The Italian Community in Albuquerque

Overview and Brief History:
The Italian peninsula was the birthplace of the Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church, and yet, the country that we now think of as Italy has existed as a sovereign state for less than 150 years. Because of its strategic position on the Mediterranean, Italy has been the crossroads of many peoples and many cultures. The first cultural group to rule the area were the Etruscans. Not much is known of this early culture other than from what was left behind in a few scattered tombs. Ancient Greeks, contemporaries of the Etruscans, also set up colonies along Italy’s southern coast. The Roman Empire was, then, the cultural progeny of these earlier peoples.

The Empire, with outposts in parts of Europe, Africa and Asia, ruled for almost 700 years. Its influence on today’s world is immeasurable: all of the modern Romance languages stem from ancient Latin; the scientific categorization of the world’s species, and many other scientific terms, are also in Latin. There are governing bodies across the planet that are based on Roman law. After the fall of the western arm of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, Italy went through a period now known as “The Dark Ages.” Long-lasting political and economic turmoil eventually settled into the relative calm out of which grew the 15th century’s Renaissance period. Italy’s Renaissance produced artists, architects, and philosophers that continue to shape Western culture today.

Immigration to the United States and Albuquerque:
For centuries, before Italy came together as one nation, the area was composed of several, often warring, feudal states. Neighboring powers frequently controlled one or more of these states. The feudal system attached political power and social status to land ownership, which was hereditary. Poorer Italians had no way to improve their standing. A booming population in the mid 19th century caused land holdings to dwindle even further. Northern Italy was already undergoing an industrial explosion, and many who had been farmers headed to urban areas to learn new occupations. Imigration to North and South America (more Italians migrated to South American countries well into the 1900’s), where there was a need for skilled and unskilled labor to build growing infrastructures, provided a way to offset the pressures of overpopulation. Northerners migrated first, but eventually even the farming peasants to the South left for America, too.

Between 1890 and 1900, over six hundred thousand Italians came to the United States. Early immigrants were overwhelmingly men of working age who planned to stay for a short time to earn money for their families back home. Because they were not interested in putting down roots, these immigrants headed for cities, such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit, and did not enter into farming in the new country. Between 1900 and 1910, another two million immigrants made the journey from Italy. Although approximately thirty percent would return to Italy within a couple of years, this wave included more and more families who were coming to the US in hopes of creating new homes. “Little Italy” sections grew in most of the larger US cities.

Even though most of these permanent immigrants had come from farming backgrounds, less than ten percent farmed in their new home. Of those who did farm, many set up vineyards, some of which are still in operation today. Italians also entered into the fishing industries, but most concentrated on more industrial pursuits, including mining, construction, and the railroads.

Italians founded Italian-language newspapers and local social organizations to preserve their culture and to help newly arrived immigrants. In the early 20th century, the Sons of Italy pulled together many of these local groups into one national organization.

In the early 1920’s, the United States government imposed quotas on immigration from Southern and Eastern European countries, and the numbers of Italians coming into the country slowed considerably. By that time, however, 4.2 million people had come into the U.S. from Italy. In the decades after WWI a number of Italians came to the U.S. because they opposed fascism. By WWII there were more Italians living in New York City than were living in Rome. During this time a number of Italians came to the attention of the greater American public because of their roles in organized crime. This reputation stuck even though per capita the numbers of Italians in prison was half the national average. Second and third generation Italian immigrants born in the United States often became involved in unionization, progressive politics, and public service.

There is record of one tinsmith living in New Mexico as early as 1860, but Italian immigrants did not truly start arriving in the state until 1880. One exception to this was the early arrival of Italian Jesuit priests. They came at the request of Bishop (and later Archbishop) Jean Baptiste Lamy, who had only a few clergymen to minister to New Mexico’s large Roman Catholic population. The five Italian priests originally sent for arrived in New Mexico in August of 1867. Albuquerque became the headquarters of the Jesuits after they took over duties at San Felipe de Neri Church. In 1872, the Jesuit Holy Family Select School for Boys opened its doors, and a press run by the Jesuit priests, the Imprenta del Rio Grande, opened in 1873.

The Jesuit priests formed a kind of bridge between New Mexico’s Spanish population and the newly arriving, mostly Northern and Western European, immigrants from the East. Later Italian immigrants maintained this role in New Mexico. Most Italian immigrants were able to communicate in both Spanish and English within a year of arriving, and were accepted more readily by both cultures than either accepted the other.

