When Jordan Lee Wagner thinks about Nonantum, he doesn’t just picture a neighborhood in Newton. He sees a tight-knit place where immigrants are welcomed with open arms and where generations of stories and memories have been fostered. “You don’t see that much anymore, and certainly not 15 minute commute down to a major American city,” Wagner said. “But that’s Nonantum.”

In Nonantum, history isn’t just remembered, it’s protected. And for some residents, a “rebellion” has recently begun. The Italian flag-colored traffic stripes that emblazoned Adams Street for almost 100 years were painted over last month. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said the change was needed to support public safety and follow federal requirements. But to some residents of Nonantum, it felt like an erasure of identity.