Maria Rosaria Mazzarella

Story

Mary Mazzarella (PART 11)

Initially school was extremely tough for Mary. She did not understand a word the teacher was saying and she found it impossible to make friends. Sometimes she would get teased for being different. Insensitive children would call Mary ‘s lunch ‘wog food’ and say things like ‘go back to your own country.’ One day Mary was pushed too far, she was sick of being picked on and she fought back, with her fists. Mary would cry every night and wish she was home again in Naples with her old friends and teacher. In Italy Mary loved school and had achieved high marks and academic awards. In Australia she felt completely stupid and didn ‘t know how she was going to pass.

Mary tried not to burden her parents with her troubles but sometimes she just couldn ‘t help it. She complained to her father one night and told him how some of the children were making her life a misery and how everything at school was just too hard. Her father told Mary to stand up for herself and that no one in the world is ever better than you. Mary took this on board 100%. She believed then and still to this day that no one is better than her. Mary ‘s life then started to turn around. She began night school learning English, decided to make English speaking friends, worked diligently at her studies, first writing all her assignments in Italian and then translating them into English and then to Mary ‘s delight she began to enjoy school again.

Mary is now 57 years old and is a successful Business Manager working for IGA. Her role is to help IGA retail stores present their products in the best way possible to bring in and maintain customers. One of Mary ‘s passions and strengths is her knowledge of deli products. It is ironic that children teased Mary for her ‘wog food’ years ago when now, the same food is desired and called ‘gourmet’. Mary married another Italian immigrant, Sam, when she was 19 years old and she now has 4 boys and 1 grandson. Her family still enjoys many cultural events including ‘tomato day’ and ‘salami day’ – two separate days of the year where everyone gets together and makes homemade tomato sauce and salami ‘s.

After 44 years Mary and Sam flew back to Naples to visit their home towns and families. It was an amazing trip and very emotional. Mary misses parts of the Italian culture and her extended family still; however during her visit to Naples she realised she did not feel like she belonged there anymore. Mary loves her life, is proud of her Italian heritage and calls Australia home.

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