CROSSING BETWEEN TWO WORLDS La via vecchia and La via nuova.

<p>This book looks at the world from which the Italian woman came in order to understand how she was able to adjust to her new life and role in the United States. The first section of this study is dedicated to La via vecchia. Using Sgritta family oral histories and private papers as well as the memoirs of other Italian women we look at what life was like for an Italian woman coming to the United States at the turn of the century. We compare and contrast the experiences of Jennie and Candida Sgritta and investigate why they had different experiences even though they were both second-generation Italian Americans. We also compare their experiences to women of other Italian families. In conclusion we look at ways in which Italian women in general and the women of the Sgritta family in specific adjusted their ideals and customs to those of the American community around them. </p>