Eleanor Finch
New York City has the largest population of Italian Americans in the United States, with over 2.6 million Italians and Italian Americans living in the greater New York metro area. Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, was a predominantly Italian borough in the 1980s and 1990s, with Italian Americans constituting the largest ethnic group in the city. However, due to gentrification, many Italian neighbourhoods in Brooklyn are now populated by other ethnic groups, including Asian Americans. Despite the migration of Italian residents, the culture and atmosphere of these neighbourhoods still carry an Italian presence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Italian-Americans in New York City | 3.1 million people |
| New York City's rank in Italian-American populations | Largest in North America and third-largest outside of Italy |
| Percentage of Italian-Americans in Rhode Island | 19% |
| Number of Italian-Americans in Rhode Island | 199,180 |
| Number of Italian-Americans in the US | 17.8 million |
| Number of Italian immigrants to the US between 1820 and 1978 | 5.3 million |
| Number of Italian immigrants to the US between 1900 and 1910 | 2 million |
| Number of Italian immigrants to the US between 1900 and 1915 | 3 million |
| Number of Italian immigrants to New York City between 1945 and 1973 | 129,000-150,000 |
| Number of Italian-Americans in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, in the 1980s | 150,000 |
| Percentage of Italian speakers in Brooklyn as of 2010 | 1.35% |
| Percentage of Yiddish speakers in Brooklyn as of 2010 | 3.47% |
| Percentage of Hebrew speakers in Brooklyn as of 2010 | 1.20% |
| Percentage of Arabic speakers in Brooklyn as of 2010 | 0.95% |
| Percentage of Urdu speakers in Brooklyn as of 2010 | 0.70% |
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What You'll Learn
Italian immigration to Brooklyn
The largest wave of Italian immigration to the United States occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Between 1820 and 1978, 5.3 million Italians made the journey, including over 2 million between 1900 and 1915. They were the largest nationality of the "new immigrants", coming from all regions of Italy. Many settled in New York, with one-third of Italian immigrants never progressing past New York City. They scattered across the city, settling in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and nearby towns in New Jersey. Manhattan's Little Italy, centred around Mulberry Street, became heavily Italian in character.
Italian Americans were a vital component of the labour supply, particularly in mining, textiles, and clothing manufacturing. They were also key in the food industry, with local Italian bakeries acting as epicentres of Italian neighbourhoods in Brooklyn. Italian cuisine became a New York staple, with the Giglio Feast in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, dating back to 1903.
Following World War II, there was another wave of Italian immigration. Many settled in Brooklyn, bypassing Manhattan, and reinvigorating Italian culture and community institutions. With the GI Bill, Italian Americans could afford to buy homes in Brooklyn, rather than renting apartments. Bensonhurst became the largest Italian community in New York City, with 150,000 Italian Americans in the 1980 census.
Today, New York City is home to the third-largest Italian population outside of Italy, with over 2.6 million Italian and Italian Americans in the greater New York metro area. Brooklyn continues to have a high degree of linguistic diversity, with Italian being one of the many languages spoken by its residents.
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Italian neighbourhoods in South Brooklyn
Italian Americans are the largest ethnic group in the New York metro area, with over 2.6 million Italian Americans living in the greater New York metro area and about 800,000 living within one of the five New York City boroughs. New York City has the largest Italian American population in the United States and North America.
Brooklyn, in particular, has a high degree of linguistic diversity. As of 2010, 1.35% of Brooklyn residents age 5 and older—approximately 31,004 people—spoke Italian as their primary language at home. While boroughs like Brooklyn used to be filled with Italian neighbourhoods, many people moved out of the area after several manufacturing plants were closed down.
Some Italian neighbourhoods in South Brooklyn include:
- Bensonhurst: Located in Brooklyn's southern tier, Bensonhurst became the largest Italian community in New York City with the influx of postwar immigrants. In the 1980 census, Bensonhurst was recorded to have 150,000 Italian Americans.
- Bay Ridge: Bay Ridge has a large Arab American population, but it is also known to be home to Italians.
