For almost a century, the iron mines and steel factories of the Longwy and Villerupt region have attracted large numbers of mostly Italian immigrants. Among other factors, the family has played a crucial role in their integration, and to better focus on this issue, in preparing the article some immigrants and their French-born children have been interviewed. The central issue is a comparison between the lifestyle of isolated, unmarried immigrants and that of immigrants with family. Accordingly, the personal conditions of unmarried Italian immigrants limited their interaction with French society to a merely functional level, since their only claim to legitimacy in a foreign country was their daily work. In addition, since their stay was temporary (or at least considered such), their accommodations were precarious and their living standards were unworthy of a human being. This being completely alone, however, could not last forever. In the end they either decided to go back to their country, or chose to marry or to have their families join them in France. The existence of family ties gave Italian immigrants the opportunity to create a new kind of relationship with French society and to settle down permanently. To the immigrants who had lost their roots, a warm and stable family environment provided a shelter and a new source of balance. The household proved to be the place where Italian traditions were preserved and where help was available to face the immigration shock. The family was also the melting-pot where old and new cultures met and modified each other. Finally, not only the single family unit, but also the close ties among relatives within the Italian neighborhoods eased the immigration shock through the solidarity coming from family and community.

[No Keywords available]

labor migration migrants experience France immigrant population