As opportunities in the mining and railroad industries opened in states such as Colorado, California and New Mexico, many Italians moved westward for higher wages and the more moderate climate. Census data from 1910 shows 1,959 foreign-born Italians living in New Mexico. While most Italian immigrants in the U.S. were by this time from Southern Italy, New Mexico’s Italian population through 1930 was almost entirely from the North. These immigrants chose to come to New Mexico, rather than to stay with so many of their countrymen in the more industrialized Eastern and Midwestern cities, because of economic opportunity. Economic competition in New Mexico at that time was relatively non-existent. Many of New Mexico’s Italian immigrants would come to New Mexico as miners or railroaders, save money for a few years, and then enter into the business world, often operating a saloon or a grocery store.

Most Italian immigrants settled in New Mexico’s urban areas, but some did farm land, mainly in Central New Mexico, in Corrales and near Isleta. Central New Mexico also became home to some Italians who became involved in ranching and raising sheep. Between 1880 and 1900 Italians moved almost exclusively to Bernalillo County. But, by 1910, with the opening of coal mines, Italians came as miners to Colfax County in the Northeast, Gallup and McKinley County in the West. By 1885, Italians made up half of the coal miners in Raton. While some of these miners and railroaders were in New Mexico only temporarily, many of them stayed and moved into the business and ranching sectors.

Many Italian immigrants who had settled on the East Coast came to New Mexico as skilled stone cutters and architects. These skills were in demand in New Mexico as it built up its cities and infrastructure. Two stone cutters were brought to Santa Fe from Maryland to help in the construction of the St. Francis Cathedral. They stayed in New Mexico for the rest of their lives and between them they eventually built the original buildings of the New Mexico School of Mines in Socorro, the first St. Mary’s School in Albuquerque, Albuquerque’s Old Town Courthouse, and Hodgin Hall, the first structure to be built on the UNM campus.

Current New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici’s family, immigrants from northern Italy, also came to New Mexico during the early part of the 20th century. Many Italian immigrants, especially later generations, became active in politics and public service in New Mexico, mirroring the greater national trend.

Italians in Albuquerque, like those in other parts of the state often came to the state for labor jobs and then, after saving money, moved into business ownership. Italian immigrants owned grocery stores, shoe stores, and printing businesses. Many of Albuquerque’s premier theaters were built and owned by Italian immigrants. The historic Puccini building, home to both the El Rey Theater and Puccini’s Golden West Saloon, was built for Luigi Puccini, cousin of the famed composer, Giacomo Puccini. The building is now owned by Luigi Puccini’s grand-daughter Kathy Zimmer. Zimmer is also great-granddaughter of Oreste and Maria Bachechi. Both husband and wife were active in Albuquerque’s early business community.

Maria Bachechi ran both a dry goods store and the Elms Hotel on her own, while raising the couple’s six children. Oreste Bachechi was involved in the grocery business and, with a partner, created the Consolidated Liquor Company. In 1905, Bachechi built the Savoy Hotel, which at the time was considered to be Albuquerque’s finest hotel. Oreste Bachechi was also responsible for the construction of the jewel of Albuquerque’s theaters, the KiMo, which is now on the State’s Registry of Historic Properties. Bachechi was a founder of the Colombo Society, Albuquerque’s first Italian social organization. In addition to the Colombo Society, early Italian social organizations included the Italian Women’s Club and the Italamer Civic Club.

Another notable Italian immigrant who came to Albuquerque around the turn of the century was Ettore Franchini. Franchini was at one time involved with Oreste Bachechi in the grocery business. He served as the Italian Consular General, and received knighthood from the King of Italy. Franchini also began a travel service for Italian immigrants, assisting in travel between Italy and New Mexico, and helping already established immigrants bring family members from Italy.

Albuquerque’s original Italian community settled primarily between 1st and 8th streets, around Marquette. For several generations, children of this early community tended to marry within the community and to stay resident in this same area. Descendants of this community distinguish themselves from the large Italian population in Rio Rancho, who came from Italian communities on the East Coast, primarily New York, and who are descended from Southern Italian immigrants. Today, Albuquerque’s Italian community is quite large. 2000 census data shows 25,298 people who claim Italian descent living in the area.

