There is nothing so disgusting to me, as an Italo-American trying to assert victim status.
I’ve been through the Ellis Island records looking for my great-grandparents, who were here and then went back to Italy.
People were refused entry and sent back for all kinds of reasons. All the time. My parents had a hard time getting here *in the 60s* for Pete’s sake. They have ZERO patience for this illegal immigrant nonsense.
And anyway, “wop” comes from Neapolitan guappo = “dandy”. Had nothing to do with papers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wop
Bingo. My grandfather came from Calbria at 16. No family, no job, no sponsor.Result... no entry. There was a jobber on Ellis Island looking for guys to buildvthe Tesla powerplants in Niagara Ontario. So back on a ship to Montreal. RR to Niagara. Four years he worked. Obtained Canadian citizenship. Came across the border to the US. When asked fot his papers, he opened his wallet, showed four year’s wages and his Canadian citizenship. Told the customs agent he was going to NYC to open a fruit store. Customs agent says...Welcome to the United States... That story was passed down four generations of my family. Illegal...my posterior.