The Sicilian Inheritance

Sicily was primarily agrarian and experienced significant economic troubles in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The island’s economy was marked by poverty, high unemployment, and few possibilities for advancement. The collapse of conventional sectors, such as sulfur mining and agriculture, intensified the economic crisis. Furthermore, the unification of Italy in 1861—intended to produce a more affluent and united country—frequently left inhabitants of southern provinces like Sicily feeling forgotten and excluded. The unification process resulted in considerable political reforms, which did not always help the poorer southern provinces. The advent of the Mafia as a social and economic force caused additional instability and insecurity for many Sicilians. The combination of economic stagnation, social dissatisfaction, and political neglect created a strong drive for migration.

Between 1840 and 1920, nearly 1 million Sicilians, primarily men, left the island, migrating west. Fueled by economic misery, political instability, and the appeal of opportunity, almost 90% moved to the US; a mass exodus transformed Sicily and the communities that welcomed these immigrants to the US. The men left behind villages populated mostly by women, children, and older men, which altered the social hierarchy of Sicilian culture, giving women autonomy and power for the first time.

Though Sicilian women are traditionally healers and preservers of the island’s cultural heritage, through the 20th century, they lived under rigid social norms. Women had little value outside what they could provide as a wife and mother, and most Sicilian women didn’t have more than a third-grade education. However, the mass migration of the early 20th century sparked a dramatic shift in the role of Sicilian women in society. Women took on more tasks such as household management, skilled trades, working the land, and operating family businesses. However, the lack of men laborers increased the economic burden on these families. Still, the men’s earnings from the US offered critical financial support, and women had money to spend for the first time. Historical records show that women became landowners. Socially, the absence of men altered community dynamics: Women frequently took on new duties and responsibilities, causing shifts in established gender roles. Despite the difficulties, many women displayed tenacity and flexibility, keeping their families together and supporting one another through communal networks. However, once the men returned from the US or summoned their wives to join them, the men expected the women to return to their place in the home, ending the halcyon period of Sicilian women’s independence (McKeegan, Colleen. “What Does a World Without Men Look Like? Asks Jo Piazza.” ELLE, 2024).