Book Celebrates Siskiyou County’s Italian Heritage
Siskiyou Daily
News
By Jamie Gentner
Daily News Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
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Thats why, even after being away for 40 years, she compiled a book,
entitled Siskiyou County
Italians: Cultural and Economic Contributions, which
traces the history of Italians to the county.
After reading many books over the years and finding what she considered a lack
of information about this people group in
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I saw little
on the everyday work of people, she said. I wanted to show how the
immigrants didnt depend on social support
systems. It was that group that I wanted to recognize.
Silva is self-publishing the work consisting of over 300 pages, 120
biographies and 350 photos so that
she isnt constrained by a publisher. At one
point, she was approached and asked to do something similar to the project, but
the publisher wanted only specific people within a specific social class.
I didnt want to do that, she said.
If I was going to do this, everyone was going to have the opportunity to
contribute, no matter what.
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Contributions
came in after Silva advertised in local papers. Those interested filled out a
questionnaire that told their story. What has resulted is a work that focuses
on what Silva says is an era that is no more, where mom stayed home to
take care of the children and dad brought in the money by working for the lumber
industry or farming.
An Italian herself, Silva hopes those who read the book will gain a better
understanding of what the early immigrants went through and how they achieved
their goals once they were here.
Most people dont think about the background behind the story,
Silva said. They dont get to hear about how families came here with
only $5 and how things have changed since then. It was an opportunity for me to
bring light to the rest of the story.
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Those are the
kinds of stories contained in Silvas book. After a preface describing what
makes an Italian, the biographies describe the lives of the immigrants who made
and spent their money in town, started the tradition of Italian restaurants in
the area, didnt depend on social support systems
and contributed to their community on many levels.
Compiling the book has been a two-year process - one that Silva is familiar
with since she has published four family genealogies prior to this book.
But with so many contributions gathered over the years, she is sure anyone in
the county who is of Italian descent or knows someone of Italian descent will
find someone they know in the book.
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I didn
Silva hopes the book will soon be available in local historical societies, the
libraries at the College of the Siskiyous, at an
Italian cultural society in
For more information, or to place an order, contact Silva at (530) 673-6414 or
at marys@syix.com.