Rena Xuereb, who has lived in Michigan, USA, for the past 73 years, is known to her family by the Maltese term iż-żgħira, meaning the youngest. At the tender age of four, Rena, along with her mother and five siblings, embarked on an arduous journey from Malta to the United States. This journey and the subsequent life of her family have been chronicled in her book, Courage of a Maltese Immigrant.
In 1951, amidst one of the peak periods for Maltese migration to the US, the Xuereb family left their farm in Għajn Riħana near Burmarrad. Rena’s book focuses on the life of her mother, Josephine, who shouldered the responsibility of running the family farm at the age of 13 after her father passed away and her brothers emigrated to Australia. To support the family, young Josephine took on laborious tasks, including being hired out to collect horse manure by the hour.
Josephine’s journey of hard work and perseverance is a testament to the struggles many Maltese immigrants faced. At 20, Josephine entered into an arranged marriage with John Xuereb, leading to a large family: Joe, Frank, Dolores, Victor, Grace, and Rena. In the aftermath of World War II, Malta’s economic conditions deteriorated, prompting John to join the mass migration to Michigan, where he found employment at the Ford Motor Company for $2.00 an hour—a substantial wage at the time.
Ten months later, Josephine and her children made the significant decision to reunite with John, embarking on the epic voyage aboard the SS Italia. Despite never having left Malta before, not even for the nearby island of Gozo, Josephine braved the unknown for the sake of her family’s future.
Reflecting on her mother’s courage, Rena noted, “When I turned 42, the same age my mother was when she emigrated to America, I thought: Could I have made the same journey? And I had to admit to myself that I wouldn’t have had the courage.” The family’s tenacity did not go unnoticed. While they were spared the racism prevalent in Australia, Rena acknowledged that as immigrants, they often ended up with the dirtiest jobs available.
Rena’s book serves as a tribute to her mother, who passed away in 2003, and as an inspiration for others facing similar challenges. Despite having a strong Midwestern accent, Rena has not forgotten her Maltese roots. She is actively involved as a trustee of the Maltese American Community Club of Dearborn and visits Malta frequently.
“I went back to Malta for the first time in 1965 and have returned many times since. For a period, I visited Malta four to five times a year,” she shared. “Every time I land in Malta, I feel my hair stand up. My heart is always in Malta.”
Courage of a Maltese Immigrant is available for purchase on Amazon and IngramSpark, providing readers with a profound look into the resilience and dedication of the Maltese immigrant community in the United States.
For more details on this story, visit the original article on Times of Malta.
