If you were an early 20th century Italian immigrant living in Birmingham, chances are you came from Sicily. More specifically, you probably came fromBisacquino, a small Sicilian village near Palermo. Leaving family behind in Bisacquino was surely a gut wrenching decision, motivated by a desire to escape poverty and facilitated by agents canvassing the Sicilian countryside for cheap labor.

Italians arriving in New Orleans often went to work first on Louisiana citrus farms or one of the state’s sugar cane plantations. But word was getting around that Birmingham offered a chance to earn wages in one of its factories. Enticed by the promise of better pay, many Italian immigrants left Louisiana for the new industrial city. Joining them were fellow Italian immigrants who came directly from Sicily or other parts of Italy, or who may have spent some time in a northern city before deciding to head south.

By1910, Birmingham’s Italian population numbered almost 2,000 and was spread out over several neighborhoods. There was Little Italy in Ensley, a working class neighborhood associated with Tennessee Coal and Iron. There was the vibrantItalian community of Thomas, Republic Steel’s company town. To the west lay another Little Italy, in West Blocton, where Italian immigrants mined coal and known to this day for its Italian Catholic cemetery. Each community was anchored by a Catholic parish, supplying social and spiritual support and operating schools for Italian speaking children. Corner grocery stores, some of which grew into major supermarket chains, supplemented their owners’ income. Fig trees, small family gardens and even livestock kept food traditions alive.

Birmingham’s Italian community illustrates what it means to live in Birmingham, and the exhibit tells this great story. In partnership with the Italian American Heritage Society and research from UAB honors students, Vulcan Park and Museum gathered artifacts, photos and oral histories from the city’s Italian immigrant communities.