Cultural Traditions:
Italian-language newspapers and tight knit Italian communities kept the language intact for immigrant groups for some time in their new country. But, recent generations, as with other immigrant communities, are not learning the language with as much consistency. Albuquerque’s Italian community has experienced much of the same tendency. The Club Culturale Italiano used to run meetings in both Italian and English, but in recent years they use only English because so few still speak Italian. Participation in the Club has decreased as well.

There are many dialects in Italy that vary from region to region, sometimes from one town to the next. Generally, these dialects don’t have a written tradition. Most of the early Italian immigrants who came to the U.S. spoke their dialects only. Later, after immigrants had had more education in Italy, they could speak, read and write standard Italian. Sometimes this made it difficult for older and new immigrants to communicate. Although there are still a variety of dialects spoken to some degree in Albuquerque, most Italians in Albuquerque who have been able to pass language on to their children have taught them standard Italian.

Italian is offered in some high schools here in Albuquerque, and the University of New Mexico offers an Italian Studies degree program. Currently there is a group who meet at a restaurant every Saturday to speak Italian. An Italian professor from UNM created the group so that her students could have the experience of conversation with native speakers. Once a year at Christmas time a mass is held in Italian at Our Lady of Sorrows church in Bernalillo, as the current priest there is from Italy.

Some traditional Italian foods have become a standard part of the American food tradition. There are Italian restaurants in practically every city and town across the country. Albuquerque is home to several Italian restaurants. Some of these are more traditional than others. Some are owned by people of Italian descent, while others are not. One Italian restaurant, Lo Stivale, (which means the boot), became a meeting spot for the local community. In the twenty years that the restaurant was open, from 1980-2000, Lo Stivale hosted many Club meetings, catered community events, and was quite involved in Summerfest. The restaurant’s owners moved to Phoenix recently, where there is a large Italian community. Some members of Albuquerque’s Italian community have gone to Phoenix to help their friends cook for the annual public celebration of San Genaro’s feast day.

There was, at one time, a local Italian-owned vineyard and winery that produced wines for New Mexican Italians. After WWII, when wine began to be imported, the couple stopped making it.

Many of the food traditions maintained in Albuquerque are associated with holidays. Homemade ravioli is a Christmas and/or Easter tradition in the homes of some of Albuquerque’s Italians. Traditionally, one week before the holiday, females of the household would gather to make the ravioli. Ravioli would take up all flat surfaces in the house. The household’s children would close the edges, dipping a fork in egg yolk to make a seal. More recently, with the invention of the pasta machine, the making of ravioli has become much less time consuming, and also much less of a family production.

Gnocci, a small potato dumpling served usually with a tomato sauce, is a traditional birthday meal in some Albuquerque homes. Polenta, which is cornmeal mush, is another dish that is regularly prepared on special occasions. Polenta can be boiled or fried, served soft or hardened into a loaf, and with a variety of sauces. Polenta was originally a peasant food, but has now become a favorite of gourmet chefs. Other special dishes include lasagna, and a variety of dishes made of sausage and peppers.

Some holiday food traditions follow more specifically the traditions upheld in Italy. On Fridays during the Lenten season meat is given up. The local Italian Club starts off the Lenten season with the St. Joseph Feast in March. Carnivale sometimes serves this purpose.

The traditional Christmas Eve meal consists mainly of fish; as many fish dishes as you can prepare, sometimes up to 20. After midnight, meat dishes, such as pasta and meatballs, are offered. Pork and turkey are also favorites of this post-midnight feast. Christmas is also accompanied by a number of traditional sweets, such as panettone, which is a kind of Italian fruit cake, and is a traditional gift given upon visiting family and friends. Panettone can be purchased in Albuquerque at Cost Plus. While it can be made from scratch, as of this writing no one in Albuquerque is known to do this. Other Christmas sweets include torrone, a kind of nougat, and panforte, which is a thick honey candy made with hazelnuts, ginger and almonds, and which is also served at Easter. All Christmas sweets contain nuts. Nuts are a symbol of fertility, and the consumption of them was thought to help to increase the size and health of flock and family. Honey is also frequently used in these desserts as an offering to insure the sweetness of the new year.

