Immigrant award for Springsteen
Written by admin on April 22, 2010 – 10:55 pm -Bruce Springsteen has received an Ellis Island Family Heritage Award. These are presented by the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation to immigrants or their descendents who have “made a major contribution to the American experience.”
Springsteen’s maternal great-grandmother, Raffaela Zerilli, and her five children, arrived at Ellis Island from Vico Equense, Italy in 1900. She was joining her husband in Manhattan’s West Village.
One of the five children, Antonio, grew up to marry Adela Sorrentino and their third daughter, Adele, married Irish-American Douglas Springsteen, who is Bruce’s father.
Bruce with his mother Adele (centre), and Aunts Dora (left) and Ida (right)
The 60-year-old rock legend was joined at the ceremony by his mother and aunts. He said of them:
| “These fabulous women, they are my living connection to my heritage, to Ellis Island. They have personified for me the tough optimism and the work ethic of first-generation-born American citizens. They lifted my spirit. I think they put the rock and roll in me.” |
Bruce added:
| “You can’t really know who you are and where you’re going unless you know where you came from.” |
Here’s the Boss singing the very apt “American Land,” which was based on a poem called “He Lies in the American Land” by Slovakian immigrant Andrew Kovaly. Note that in the penultimate verse, Bruce lists off names of immigrant families and includes the surname of his great grandmother “Zerilli.”
The Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards ceremony was hosted by NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. Other recipients were basketball player Dikembe Mutombo, investment banker Peter G. Peterson and Avon chief Andrea Jung.
Tags: American Land, Bruce Springsteen, Ellis Island Family Heritage Award
Posted in American Rock, Awards |
