Let’s talk about Harvard.
Harvard is a university started in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In the early 1900’s Harvard pledged to accept young people from Cambridge — decades before DEI.
In Cambridge there lived a scruffy Italian immigrant boy. His name was Arturo, or Arthur. He was little, skinny and shy. Nevertheless, he was bright, industrious and kind. He played stick ball in the streets with all the other little immigrant kids. He went to grammar school with Irish, Greek, Jewish and Chinese immigrant kids. His parents, new to America, were struggling with English and living in a country new to these sensibilities.
The four Serino boys struggled with English, too. When his teacher asked Arturo, “What are you doing?” his response was the Neapolitan idiom “I’m just wasting time,” which translates to “I’m fine, just taking it easy.” He was met with punishment. Because she didn’t understand his idea of translation and because he had an accent and wore tired looking clothes, his teacher said to him, “Do not even think you can ever go to college. Forget that dream your parents have for you.”
The Serino family struggled with — and overcame — poverty by working days and nights and taking any job they could find. Arturo drove a horse-drawn fruit and vegetable wagon yelling “bananas, apples.” He was a great help to his industrious father, Giovanni. Giovanni worked at Ward’s Bakery in Cambridge from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. From 5 p.m. on, he worked as a janitor taking care of apartment houses. Arthur, his son, became efficient in all the manual skills he would need in life. During prohibition, Arthur helped his dad make wine – something all newly-arrived Italians did and still do. They sold much of their wine to policemen (for medicinal purposes, I am sure). His father was fond of saying he “went to Harvard” because every day he walked through Harvard Yard to work as a janitor.
Maria Assunta, Arturo’s mother worked daily sewing in a sweatshop and then took lace home at night to embroider into pillowcases for the rich. At night, the family, which now included uncles and aunts newly arrived to America, sat around the wood stove in the kitchen while tomato sauce percolated on the stove for Sunday’s big family meal.
Mrs. Nissin, a Jewish immigrant who lived on the third floor above the Serinos, and Maria Assunta became great friends and confidants. She, too, had four boys. She convinced Maria to “make sure your boys go to college so they will never have to work under anybody!” Arturo and his brother Gustavo were accepted at Harvard. Tomasino (Tom) and Giovanni (John) were accepted to Boston University.
Because the Dean of Harvard encouraged the new students to be well balanced and truly educated, they would need to know science and the humanities. He took romance languages and math as his majors. Arturo went on to medical school at Boston University. He interned in many hospitals in New England and in New York state. He went on calls and learned to sleep at the bottom of the bed waiting for a woman — usually a poor woman — to have her baby.
In Quincy hospital, he witnessed an entire ward dedicated to women who had experienced a back alley abortion or who had tried, unsuccessfully, to perform the abortion themselves. They were all in extreme pain or dying. He promised himself he would never turn away a woman in a similar situation. He never did. He took up practice in is childhood neighborhood which was, by now, racially and ethnically diverse. He did all kinds of surgeries. He birthed babies and helped patients in their last moments of life. His waiting room at 125 Magazine St. in Cambridge was always full – people would wait all day to see him for a touch or a kind word or a validation of their worth. Everyone who needed help – patients, relatives, even strangers – could count on him. He never said “No. I’m not able to help you.” To me, his daughter, he was a hero and a saint. He taught me to love.
So go right ahead, President Trump. Hate and make miserable those intelligent, well-educated students and teachers and researchers who are finding cures for cancer and heart disease and discovering vaccines that will save the whole world. They very likely did not vote for you anyway.
My dad and his brothers contributed to humanity all their lives.
Thank you, Harvard! You gave an immigrant family a chance to achieve the American Dream. Thank you, thank you.
Jean Serino lives in Hudson.