Ship from Palermo story

[ArleneTami]

Was always told that grandma's relatives were coming over (likely from Palermo as she did headed for Ellis Island) but that the boat stopped in Argentina, they got off and could not afford to continue. Has anyone ever heard anything like this?
Thanks in advance

[nazca]

Hi Arlene,
i know that boats departed from Palermo, Neaples and Genova to New York,New Orleans , Boston and maybe Philadelphia. From same port it was possible ship to South America but i never knew a line "Sicily-Argentina-USA". Maybe they try to establish in Argentina and after in Usa?

greetings.

[jennabet]

I don't think you actually got the right story. Many immigrants just could not get a Visa for America but they had no trouble getting permission to go to Argentina. Most Visa's were issued for USA because the immigrant already knew someone there and in fact, was going to settle in the very same city as his relative or friend from back home in the old country who had immigrated before him.

[jpetrelli]

Hi Arlene,
i know that boats departed from Palermo, Neaples and Genova to New York,New Orleans , Boston and maybe Philadelphia. From same port it was possible ship to South America but i never knew a line "Sicily-Argentina-USA". Maybe they try to establish in Argentina and after in Usa?

greetings.

While not answering the question, but for what it is worth...

Having visited there on my honeymoon many years ago, I was surprised to learn that after the US, Argentina had the second largest population of Italian immigrants.

That's unsourced, etc., but leads me to believe travel routes from Italy to Argentina must have been somewhat readily accessible.