182                    THE ITALIAN CONTRIBUTION

CHAPTER .XIX
MISCELLANEOUS ORGANIZATIONS

INTRODUCTION—It is not difficult to show that
organized activities conducted by Americans of Italian
extraction run thru the entire gamut of all co-operative
effort possible. As Roberts says, "the men of the new
immigration are much given to organizations of various
kinds."*

Neither is the descendant of the Italian lacking in
this same trait so that instead of a fundamental lack of
organization we see what almost amounts to a super¬
fluity of organization effort. Organizations covering
the same narrow field are duplicated many times over.
To the question, does the American of Italian extraction
' co-operate, we answer emphatically, "Yes," and in so
doing point out in addition to those previously discussed
a miscellaneous number of different institutions not yet
noted.

DRAMATICS

THE MARIONETTE THEATRE—Itahan dramatics
has had a rather checkered history or career in New
York City. Attempts at the reproduction of Italian
operas, plays, etc., have been numerous and frequent. In
New York City at present there exist two Italian thea¬
tres on the lower East Side supported by their Italian
adherents. Their plays, however, are given in Italian
and their whole background presupposes a knowledge
and appreciation of things fundamentally Italian. For
the most part this appreciative background is lacking
in the many thousands of Americans of Italian extrac¬
tion living in New York City. They have neither titne
nor opportunity to develop such an appreciation. In a
great measure this deficiency follows from their slender
grip on the Italian language. Consequently, it is certain
that such dramatics as exist are conducted by Italians —
for those individuals of Italian  blood that are  preem-

* Roberts, Peter, "The New Immigration," p. 187.