- South Slope: South Slope is a neighbourhood in Brooklyn that is known to be home to Italians.
- Dyker Heights: Dyker Heights is a neighbourhood in southern Brooklyn that has a significant growing Hispanic population. However, it is also known to be home to Italians.
- Williamsburg: While Williamsburg has a large Hispanic population, it is also known for its Giglio Feast, a 12-day Italian festival that originated in Nolani and has been held every July since 1903.
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Italian culture and cuisine in Brooklyn
Italian Americans are the largest ethnic group in the New York metro area, with over 2.6 million Italian Americans living in the greater New York metro area and about 800,000 living within one of the five New York City boroughs. New York City has the largest Italian American population in the United States and is home to the third-largest Italian population outside of Italy.
Brooklyn, in particular, has a rich history of Italian culture and cuisine. The first New York neighbourhood settled by large numbers of Italian immigrants was East Harlem, which became known as "Little Italy". However, following World War II, Italian Americans moved to Brooklyn's southern tier, among other areas, reinvigorating Italian culture and community institutions. Bensonhurst, in particular, became the largest Italian community in New York City, with 150,000 Italian Americans in the 1980s.
Italian immigrants and their descendants have made significant contributions to Brooklyn's culture and cuisine. Local Italian bakeries, such as Caputo's Bake Shop in Cobble Hill, have been key epicentres of Italian neighbourhoods in Brooklyn since the early days of immigration. These bakeries have preserved and celebrated Italian cuisine in America, with some continuing to use traditional methods brought over from Sicily at the turn of the century.
Italian Americans were also the largest populations in the mining, textiles, and clothing manufacturing industries in the 1900s. They were a vital component of the organised labour supply, and their work ethic contributed significantly to these industries. Additionally, the Catholic Church played a crucial role in providing education, general care, and a sense of community for Italian Americans in Brooklyn.
Today, Brooklyn's Italian dining scene reflects the borough's cultural diversity. From cosy family-owned trattorias to modern eateries, Brooklyn offers a variety of culinary experiences. Restaurants like Lilia, Via Carota, Don Angie, and Frankies Spuntino serve everything from wood-fired Italian cuisine and housemade pastas to Tuscan-inspired dishes. Brooklyn also hosts the Giglio Feast, a 12-day event in Williamsburg that originated with Nolani Italian immigrants in 1903. This feast features live music, authentic Italian cuisine, games, and a 72-foot tower carried through the streets.
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Italian-American heritage in Brooklyn
Italian Americans are the largest ethnic group in the New York metro area, with over 2.6 million Italian and Italian Americans living in the greater New York metro area. New York City has the largest population of Italian Americans in the United States, with around 800,000 living within one of the five New York City boroughs. Brooklyn is one of these boroughs, home to a significant Italian-American community.
The first Italian to reside in New York was Pietro Cesare Alberti, a Venetian seaman who, in 1635, settled in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, which would eventually become New York. A small wave of Protestants, known as Waldensians, of French and northern Italian heritage, occurred during the 17th century, with the majority coming between 1654 and 1663. The largest wave of Italian immigration to the United States took place in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Between 1820 and 1978, 5.3 million Italians immigrated to the United States, including over 2 million between 1900 and 1910. However, most planned a short stay to make money, and about half returned to Italy.
The first New York neighbourhood to be settled by large numbers of Italian immigrants was East Harlem, which became the first part of the city to be known as "Little Italy". By the 1930s, "Italian Harlem" was at its peak, with over 100,000 Italian Americans living in crowded, run-down apartment buildings. The 1930 census showed that 81% of the population of Italian Harlem consisted of first- or second-generation Italian Americans.
After World War II, Italian Americans began to move out of Italian Harlem to the North Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn's southern tier. This geographic shift coincided with a new wave of Italian immigration, with an estimated 129,000 to 150,000 Italian immigrants entering New York City between 1945 and 1973. With the influx of postwar immigrants, Bensonhurst in Brooklyn became the largest Italian community in New York City, with 150,000 Italian Americans in the 1980 census.
