Antonia Goodman, 77, from Italy, and her daughter Melanie Goodman, 48, are pictured in their Mesilla home. Melanie grew up both in Italy and the United States.
Born and raised in Bologna, Italy, Antonia, met her American husband there and married in 1969. They came to New York in 1971, but ended up moving to Hatch, New Mexico in 1975. Her husband, a physician of internal medicine, had the choice of working in various rural communities in need of doctors with the National Health Service Core.
The warm weather of Hatch is what made them decide to settle in New Mexico. It was a big adjustment being in a place so remote compared to her upbringing in urban environments, “I said, ‘where are you taking me, to the moon?’”
In 1985, her husband sadly passed away in a car accident, and Antonia returned to Italy with her two daughters. However, in 1989, the sunny skies of New Mexico beckoned Antonia to return to the United States.
“The only place I wanted to come back was Mesilla, New Mexico,” she said about her decision to move back, “In a way I wanted to come for my independence, you know?” she explained. “That’s why I came to New Mexico.”
In the 1970’s, New Mexico was still quite undeveloped in comparison to other parts of the country. “When I left from Florence to New Mexico, I put in my trunk 25 liters of oil!” she said speaking of olive oil, which she couldn’t find anywhere in rural New Mexico, “I need to get oil, at least to get re-accustomed to the United States.” For Antonia, this was the biggest problem she had adjusting to the United States. As an avid Italian cook, she couldn’t acquire ingredients for her favorite recipes.
When Antonia came to the United States, she said she never felt discriminated against because of her nationality, just that many people were ignorant about the true nature of Italy. She told them where she was from, “I said Italy, and the first thing they said was, ‘Mafia.”
“Remember I’m blonde, blue eyed and I’m white.” she said explaining how she never experienced racism, “ That makes a big difference when you come to the United States. I had it much easier, than probably if I was dark.”
Today’s current events are painful for her to witness, seeing children separated from their parents and asylum seekers made to wait in line at the border. “I think we should never treat people like that,” Antonia spoke of the immigration situation on the border, “I think they should be coming legally, but they should be welcome, and not making people wait 10 years before they have the possibility to be legal here.”
“I love this country, I want to live here, but I see when I came here in the 70s, it was different,” she explained about her views. “If I had to come to the United States now, I would not come.”
“What goes around comes around,” she warned, “We think we are so superior to everybody,” speaking of the current state of the country.
Antonia Goodman, 77, es de Italia, y su hija Melanie Goodman, 48, están fotografiadas en su casa en Mesilla. Melanie creció en Italia al igual que en los Estados Unidos.
Nacida y criada en Bologna, Italia, Antonia, conoció a su marido americano en Italia en 1969. Llegaron a Nueva York en 1971, pero terminaron mudándose a Hatch, Nuevo México en 1975. Su esposo, médico de medicina interna, tuvo la opción de trabajar en varias comunidades rurales por la necesidad de doctores con el Cuerpo de Servicios de Salud Nacional.
El clima cálido de Hatch, es lo que los decidió establecerse en Nuevo México. Fue un gran ajuste estando en un lugar remoto comparado con su crianza en un ambiente urbano, “Yo me dije, ¿a dónde me llevas a la luna?”
En 1985, su esposo tristemente falleció en un accidente automovilístico, y Antonia regresa a Italia con sus dos hijas. Sin embargo, en 1989, los cielos asoleados de Nuevo México, atraen a Antonia a regresar a los Estado Unidos.
“El único lugar donde quería regresar era a Mesilla, Nuevo México,” dijo ella sobre su decisión de volver, “En parte quería regresar por mi independencia, ¿tú sabes?” ella explicó. “Es por eso que regrese a Nuevo México.”
En los años 1970, Nuevo México todavía estaba bastante sin desarrollar en comparación a otras partes del país. “Cuando yo me mudo de Florencia a Nuevo México, ¡llene mí cajuela con 25 litros de aceite!” dijo ella refiriéndose al aceite de olivo, que no pudo encontrar en ningún lugar en el Nuevo México rural, “Yo necesito aceite, al menos para re acostumbrarme a los Estados Unidos.” Para Antonia, este era el mayor problema para poderse ajustar a los Estados Unidos. Como una apasionada cocinera italiana, no podía conseguir los ingredientes para sus recetas favoritas.
Cuando Antonia llegó a los Estados Unidos, dice que nunca se había sentido tan discriminada por su nacionalidad, pero era solo que mucha gente era ignorante sobre la verdadera naturaleza de Italia. Les decía de dónde era ella, “Yo decía Italia, y lo primero que decían era, ‘Mafia.”
“Recuerda, soy rubia, ojos azules, y soy blanca.” dijo ella explicando como ella nunca experimentó el racismo, “Eso hace mucha diferencia cuando llegas a los Estados Unidos. Yo la tuve mucho más fácil que, si fuera morena,”
Los acontecimientos actuales de hoy en día, es doloroso para ella presenciar, ver niños separados de sus padres y los solicitantes de asilo que tienen que esperar en la frontera. “Yo pienso que nunca debemos de tratar a las personas de esa manera,” Antonia habló de la situación migratoria en la frontera, “Yo creo que, si deben entrar legalmente, pero deben ser bienvenidos, y no hacerlos esperar 10 años antes de tener una posibilidad de estar legalmente aquí.”
“Yo amo este país, yo quiero vivir aquí, pero veo cuando yo llegue en los años 70’s, las cosas eran diferentes,” ella explicó sobre su punto de vista. “Si yo tuviera que venir a los Estados Unidos ahora, yo no vendría.”
“Lo que siembra, se cosecha,” ella alertó, “Pensamos que somos tan superiores a todos,” hablando del estado actual de este país.
The Faces of Immigration Project is a 40 Day photo journal series used to highlight the stories of all Immigrants. The project is meant to shed light on some of the many reasons people have for immigrating to the U.S. Statements and stories have been edited for content, clarity, and brevity and may not reflect the entirety of an Immigrant’s reasons for immigrating to the United States.
By Paul Ratje