When people of Italian descent first meet each other here in the United States it is customary that one invite the other to dinner, to get to know each other and as a gesture of friendship. This generosity is also imparted on certain holidays. St. Joseph, or San Giuseppe, who is called “the just man,” is the patron saint of (among other things) home life, of fathers, and of a happy death. On St. Joseph’s feast day, March 19th, a meal of a minimum of thirteen dairy-free dishes is prepared. The feast is offered to express gratitude to the saint for protecting and aiding the family in the previous year. Fish is not excluded from the meal, which has dishes of codfish and salmon, specially prepared bread, beans, vegetables, pasta, desserts, wine, minestrone soup, and Zeppole di San Giuseppe, the traditional honey and flour fritters dusted with ground almonds and candied orange peel.

The tradition is that three of those in attendance are chosen to represent Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The dishes are brought out one by one, with the three characters having the first tastes of each. At the end of the feast, each guest takes something home and whatever is left is taken to the local poor. While the feast is often held in the home, it is also sometimes a public event. This is to emulate the first feast of St. Joseph, which was offered in thanks for the saint’s answer to prayers for rain during a Sicilian drought. Everyone was invited, no matter how little means they had, to eat as much as they wanted. This generosity is carried on today in the sharing of food with all members of the community. The celebration of St. Joseph’s feast day in Albuquerque includes a potluck dinner, which is open to the public. The community has, in the past, opened its feast to refugee families through Catholic Social Services.

Another staple of Italian culture practiced in Albuquerque is humor. Jokes are present, along with the music and the food, at community gatherings. Two kinds of jokes are employed, practical jokes and jokes that are told. Every family has at least one good joke teller. Italians love to laugh, and laughter is seen as a necessary part of everyday life. Members of the community in Albuquerque relay that much of Italian humor is centered around sexuality and would be seen as off-color by many non-Italians here in this country. One graduation tradition was started at the University of Padua in the middle ages and is still maintained today. Students enjoyed their time in school and graduation was seen as something to be ridiculed. The tradition goes that graduates are taken outside, stripped to their underwear and subjected to a variety of tricks played upon them by friends. This tradition continues to be upheld in Italy’s immigrant communities.

One final tradition that Albuquerque’s Italians maintain is that of holding family sacred. Family ties remain strong throughout a person’s lifetime, and so grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. are included in all special occasions, and often in daily life and living arrangements. Traditional Italian family roles dictated that the father was expected to be the head of the household, and the mother was expected to deliver warmth and affection. Children were taught to be well disciplined and respectful of their elders. Loyalty to the family was seen as one’s highest obligation. When two people married, they were marrying not only each other, but each other’s families as well. This tradition was carried by immigrants to their new homes. When one family member was successful in the U.S. and intended to stay, he would work hard to bring the rest of the family over.

Some of Albuquerque’s Italians have sent their children to Italy to learn the language, cooking, and other social customs that are being lost here in the US.

Arts and Culture:
While some traditional fiber arts are practiced here, often to give reason for women of the community to come together, in Albuquerque, music is the art form that receives the most community attention. Traditional Italian folk music has incredible diversity. Different parts of Italy have been inhabited in one way or another by many cultures. Celts, Jews, Germans, Normans and Moors have all had their influence on Italian culture, and, therefore, its music. Italian geography is such that some cultures were divided by mountains or rivers and developed almost independently of each other. The physical environment itself is also quite varied and thus offers different kinds of influences on its people. All these varied influences have created a wide range of traditions. Many Italian folk songs were utilitarian. Songs often accompanied daily work. There were songs to go along with fishing, and songs to be sung with agricultural work. Italian traditional folk music include choral, as well as instrumental, songs. Italian choral music often has it roots in liturgical music, and instrumental tunes are often played to accompany traditional dance.

Currently, there is one Italian folk band in Albuquerque called the Pastatones. The band plays at local wineries, for community occasions, and for a variety of other events in the city. The current incarnation of the group was started in 1987, but is an off-shoot of an earlier band. The Pastatones play Italian folk music, but also play a variety of other European folk and dance music. Some of the Italian music performed by the group is traditional from Italy, but other songs are from the days of early Italian immgration to the United States, and some are the songs of the mid-twentieth century East Coast Italian crooners. The group currently includes a mandolin, a violin, an accordian, and a singer.

Classical Italian music is also performed in Albuquerque. The Albuquerque Baroque Players and the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra often play the music of classical Italian composers.

At the moment there is no instructor of Italian dance in Albuquerque. There is one instructor, of Spanish descent, who has taught a variety of cultural dances. This instructor did teach Italian dance at one time, but does not as of this writing.

