Not like today were our borders seem to be wide open for any one to cross at will,
back in the fifties if you where from one of the nations that was not from a Nordic country,you had to seek approval from the American consulate prior to entering the United States.
The process was long and lasted over two years. I remember the many times that my mother sent me to check with the only travel agent in Carini to see if there was any news about the process of our paper work, he wanted people to believe that he had connections with the embassy but he didn't.
Finally after two years, numerous personal interviews and medical check ups, we were given the go ahead to join the rest of the family in N.Y.
The ship was the biggest I had ever seen 46,000 tons and was named Vulcania.
I vividly remember the mothers and families that were saying good by to their loved ones on the docks of Palermo, they realized that they will probably never see their sons and daughters again, you could hear their loud crying and the screaming of their children names from a distance.
The trip was a happy one for me with all the pasta and minestrone I wanted to eat. Everyone was happy and enjoying the 12 days trip to the states.
The first land we arrived at was that of Nova Scotia, to my surprise most of the people got off the ship that morning.(Canada has always had a more liberal immigration practice)It took about one day from there to reach N.Y.
That morning I got up as usual at about 7 AM and was surprised that there seemed to be almost no one scuttling about the ship. It seemed eerie that the ship was so quiet at this time of the day.
"Italians are not known for missing a meal". In the search of finding where every one could be, I ended up on the ship's deck.
It has been 52 years but that moment it is still very fresh in my mind, it was so quiet that I felt like I was walking into a church. I saw a multitude of people standing quietly side by side and just looking straight ahead.
The morning had a tick mist and there where some low clouds full of rain.
What everyone was quietly looking at was the majestic looking statue of liberty that seemed to be welcoming us.
I later understood why it was so quiet on that deck that morning.
We all had finally realized that after all the years and months of anticipation and
of waiting to legally enter the United States that the moment had finally arrived and a whole new
future was awaiting us in a mysterious land.
