This book looks at the world from which the Italian woman came in order to understand how she was able to adjust to her new life and role in the United States. The first section of this study is dedicated to "La via vecchia." Using Sgritta family oral histories and private papers, as well as the memoirs of other Italian women, we look at what life was like for an Italian woman coming to the United States at the turn of the century. We compare and contrast the experiences of Jennie and Candida Sgritta and investigate why they had different experiences, even though they were both "second-generation" Italian Americans. We also compare their experiences to women of other Italian families. In conclusion, we look at ways in which Italian women, in general, and the women of the Sgritta family, in specific, adjusted their ideals and customs to those of the American community around them.