Italian Immigrants Point To The Future In New NH Sculpture

NEW HAVEN, CT — A year after the Christopher Columbus statue in Wooster Square was removed, a new monument honoring Italian immigration to New Haven has emerged.

Titled "Indicando la via al futuro" ("Pointing the Way to the Future"), the sculpture depicts a family of four arriving to the United States from Italy. It was created by Wooster Square native Marc-Anthony Massaro and was voted on during a meeting of the Wooster Square Monument Committee Wednesday night, The Arts Paper reported.

"(Massaro) is tasked with bringing his vision honoring the Italian immigrant experience and contribution to New Haven to fruition using the aspects of sculpture, story panels with pictures and landscaping to create a space for contemplation and recollection," Massaro's website says.

The sculpture was chosen out of three finalists, earning 11 of the 16 votes cast, according to The Arts Paper. It depicts a mother, father, and their two children looking toward the horizon.

The boy is pointing at something, while his sister holds a heavy book – which, The Arts Paper reported, Massaro said represents female education in America.

The Columbus statue was removed from Wooster Square in June 2020 – which New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said he supported, and noted that the decision was spearheaded by leaders in the city's Italian community.

"While this decision for those leaders was not easy, they courageously did the right thing," Elicker said in a statement last June. "I want to take a moment to thank those leaders for their support in recognizing the history of colonialism and its negative effects on many cultures."

The Columbus statue that was torn down will be displayed in the Knights of Columbus museum.