ȘONA-NEW YORK-ȘONA. POVESTEA EMIGRĂRII DINTR-UN SAT DIN FĂGĂRAȘ.

The massive wave of economic migration of Transylvanians to America in the early 20th century had a considerable impact on the lives of both those who decided to temporarily leave their homeland and those who stayed home. The Transylvanian pattern of emigration, similar to the neighbouring Central and Eastern European countries can be sum up as follows: young male peasants, poorly educated, but with high hopes and determination left for America, for highly demanding physical work, but well enough remunerated in order to allow them to return home relatively soon. This paper seeks to contribute to the rich literature on emigration, by focusing on how this phenomenon influenced the villagers of Șona, a small community in the former Făgăraș County. By analysing photos, artefacts and documents that belonged to the emigrants, the Ellis Island Passenger Search Database, and by conducting interviews with their living descendants, I focus on the personal experience of migration – individual stories of migrants, their relations with their family and the community. Thus, I try to partially recreate some biographies directly connected to the experience of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]