A Mosque at Ground Zero?

What do you think about the possibility of a mosque near Ground Zero?? As you probably know there is a great debate on whether or not to build a place of worship near the tragedy of Ground Zero. At first I had no problem with this but when I heard it was four blocks away from where the World Trade Center stood I was not pleased to say the least. Could I visit the Temple Mount? Could I visit the Great Mosque in Mecca? Unfortunately the answer to all these questions is NO.

I have no problem with a new mosque anywhere but why does it have to be so close Ground Zero? Yes, Manhattan is a very large place. I am sure there is another place to build a mosque throughout the city. Unfortunately, no matter how often we try asking the builders to find another place to build a mosque, the First Amendment rights is invoked. This management company feels religious freedom is an excuse for discretion. In this country they do have religious freedom but like those sacred monuments I've mentioned previously, Ground Zero is sacred to Americans.

So I would love to hear my blog followers opinions - is it moral to build a house of worship to a religion that was a factor in the events that took place at Ground Zero? I don’t think it is. As a non-believer if I’m not allowed to vist the Temple Mount or the Great Mosque why should a certain religion be able to build their place of worship so close to a place where religious extremists attack our nation??

The Natives of Australia

Australia has always interested me. When I was young I always dreamed of going there to travel around the continent. Last year my dream came true when I went to Australia with The People to People Student Ambassador Program. In addition to learning much about the culture of the people in Australia I also learned that there are native people not only to North America but also to Australia. Did you know that? The Native people of Australia are called the Aborigines.

According to Wikipedia the term Aboriginal has been applied to indigenous inhabitants of mainland Australia, Tasmania, and the adjacent island. As much like the Native Americans there are about 14 different groups of Aborigines in all of Australia. The groups have a number of traditions, some familiar to us in America but some that were very unique to the location, time and customs of these Aborigines. The traditions include Bora, when a boy - known as a Kippas - becomes a man; Corrobore, a special meeting for the Australian Aborigine people; Fire-stick Farming, a process of burning foliage to facilitate hunting; and The Walkabout, a rite of passage journey when young aborigines in adolescence goes to live in the forest for a specific amount of time.

The Aboriginals have a very diverse life style that is quite different then the lives of young Americans. The traditions are nothing like the traditions we have in the US, but make it quite interesting to see how people grow up in different parts of the world.

What other cultures do you know of that have Natives? What are some of the traditions they practice within their culture?

From Italian to Irish to German

I've always been interested in genealogy and where my family came from. When I was in 5th grade I visited Ellis and was hooked on learning how my family arrived here in America. As the grandson of Italian, German and Irish immigrants I thought it would be interesting to explore where my family came from and how it pertains to my culture.

Patrick Fitzgerald, my maternal grandfather was born in Limerick City, Ireland on Cassidy Lane to John Fitzgerald and Ellen Barry on February 6, 1898. He was orphaned by the time he was five and raised on an aunt’s farm. As an adult my grandfather became a member of the IRA that freed the South of Ireland from their British oppressors. His ship the Adriatic arrived at Ellis Island New York City on December 3, 1915. He was picked up by his brother, Jack Fitzgerald, who brought him to his new home in Hartford, Connecticut.

After his arrival he began to experience discrimination first hand while searching for a job. Many of the factories in Connecticut had signs posted outside “Irish need not apply.” How does an Irish man react to this discrimination? My grandfather and his friend opted for the sarcastic - they wrote on the sign “This is written on the gates of Hell” above “Irish need not apply.”

Finally Patrick, my grandfather, had some luck finding a job as apprentice to train as a Millwright. After the Stock Market Crash of 1929 many of the factories closed and he was once again out of work. As a result he moved to New York City and luckily found many blue collar jobs throughout the city.

Wilhelm Josef Schmitt my maternal great-great grandfather born in Prussia in 1844 to Ernst Schmitt and Philomena Dryer. He arrived in New York City in 1861. Wilhelm married Kathleen McQuillan from County Cavan Ireland. In order to avoid the discrimination many immigrants faced, they moved to New York City and changed their names to William and Kathleen Smith.

Francesco Pecoraro my paternal grandfather was born in Carini, Italy on February 16, 1918 to Croce Pecoraro and Maria Schilli. Maria and her children arrived on Ellis Island in 1922. They were met by Croce and taken to live in their new home in south Philadelphia. At the age of 12, Francesco's mother died in an accident and with no other options Croce moved the family to Brooklyn to live with relatives.

My grandfather was drafted into the army when World War II erupted. He landed on the beaches of Normandy three days after D-Day. During his first days in France he was captured by the Germans and remained a prisoner of war until the war ended in 1945.

After the war my Grandfather met and married Annuciata Migliorino from Silla in Calabria. When my father was eighteen, his biological mother passed away due to cancer. Six years later my grandfather met and married my nona Franca Sciarrino in Carini.

So that sums up how the Pecoraro family came to the US. Share your story with me here on my blog. How did your family come to be Americans?

The Big Move to the "Big" City

In 1989 I made my debut on this planet in the greatest city in the world, the melting of the planet, New York City.

When I was 18 months old my family and I moved to Pennsylvania. If I was old enough to have a voice I would have protested ... instead away we went. Pennsylvania is nothing like New York City. First of all there's nothing within a walking distance of your house, you have to drive anywhere you want to go, including your nearest neighbor ... which would be miles down the street. It always felt like you were isolated in your plot of land, with no one but the people who lived in your home to speak to. And yourself, of course!  So, when I found out I was moving to New York City this past spring, I was more than ecstatic. 

I was counting down the days until I would be out of the boondocks, until I was back in civilization! I would be in New York City, again. Back in "The Big Apple" again after far too long of an intermission.

In New York City you have a bevy of cultures and a multitude of diversity. New York City is a place of a range of languages, cultures, and even creeds. I'm so excited about living in New York City because there's so much to do, so much to learn, I dont know where to start!!! I've already met so many different people at my college,  I'm excited to learn their different religious backrounds, learning their languages, and understanding their heritage. I feel like I'm a tourist in a new country and I'm read to conquer this new metropolis.

New York City is so amazing, I'm so happy I'm back in the city. I plan on staying forever.