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An Italian Identity

Emily Frio

 

I see them walking

through the narrow streets of Naples 

past vendors with brightly colored trinkets, 

blouses suspended on clotheslines

 

I see them with their hands stained red,

from hours of crushing sweet tomatoes, 

dedication and resilience the center of their work.

 

They stand against the bright blue of the Mediterranean, 

leather suitcases held in tight grasps, 

awaiting the arduous journey, 

towards a new life

 

They settle down into the suburbs of north Jersey,

with little but the clothes on their backs,  

hoping to continue the family legacy

 

I hope they can see

I always give a hundred and ten percent 

with everything I do. 

 

Emily Frio is from Pequannock, NJ, currently majoring in cell biology and neuroscience with an expected graduation date of Spring 2026. Some of her passions include reading, writing narrative pieces, and sipping on hot matcha lattes.