The great wave of Italian immigrants to the United States began in the 1880s and lasted until 1920. More than four million Italians made the journey, with about 75 percent settling in cities on the East Coast.

A small contingent worked their way to the Pacific Northwest. Often unskilled or unable to speak the language, they took whatever jobs they could find – from digging ditches and pouring cement to mining coal and laying railroad tracks. To make the transition easier, they settled in communities with other Italians from their home town or region. Here they could speak their native dialect, find foods that looked recognizable, and access a network of amici to secure housing or a job.