My story starts over 100 years ago with my great-grandfather, Alessandro Marchetti. After WWI, my great-grandfather, who was a laborer in Italy, decided to seek new opportunities in the United States. He traveled here with his best friend, Vito, and paid for the passage to America himself. On June 23, 1922, he arrived at Ellis Island in New York when he was just 17. He only had the clothes on his back and $25 when he stepped off the S.S Guiseppe Verdi. He then traveled to Chicago to meet up with his brother Constanino (Gus) Marchetti. In Chicago he did odd jobs such as working as an extra at an opera house and becoming a baker. He loved being a baker so much that he went on to open his own store. The object that represents this journey is the ship manifest from the SS Guiseppe Verdi. This document is the foundation of the story because it is documentation of the exact moment in time my great-grandfather arrived at Ellis Island. I think that this story is important to share because although it is unique to me. Many immigrants took the same path as my great-grandfather, as you can see in the ship manifest. All in all, this document represents where part of my heritage comes from and the journey part of my family took to have a prosperous life in the United States.

– Ginette

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