The History of Italians in Mississippi is related to the Italian presence and emigration to the State of Mississippi in southern US. The immense obstacles that these Italian immigrants faced in assimilating into the broader society were far from easy, while also attempting to preserve their identity, culture, and traditions in a new land. Italian immigrants are responsible for developing and contributing to the region now known as Mississippi. History In the 19th century, many Italians entered the United States in New Orleans and traveled onwards to Mississippi. Over 100 immigrants lived in Mississippi as the American Civil War started. In the late 19th century, Italian immigration increased in the United States, which made a tremendous impact on the area. Some of them went to work in the so-called "Mississippi Delta" in the cotton plantations, and even helped the development of the blues music with their mandolins. Roman Catholic faith Most people in Italy are Roman Catholics. Italians are predominantly Roman Catholic as a whole, and so were those Italians that settled in Mississippi. The Catholic Church outfitted vital institutional support to them and future generations. Although the presence of a Catholic population in Mississippi is relatively minor, Italians are a prominent group within many Catholic churches across the state. Sicilian immigrants Greenville, Mississippi had the most Sicilian immigrants out of other cities in the delta. Most immigrants first settled in New Orleans and worked in the sugar cane and cotton fields. Later on when they arrived in the Delta, they began to settle in towns, which enabled them to open up grocery stores, restaurants, and fruit stands. Because they lived in towns, rather than on farms, they had access to higher quality education, which they took advantage of. Because of these opportunities, young Sicilian immigrants were able to grow up, become established and enter into the workforce much faster than Central Italian immigrants. Sicilians established strong ties with their homeland after coming to America. Italians in the Delta Around the 1880s, the first Italian immigrants settled in the Mississippi Delta. Most immigrants were hired to be farm laborers on large plantations, whereas some became peddlers and sold goods to farmers. Religion, family roots and farming were the three vital traditions Italians managed to maintain after moving to the United States. Italians made a major impact specifically on the Mississippi Delta region, because of the farming culture they created by