Letter from America, 1903: "Dear aunt..." it reads, going on to say that they have survived the rough Atlantic crossing safe and sound. "God has saved us all."
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The passport of a man from Ticino who emigrated to California at the end of the 19th century. (Silvio Canevascini)
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A cover for passports and documents provided by the shipping agent, M. Bonetti SA. (Giulio Franscioni)
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An ad appearing in a 1932 edition of the emigranti newspaper, "La Colonia Svizzera" published in San Francisco. (Giovanni Buzzi)
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Letters sent home from New York and San Francisco. (Giorgio Cheda)
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The menu from a gathering of Ticinesi in San Francisco. (Silvio Canevascini)
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Another ad from "La Colonia Svizzera" which appeared in 1932. (Giovanni Buzzi)
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The Californian home of the Canevascini brothers, who emigrated in the 2nd half of the 19th century. (Silvio Canevascini)
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An old postcard from California. (Silvio Canevascini)
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A California map from the late 19th century used by Ticinesi wishing to emigrate. (Silvio Canevascini)
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Many emigranti headed for the area around San Francisco. (Silvio Canevascini)
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Another 1932 ad in the newspaper "La Colonia Svizzera". (Giovanni Buzzi)
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Showing off new found prosperity in California. (Giovanni Buzzi)
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An accordeon manufactured by Italians in California eventually made its way to Ticino. (Silvio Canevascini)
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The emigranti in San Francisco were well informed, thanks to their own newspaper. (Giovanni Buzzi)
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The letters the emigranti wrote home often included drawings and allusions to politics. (Silvio Canevascini)
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In 1932, the Scalmaninis display the American flag a family member brought back with them from California. It has only 48 stars. (Giovanni Buzzi)
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The shipping agent M. Bonetti advertises its services in the newspaper, "La Colonia Svizzera".
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Part of the legacy of the emigranti is the collection of old postcards, letters, advertisements and official documents they left behind. This collection was made possible thanks to the generous support of institutions and many private individuals who opened their archives for swissinfo. (swissinfo, Christoph Balsiger)
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You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.