Learn English Online and Travel the World: Little Italy
Whenever a large group of people has had to emigrate from their country of origin to another, they’ve found ways to bring their cultures with them and stay in touch with their roots and culture abroad.
Most notably, because of language barriers and socioeconomic status, immigrants with a common ethnic background have frequently settled together in the same neighborhoods, often turning them into “little” versions of their home countries. In many cases, these areas evolved into tourist attractions with authentic restaurants and festivals.
Today, we will discuss one of the well-known cases of such neighborhoods: Little Italy. There are Little Italys all over the world, but we will highlight three in the Anglosphere.
Don’t forget to leave a comment below if you’d like to learn what other places you could visit thanks to learning English, or join one of our courses today to bring yourself one step closer to traveling to these incredible places!
Our little tour will take you to:
- Little Italy in the US
- Little Italy in the UK
- Little Italy in Australia
- Does the List of Little Italys Stop There?
Table of Contents
Little Italy in the US
Situated in Manhattan, New York City, this Little Italy is probably the most famous one in the world.
Italians emigrated there primarily during the 1880s, and, depending on which part of Italy they came from, they resided on different streets: those from Naples lived on Mulberry; those from Puglia and Calabria lived on Mott; those from Sicily lived on Elizabeth; and those from Genoa lived on Baxter.
Nowadays, the neighborhood is home to plenty of Italian restaurants that attract tourists from all over the world. They also host several festivals, such as the Feast of San Gennaro, an 11-day festivity in September that celebrates Italian and Italian-American culture.
Aside from the one in the Big Apple, the US has countless other Little Italys, from New England all the way to California!
Little Italy in the UK
Of course, the US is not the only place with a Little Italy. London has one such neighborhood in Clerkenwell after Northern Italians emigrated there in the 1800s during the Napoleonic wars and the Italian wars of unification.
Interestingly, this Little Italy is not only composed of Italians: Maltese and Corsican immigrants also settled here and assimilated into the Italian community.
Nowadays, it hosts the Procession in honour of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, accompanied by many festivities that feature the Italian spark. It takes place in July and is the biggest event of the year in this neighborhood.
Much like its American counterpart, the area is home to plenty of Italian restaurants to visit if you happen to be in the English capital!
Have we captivated you already? Find out about cultural differences between Italians and Brits in our insightful blog post.
Little Italy in Australia
Finally, let’s turn our attention to the other hemisphere on our quest for Little Italys around the world: Australia has four! Most notably, Melbourne’s Little Italy gave birth to the city’s famous cafe culture.
That being said, not only will you experience Italian culture abroad, but you’ll also see how Italian immigrants who settled in Australia had a profound impact on its culture!
This neighborhood is often described as vibrant and lively, and again, you can find that it is full of the authentic flavors of Italy. This is the perfect place to go for a delicious meal or to relax with a cup of coffee after a long day of seeing all that Melbourne has to offer. Who would want to miss it?
Does the List of Little Italys Stop There?
By no means! There are Little Italys in Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, and more! You could take a world tour to visit all the traceable Little Italys abroad and learn more about how Italian culture has blended with each of their new countries’ cultures.
Learning English online can take you to all these places and beyond, and as such, it is a valuable resource that will make your travels much more enriching.
Regardless of which Little Italy you choose to visit, you’ll be ready to go to any of these places and communicate with the locals if you enroll in one of our online English learning courses!
Some More FAQ’s for you!
- Did you know? There is speculation that Australia’s first-ever espresso machine was hosted in the Italian Carlton district.
- The Italian community at Bedford is considered one of the most prominent ones in the UK, boasting a 28% amidst the population of cross-cultural backgrounds.
- If you read through our suggested hotel vocabulary, you’ll be ready to book your next trip to the Little Italy of your choice in no time!
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