While some may claim to be of French, Italian, German, Irish, English, or African ancestry, the truth is many, if not most of us are descendents of some combination of these and other ethnicities.
The merging and blending of our people can be seen in our architecture, music, food it is what gives this region such a unique and culturally rich flavor.
We all have a personal story of how we find ourselves in Louisiana at this time in history.
My American Dream started two generations ago with my grandfather, a man I would never meet. He came here from Italy at the age of 16 and he chose to call New Orleans “home” because he believed it to be a thriving land of great opportunity.
My grandfather owned a small fruit, meat and fish market on the edge of the French Quarter. He spoke very little English but through thrift and hard work he did his best for his family.
I will for the first time this summer visit Contessa Entellina, the small village in Sicily where his journey began; his name is Severio Ferrara.
“The American Dream is Alive in Louisiana”
Thank you Severio (Grandpa) Ferrara
Anne Ferrara Dale
What is your Louisiana American Dream story?