Abstract
There was a rumor in Italy in the late 19th century that the streets in the United States were paved with gold. This story was perpetuated by the appearance of newly wealthy return emigrants and the padrone who worked on behalf of American companies seeking inexpensive foreign labor. It was often the poor peasant of the agricultural south who fell under the spell of promises of the American dream. While the immigrant sacrificed much in exchange for their new home, there was one resource in the United States that proved to be priceless to generations of Italian Americans: the ability to earn an education.
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