SURVIVING THE 1930'S IN OLD ALBUQUERQUE
by: f. g. lopriato y lopez

ITALIANS IN NEW MEXICO - #4 

         We are dealing with the survival of Old Towners during the Great  Depression, therefore, the entire history of the Italian Community of Albuquerque will have to take a back seat for a while. What you read in this series is being taken from that overall documentation of Italians in New Mexico, which of course includes Albuquerque. You will run into much of this series in the depth tale by the same writer, under the title of "La Colonia" when it is published.
          Italians were not the only first generation immigrants to make New Mexico, MOST left a beloved homeland behind, friends, relations,  and all that every one holds dear about one's own country, were left behind.  I write about Italians only because I know more about that segment of our society than about any of the rest. 
Most came here to escape poverty and discrimination. Here they found opportunity. Letters and word of mouth spread the word to those who had stayed behind, in the "old country." Thus it was that foreign born Italians and others found Albuquerque, the railroad brought more than just railway workers. It brought professional brick layers, architects, and all that goes with a growing town, and Albuquerque was growing, it really did not feel the depression until two or three years after it had started. The more it grew, the more lumber, bricks, glass, etc. was needed, Albuquerque lumber was doing better than it had ever done, the sawmill hired more workers, builders hired more laborers, cafes, restaurants, lodges, garages, and, you name it, sprang up and created more jobs for more people.
         The high, dry climate brought in doctors, nurses, and patients from out of state  theaters, bars, the Franciscan Hotel , while the rest of the country was experiencing the worst of the depression, Albuquerque was booming. Five and dime stores, the brick farm, tobacco farm, even the VA Hospital was instrumental in bringing work to Albuquerque.
       Salaries were not much but neither was the cost of living. Many people purchased lots and built their own homes on them.  Old Towners who attended San Felipe School were taught by Italian nuns, the Priests at San Felipe Church were Italian. Masses were said in Latin . Altar boys  and choir singers, aspired to be priests, nuns, altar boys or "coralistas" learned, at least the words to
Latin songs,  and prayers or the entire mass itself in Latin. It was an interesting combination of languages for those children who grew up speaking Italian at home, Spanish in the streets, English in school and Latin in Church, yet no one thought it a bit unusual, and could flit around from one language to the other with no difficulty at all.  It did help Old Towners to when it came to finding employment in the business sector.  Italian businesses hired more Hispanics than did other immigrant businesses, those who did, such as the Greeks, Armenians, Jews, attracted the cream of the trade, simply because the Native American and Hispanic populations trusted someone who did business in their own language.
       Wholesale and retail stores delivered throughout the entire state, small Mom and Pop stores bought most of the merchandise but delivery men and boys also drove from house to house both in town and out in the boondocks, in the Pueblos and reservations. where roads were goat paths and hogans blended in with the scenery and were so isolated from each other that it took more than ordinary courage to complete a route. No a job for anyone who didn't know like or distrusted  "Mexicans" or "Indians".      ////fglyl