Each year the Marlborough Italian Heritage organization UNICO, hosts an essay contest for 7th and 8th graders in the Marlboro School District. This year the 7th grade, 1st Place winner was Mia Mirabile, who wrote about Italian immigration and the 8th grade, 1st Place winner was Rumaisa Ansary, who wrote about Pope Paul VI. Each received $400 and a commemorative plaque and were honored at a special dinner at the Ship Lantern Inn.

 

Mia focused on Italian immigration to the United State in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, noting that many of these immigrants toiled as migrant laborers in the construction and mining sectors and sent money back home to their families. Certain areas in Italy saw a marked increases in wealth that could be traced back to those hard-working Italians in America.

 

Mia wrote that many Italians, especially in the southern part of the country, made the decision to come to America because of natural disasters, political instability, economic hardships, overpopulation, high taxes and a general lack of opportunities in their home country.

 

Mia noted that some Italians gravitated to sunny California or to places that had jobs that required a lot of physical labor. Some were drawn to Vermont to use their skills in working with stones. She wrote that, “Many immigrants often lived in terrible housing situations where they were forced into small crowded apartment buildings called tenements. These buildings were missing important things like fresh air, water from faucets and sunlight to brighten the rooms.” She noted that these conditions helped serious sicknesses spread rapidly, such as cholera, tuberculosis and typhus.

 

Despite these challenging conditions, Mia said Italians formed strong community ties, held colorful festivals to highlight their heritage, while making a strong effort to learn a new language – English, and struggled with hostility and prejudice against them. As Italians became more integrated into the American way of life, their Italian cuisine, family traditions religious beliefs became part of their new American lives.

 

Rumaisa wrote that Giovanni Battista Montini was born in Concesio, Brescia in 1897. His journalist/lawyer father instilled in him the importance of caring about social justice. Later Montini earned a degree in philosophy and civil and canon law.  

 

In 1922 Montini joined the Vatican Secretariat of State, serving under Popes Pius XI and Pius XII, where he learned about, “diplomacy, world affairs and the balance between moral conviction and political reality.” He became Archbishop of Milan, “where he tackled poverty, factory conditions, and learned about the struggles of post-war families,” and in 1963 was elevated to Pope Paul VI.

 

“His life stands as a living proof that faith and progress and not enemies. From his early studies that blended logic with belief, to his leadership that united tradition and advancement, he showed the world that faith can live within every era. His courage to reform and his humility to listen to the ones that are unheard, helped shape a modern church that still speaks to people today.”

 

Rumaisasaid the essay contest, “was a great way to connect cultures and a good learning experience. I’ve read about the Popes but this was a good hands on experience through my research.” Mia said she also did a lot of research, “about my heritage and learned about how other people felt about Italians years ago; that was very interesting to me.”