. Then my sister was born and in 1949, I was born, the youngest. Seeing that the situation was economically difficult, my father in the same year decided to emigrate "to make America" in Buenos Aires, Argentina alone. Every 6 months he sent money by mail for our support, for a good 7 years. When my mother wrote to him about everything that had happened here, he decided to come back and stay with us in November 1957 for 15 or 20 days.
It was a big party with us and friends, but at the end of November he got a disease called Asian fever, and for 30 days he was in bed, while the money was running out and having no other support, when he was hospitalized he asked for a loan to return to Argentina giving orders to my mother to sell everything to emigrate the whole family. And so, on January 31, 1959 we went all the family together to a house that my father had already bought in the neighborhood of Saavedra. After a while to pay for the whole house, my father decided to invite his parents to stay with us, because they were alone in the country. My grandmother wanted but my grandfather did not and to convince him my 22 year old brother traveled, but with great surprise, they convinced my brother to stay in Italy, once again the family separated.
My dad had a job at the “Corporación de Transportes de Buenos Aires”, with the privatization he lost his job but luckily he had bought half of a micro bus and working 7 days a week he was able to buy the other part. So time passed and with a lot of sacrifice he reached the time of retirement being well off financially and with his children settled, enjoying his grandchildren but unfortunately not with great health. Happy to see us already grown up, married and with children, he closed his eyes at the age of 70.
To tell the story of my parents' life I wrote a poem, and I'm trying to find someone who wants to make the music and sing it:
“They were two young men Beginning their first love Between mountains, sun and sea It was in southern Italy”
“They got married in the country in front of their people at the altar of the Lord and swore eternal love to each other”
“World War Time As a soldier I must go I leave my love And I recommend myself to God”
“Fortunately I have returned And I wanted to rest, I must go far away To earn bread”
“I'm waiting for you here in America I want to work in peace And for all my life My Love...to be together”
“They were two young men Beginning their first love Between mountains, sun and sea It was in southern Italy”
“Today the sky is lit up For the moon and the sun Two young men are flying They are my parents”
Here is the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ0bKFEI7kA
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