a thought even the most distant
The progressive emigration flows of Italians towards Americas,
which left the majority of the country’s southernmost regions nearly uninhabited,
had already begun at the end of the 1800. However it was predominantly in the first
decade of the 1900 that the trend reached its highest point; it was then when our
compatriots, equipped only with great hopes and courage, embarked on a mass departure
heading to what was called the New World. Unfortunately only a few of them had the
chance to make their way back to visit their relatives and the places,
from where with weeping eyes and a pang in the heart they left many years before.
But do not worry … it is never too late....
Among the numerous changes introduced by the Internet there is the undeniable advantage
of having single-handedly virtually nullified or at least shortened the distances,
making communication faster and effortlessly simple for people to keep in touch.
Therefore now it is relatively more comfortable for our compatriots residing abroad
and for their descendants to satisfy any interest and curiosity they may have about
their origins, their ancestor’s fatherlands and those “who decided not to leave” and possibly
to re-establish with these long lost relatives the links once interrupted because of the
distance and the passing of time.
If anyone reading this, wishes to know more about the places of origins of his/her family,
ancestors or even trace back the family tree, do please contact us and we will try our
best to meet with your requests!
We would also bring to our international audience’s attention another issue:
as far as we are concerned in the past in Italy photographs were mainly taken
in circumstances such us family celebrations, religious festivals and holidays
in order to send them to their distant relatives abroad and since to make them was
quite expensive, they would rather not to keep extra copies for them in the family home.
For this reason it happened that emigrants used to keep more old family pictures in the new
country of destination than their relatives back in Italy, who perhaps would be very pleased
to share these common memories with them.
Therefore we would like to make an appeal to all those abroad with Vastogirardi’s ancestors
in possession of old family pictures, if they could kindly scan and email them to us and in
return we could try to help to identify and name, for as far as we can, the people portrayed in
the photos sent, when unknown, and publish them on this website under the section “Photo Album”.
For this reason though is our intention to gradually put into English all the pages
of this website, we have actually started by translating just this one, precisely to
launch this appeal and to make this aim clear for non-Italian speakers.
In case you have ancestors who emigrated to the United States between 1900 and 1930,
do let us know their names and we will provide you with as much information as possible
about the arrival date in New York, the name of the ship they travelled by, the name of
the probable travel companions, their destination, the relatives they were likely to join.
If you also have interesting stories of your ancestors’ emigration, do pleas send it to us
and we will publish them on this website. In return we will offer you a free certificate on
parchment paper reporting the arrival date in New York of your loved one.
This column will be taken care of by 
Ermanno Salvatore, an expert and passionate of the history of the great Italian Emigration Flow of 1900.
We are looking forward to her from you.
Contact us at: info@vastogirardiefriends.it
or at: ermanno.salvatore@fastwebnet.it
