GET SKILLED AND GET OUT: POST-WWII ITALIAN EMIGRANTS AND TRANSNATIONAL TRAINING By Laura Cuppone A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of History—Doctor of Philosophy 2014 ABSTRACT GET SKILLED AND GET OUT: POST-WWII ITALIAN EMIGRANTS AND TRANSNATIONAL TRAINING By Laura Cuppone Increasingly after WWII, both traditional and new destination countries for Italian immigrants maintained the sponsorship system and imposed skill-based selection criteria. In the United States and Canada demands for skilled workers replaced pre-WWII ethnic-based criteria. To prevent labor shortages, the developed Western European countries requested immigrants skilled in specific trades. After twenty years of restrictive fascist migratory policies, the fledgling Italian Republic not only resuscitated its support for emigration but also made it the centerpiece of postwar reconstruction. In the eyes of Italian authorities, emigration became a way to relieve unemployment and bolster the lagging economy through emigrants' remittances. Grounded in an analysis of Italian state and provincial archival sources, oral interviews, and emigration conference proceedings, this dissertation examines the reactions of Italian state authorities, migration experts, and Italian emigrants to the demands for skilled workers. In doing so, it adopts the emigrant country's point of view and explores the formal and informal training Italian emigrants obtained before and/or after their departure. Whereas the previous literature has focused on the receiving countries and their migration policies, this dissertation focuses on the reactions to them and the variety of skill development Italian emigrants went through. To capture the full range of emigrants' vocational training experiences, this dissertation situates postwar Italian migration in international, national, and local contexts. The first part (Chapters 1 and 2) analyzes the international arena and the economic circumstances that shaped vocational training, including anti-communist propaganda, North America's booming industrial and urban development, and the European integration process. The second part (Chapter 3) moves away from the international scene to investigate state-run vocational training in Italy. On the one hand, this part describes the Italian state's engagement in the establishment of vocational courses and schools for its citizens. On the other hand, it exposes the inconsistencies of the Italian state interventions through the critiques of migration experts and labor union representatives. The third part (Chapters 4 and 5) examines the migratory experiences between Italy and North America of the inhabitants of the town of Casalvieri, south east of Rome. Unskilled in the eyes of the North American authorities, Casalvierani drew on family networks, pre-migration characteristics, and informal training to become skilled construction workers and entrepreneurs in Detroit, greater Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as the region between Toronto and Windsor, Canada. By adopting a three-tiered analysis and Italy's point of view, this dissertation ultimately argues that the request for skilled workers benefited Italian schools and vocational training in the long term. Furthermore, it emphasizes that the coexistence of skill-based criteria and family reunification in North American immigration policies allowed unskilled or informally skilled Italian emigrants to bypass the inconsistent Italian state's vocational training programs and create their own migratory paths and skill-building processes. Copyright by LAURA CUPPONE 2014 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Putting in words years of archival research and constant engaging with scholarly literature has not been an easy task. It was surely a challenge, yet a very rewarding one. It introduced me to the mysteries of the historian's craft and showed me that the work of a historian cannot be done in solitude. Contrary to my initial expectations, writing history needs time to "breathe" and take shape through others' feedback and support. Amidst the adversities and the difficulties of writing my dissertation, I learned the profound meaning of gratitude to an army of colleagues and friends on both sides of the ocean. The birth and development of this dissertation—and surely my own presence at Michigan State University—would not have occurred without Leslie Page Moch, a brilliant scholar, a mentor, and an ongoing source of inspiration. Dr. Moch listened to me, supported me, and regularly checked on me without restricting my freedom. By having Dr. Moch as my main advisor, I definitely won the lottery. She did much more than guiding me in the jungle of the graduate school and the job market. She stoically proofread, edited, and corrected misplaced indefinite articles and prepositions without ever losing her encouraging smile. For all she had done for me, I will always be grateful. During this "adventure" at Michigan State University, a few scholars set important models for me. Lisa Fine, Susan Sleeper-Smith, Sean Forner, and Steven Gold played a crucial role for my academic development. They challenged me, broadened my cultural horizons, shared their expertise with me, and pull out from their shelves scholarly works that ultimately made me a more complete historian. While building my research abilities, I cajoled teaching skills from the professors I was lucky to assist. A special thank goes to Aminda Smith. v Beyond academic guidance, a dissertation needs financial and practical support. I am very grateful to the history department at Michigan State University, and particularly to the chair Walter Hawthorne, the graduate director Pero Dagbovie, and the graduate secretary Elyse Hansen who were always there to make the bureaucratic process bearable. The MSU history department summer research fellowship made the archival preliminary research less stressful. Additionally, the Milton A. Muelder Award and the American Italian Historical Association Memorial Fellowship allowed me to travel and conduct research between Italy and North America. Archival research is central to any historical work and I could not have done it without the patience of the archival staff of the Central State Archive of Rome, the Historical Archive of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rome, the State Archive of Frosinone, Italy, the Public Libraries of Frosinone and Atina, Italy, and the Società Umanitaria, Milan. I am in debt with the Casalvierani I interviewed between Italy and North America, and via phone. They kindly opened their doors and their hearts to me. They did much more than tell me their stories; they shared with me the joy and the sacrifices that come with being a migrant. A special thank goes to Iole Checcone, Rocco and Rosa Giancarlo, Antonio and Benedetto Rocca, Marino Moscone, Cathy Dagostini, and the mayor of Casalvieri Franco Moscone who put me in contact with the individuals I interviewed. Writing a dissertation may be sometimes emotionally exhausting. I am thankful for Ashley Sanders's friendship. Ashley and I started a "dissertation duo" that helped me immensely. Our chats, sitting in a café or via Skype, and her valuable feedback put me on the right path when I thought I was lost. The long conversations with Sonia Cancian, her enthusiasm, and, most importantly, her expertise significantly improved my research project. I had the luxury of having vi a personal editorial board. Beth Dutridge-Corp, Jennifer Gonzalez, Sylvia Marques, Elizabeth Venditto, and John Sarkissian came to the rescue of their non-native speaker friend by correcting mistakes and encouraging her all the way through. Justin Carroll, Lindsey Gish, Josh and Bre Grace, Paul Hébert, Alison Kolodzy, Nikki Magie, Jenny Marlow, and Natalie Rose have been an effective sustaining network. The moral support of my transnational family has been a constant source of strength. The Neapolitan, Henderson, and Clark families made me feel at home in foreign cities. In Italy, the Iannantuono family and my dad, Gino, cherished me and loved me unconditionally from afar. I wish my grandparents could have witnessed such an important achievement. When I started my graduate career in America, I knew I would have found new friends and enhance my curriculum vitae. Yet, I did not know that I would have found the love of my life, Gabriel Henderson. Gabe brought calm in moments of panic, motivated me when I was distracted and, more frequently, distracted me when I needed to relax. Without him, this experience would have been unbearable. I dedicate this dissertation to my mother, Anna Maria Iannatuono. She has been my primary role model, my biggest fan, and she will always be my safe harbor during my peregrinations. Mom, this is for you and for your tears at the airport every time I leave. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... xi INTRODUCTION: Skills and Human Mobility, a Relation Worthy of Investigation .................... 1 Post-WWII Italian Emigration: A Brief Overview .............................................................. 5 The Contingent Nature of Skills .......................................................................................... 9 The Transnational Training Paradigm .............................................................................14