The Italian community put on a play entirely in Italian one year, but has not done so since because the people who organized the play left the area. The play was performed at Popejoy Hall.

Annual Events and Celebrations:
The Italian community in Albuquerque celebrates several holidays annually that are rooted in both their Catholic and Pre-Catholic histories. As with many cultural communities in Albuquerque who practice Christianity, Christmas is one of the biggest events of the year. Christmas coincides with the greatest feast of the Roman Empire, “Saturnalia,” which fell on the Winter Solstice. The birth of Christ was then honored alongside the birth of the “Unconquered Sun.” Christmas Eve brings a dinner of as many fish dishes as can be prepared. No other meat or cheese is allowed at this meal. The meal is followed by a Christmas Eve Mass. After the Mass, and after midnight, the “fast” can be broken, and a meal of pasta and meatballs is served.

Another Christmas Eve tradition, that serves as an alternative to Christmas Eve Mass (mass would then be attended the next morning), is the tradition of the Italian nativity scene, or Crib, and procession. In Italy, nativity scenes are created by families, and the most elaborate are set up in churches. People travel from one church to another looking at the beautiful scenes. The Crib traditionally consists of figurines made of papier mache or ceramic. Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus are joined by an ox and a donkey who warm the infant with their breath. This is the basic arrangement, and from that artists fabricate the rest on their own. A backdrop is painted, and there may be hillsides, streams, trees, sheep and other features of the landscape. Bethlehem may be portrayed in the background, and angels may be hung above. The size of the whole scene is generally somewhere between three by five feet and six by ten feet.

At the home of the family in Albuquerque that makes the annual Crib, members of the community gather. Just before midnight a procession is held throughout the house (this would be through the streets in Italy). The youngest person in the group leads the procession. Traditional carols are sung, and each person carries a lighted candle. At midnight, the candles are extinguished, and the figurine of the infant is nested in the manger. This signifies the birth of the Christ Child. The procession passes the manger, each person stopping to kiss the infant’s cheek.

New Year’s traditions observed in Albuquerque include the eating of lentils to bring good luck for the coming year, and the eating of an evening meal that consists of twelve dishes. This is the tradition of filling twelve mouths, and may be related to the twelve months of the year.

On the night before Epiphany (January 6th), children leave their shoes out, or stockings hung, to be filled by La Befana, a legendary witch-like character. Shoes would be filled by morning, with toys and candies and fruit if the child had been good for the year, and by coal if he or she had not been. La Befana is said to be the most widely known legendary character in Italy. She is a combination of stories from various traditions, and thus has several roles to play.

The Christian explanation for La Befana is as follows: Two thousand years ago, King Herod ordered the deaths of all first born male children in the region. He was trying to kill the child who was rumored to have been born the new “King.” One mother was so overwrought that she could not accept the death of her son. She began to look for him everywhere. She looked all around her house but could not find him. She wrapped his belongings in a tablecloth and carried the bundle over her shoulder as she went out searching every house for him. This mother eventually came to a child that she believed to be her own. She placed her son’s belongings at the foot of the manger where he slept. In reality, the mother’s search had lasted only a few days, but her face had become lined and her hair gray.

The child this mother believed to be hers was the infant Jesus, and in return for her gift and generosity, he bestowed upon her a blessing. One night a year forever, this mother, La Befana, or “giver of gifts” would have all the children of the world as her own. She would be able to visit each one, bringing them gifts of clothing and toys. Each family leaves a small plate of food and glass of wine for the coming of La Befana.

La Befana’s other incarnation is that of a witch. In Celtic Northern Italy, on the night of Epiphany the witch is burned. This is a symbolic burning of all the past years ills. Which way the wind carries her ashes indicates the fortunes of the coming year. Albuquerque’s Italian community celebrates La Befana in both of her roles. She is the witch - at a Sons of Italy Christmas party, one member dressed as La Befana and surprised the whole group. La Befana scares the children, in some stories she even comes by broom, and by her coming it will be determined if they have been good or bad. – She is also the bringer of gifts, and stockings are hung in anticipation of this. There are obvious parallels between the burning of La Befana and New Mexico’s recently introduced tradition of the burning of Zozobra.