Italian Americans were a vital component of the organised labour supply, particularly in the mining, textiles, and clothing manufacturing industries in the 1900s. Local Italian bakeries and cuisine also played a key role in shaping Italian neighbourhoods in Brooklyn since early immigration. While many bakeries have closed in recent years, a number of iconic Brooklyn bakeries remain, such as Caputo's Bake Shop in Cobble Hill, founded in 1904.
Italian Americans in Brooklyn also celebrated their heritage through festivals and feasts. While Manhattan's Little Italy celebrated the well-known Feast of San Gennaro, Italians in Brooklyn hosted their own feast, the Giglio Feast, which originated in Nolani and has been held every July in Williamsburg since 1903. The Giglio Feast features a 72-foot tower carried through the streets by over 100 men, live music, authentic Italian cuisine, and games.
Today, the Italian-American heritage in Brooklyn is preserved by organisations such as the Federation of Italian American Organisations, which runs the Il Centro Community Center in South Brooklyn. The community centre offers a range of programs and activities for all ages, including fitness facilities, language classes, and cultural events.
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Italian enclaves in Brooklyn
New York City has the largest population of Italian Americans in the United States, with over 2.6 million Italians and Italian Americans living in the greater New York metro area. Brooklyn, in particular, has historically been home to many Italian Americans, with several Italian enclaves across the borough.
The first New York neighbourhood to be settled by large numbers of Italian immigrants was East Harlem, which became known as "Little Italy". In the 1930s, over 100,000 Italian Americans lived in crowded, run-down apartment buildings in Italian Harlem, constituting 81% of the area's population. However, after World War II, Italian Americans began to move out of East Harlem and into other boroughs, including Brooklyn.
Brooklyn's Italian population was bolstered by the influx of postwar immigrants between 1945 and 1973, as Italian immigrants bypassed Manhattan and settled in Italian American neighbourhoods in the outer boroughs. This led to the reinvigoration of Italian culture and community institutions in Brooklyn. By the 1980s, Bensonhurst had become the largest Italian community in New York City, with 150,000 Italian Americans according to the 1980 census. Other notable Italian neighbourhoods in Brooklyn include Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, and Williamsburg.
Italian Americans were a vital component of the organised labour supply in Brooklyn, particularly in the mining, textiles, and clothing manufacturing industries. They also left their mark on the culinary landscape of the borough, with local Italian bakeries becoming key epicentres of Italian neighbourhoods. While many of these bakeries have closed in recent years, a few iconic ones remain, such as Caputo's Bake Shop in Cobble Hill, which was founded in 1904 and continues to use traditional methods brought over from Sicily.
In recent years, there has been a mass exodus of Italian Americans from Brooklyn, with many homes and businesses in Italian enclaves going up for sale. This has been attributed to various factors, including the ascension of newer generations with higher levels of education and better-paying jobs, as well as concerns for safety due to rioting and police defunding. Despite this exodus, Italian culture continues to be celebrated in Brooklyn through festivals, parades, and events held by historical societies.
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Frequently asked questions
While I cannot find an exact percentage, it is clear that South Brooklyn has a rich Italian heritage. Brooklyn has the most Vietnamese Americans of any borough, numbering over 5,700 individuals, and a sizable Pakistani American community, numbering around 30,000. Given that 1.35% of Brooklyn residents over the age of 5 speak Italian as their main language, it is likely that the Italian population is small.
Italians, like many immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, came to America to build a better life for their families. With their strong work ethic, Italian Americans were a vital component of the organized labor supply.
Bensonhurst, Carroll Gardens, and parts of Bay Ridge are some of the most famous Italian neighborhoods in Brooklyn, each with a rich Italian heritage and vibrant community traditions.
Yes, the Giglio Feast is a 12-day festival held every July in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The centerpiece is a 72-foot tower carried through the streets by over 100 men. Williamsburg is transformed into a mini Italian villa, with live music, authentic Italian cuisine, games, and more.
Yes, there are several famous Italian restaurants and bakeries in Brooklyn, including Batmonte, Caputo's, Mazzola Bakery, Monteleone's, and the Court Street Pastry Shop.
