The object that I chose for my project is a picture of my great-great-grandfather and his band. This photo was printed on uncoated paper and was taken in Italy in the early 1900s, when he was only about 19. He was born in a little town called Lappano in Calabria. Amadeo Branca was a younger son in a large family. He studied in Paris for college and then immigrated to New York. He was processed at Ellis Island and my Nana’s family never said that he had any trouble becoming a citizen. My family uses the photo to remember him and our Italian ancestry. 
I chose this object because my great-great-grandfather was a musician and wrote songs just like how my dad writes songs and I play trumpet and piano. Something this photo teaches me about my culture is that music is a big part of Italian culture. One person in my family that this object is connected to is my dad because my Nana gave it to him while he was in Spain as it was his first trip abroad and he had started writing songs while he was there. It’s interesting to know that part of me is passed down through my ancestors.
A question I would like to ask my great-great grandfather about this object is: were the people in this photo his friends and how long had he known them? Another question I have is if he ever had concerts or performed in local restaurants? A final thought is that a lot of myself has been passed down from my ancestors and one of the biggest reasons that I picked this object is because my great-great-grandfather was a musician and music is such a big part of my life.

– BS

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more