Another holiday celebrated in Albuquerque by its Italian community is Carnivale. Carnivale is the period preceding Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. In Italy, the celebrations may begin as early as Epiphany, on January 6th, or may not begin until the celebration of Candelmas on February 2nd. Carnivale is celebrated with parades, masquerades, songs, dances, and jests. These events culminate in the festival of Mardi Gras, on the day just before Ash Wednesday. In some Italian cities, the celebration closes with “King Carnivale” and his helpers being burned at the stake to atone for their excesses.

The name Carnivale is derived from the Lenten practice of giving up meat. It refers to the time of preparation just before the Lenten abstinence. This celebration is also related to the winter celebration of Saturnalia, when people were permitted to do almost anything they pleased. The Sun King was burned at the end of this festival. This symbolic gesture cleansed the people, brought peace, and helped to ensure a rich harvest. This was a time when barriers between classes were diminished. It was also a time when people who had something to hide were brought out of secrecy into public light.

Masked “helpers” would go to the homes of these people and call out their transgressions. The masks ensured that these helpers would go unharmed later. Masks were associated with Carnivale in this way and also, generally, as a way to assume an identity other than your own. They allowed the freedom to break through barriers without later association, and even allowed mask wearers to take on the characteristics of whatever the mask represented. This was often an animal or a magical being. In Albuquerque, a Carnivale celebration that included Italian food and music and the wearing of masks and costumes has been a tradition for many years. Recently, however, enough volunteers have not come forward to plan the event, and so Carnivale has not been celebrated in a communal way.

Feast days of saints are another way in which the Italian community of Albuquerque comes together to celebrate its heritage. Each person who shares his or her name with a saint celebrates that saint’s feast day. The day is as important as your own birthday, and gifts are given at a family celebration. The feast days of certain saints are celebrated with community gatherings. St. Joseph’s feast day is March 19th. Albuquerque’s community celebrates with a potluck dinner.

On Columbus Day, which is celebrated on the second Monday in October, the Albuquerque Italian community has a Spaghettata (spaghetti dinner). This has been held at the Lady of Our Sorrow in Bernalillo, as are a number of feast days and celebrations. The priest there is Italian, and lets the community have use of the space and the kitchen. The celebration of Columbus Day was begun by Italian immigrants in New York in 1866. Other communities followed suit, and three years later the Italians in San Francisco held a celebration on October 12th, and called it Columbus Day. In 1937, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared the day a national holiday. Although there has been much opposition to the holiday in recent years, many Italian-Americans take this holiday as an opportunity to celebrate Italian-American culture and heritage.

Santa Lucia’s feast day is celebrated by abstaining from bread or pasta. This is an offering of thanks for the favors granted in the previous year. On the feast day of Santa Maria, August 15th, a Madonna is put up and there is an outdoor feast with lots of traditional food and music by the Pastatones.

One of the largest annual celebrations for the Italian community until recently was Summerfest. The community came together to offer food, music, and Italian culture to the rest of the city.

Conclusions:
The Italian community, while still strong, is watching its strength diminish. New members, who were once attracted to the cultural organizations through exposure at Summerfest, are not joining in the number that they once did. Summerfest was strongest at the time when the most active members of the community were twenty years younger than they are today, and were able and willing to do the work to keep the community strong. Summerfest gave the communities something to work toward, helped them in their effort to uphold the social and cultural connections.

Currently, there doesn’t seem to be a new wave of young people to reinvigorate the community. Younger generations are too busy to devote time to community events. Some of Albuquerque’s Italians say that one reason for this lack of renewed attention is that the city is no longer promoting its various cultures. The city was, at one time, invested in the survival of its many communities. some members of the community believe that only things that bring in large profits are of interest to the city now, and so Summerfest and other programs like it are no longer seen as important. The city has also been negligent in its recognition of the contributions of its early immigrants. Italians built bridges and buildings, they were inventors and scientists. But there is no public mention of these people at all.

Currently, there are three Italian cultural organizations: a chapter of the national Sons of Italy, Albuquerque’s Club Culturale Italiano, founded in 1973, and the Italian-American Club of Rio Rancho (892-5255), founded around the same time. Some of the members of today’s Italian community are descended from New Mexico’s earliest Italian immigrants, who came to Albuquerque beginning in the 1880’s. Italian immigrants were some of the first business owners in Albuquerque, and Italian-immigrant architects and stonecutters built some of the areas earliest public buildings.