Italian Americans, Race, and Whiteness
History 392W - Fall 2011
Tuesday, 4:30pm – 7:20pm
Room: PH 347
Professor Peter Vellon
Office Hours: Tuesday/Friday: 11:00am-12:00pm, and by appointment.
PH 352Q; (718) 997-5299
This course will examine how Italian immigrants and their descendants constructed and
negotiated race in American society. Special attention will be paid to themes such as
whiteness and americanization in an effort to understand how Italian American racial and
ethnic identity emerged in the 20th century. This course places Italian immigration within the
larger context of American calls for race based immigration restriction and racial
discrimination. The impact of race, class, and gender, as well as issues and themes such as
World War I, World War II, Fascism, inter-generational conflict, economic and social
mobility, Black Power movements, and political conservatism and ethnic backlash will be
examined in depth. Toward that end, one of the central themes of the course will be how the
external and internal pressures of Americanization influenced the construction of a unique
identity as Italian, and over time Italian American and white. General learning goals of the
course will include improving student’s analytical skills, enhancing students understanding of
historical interpretations and documents, and improving writing skills. Students will meet
these goals through discussion and debate of required readings, essay examinations, writing
assignments such as critical book reviews and research papers, and through critical analysis of
primary sources. Primary source exercises, in particular, are utilized to foster critical thinking
skills and further understanding of how historians construct and support arguments.
This course meets three GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS. It meets the
ANALYZING SOCIAL STRUCTURES Area of Knowledge requirement because it explores
the rise of political, economic, social, and governmental institutions. Because it focuses on
the United States and its political, racial, cultural, ideological, economic, and social evolution,
it fulfills the UNITED STATES Context of Experience requirement.
392W
This is a writing intensive course designed to improve how you express your thoughts on
paper. With this in mind, there are several writing assignments designed to accomplish that
task. During the course of the semester I will pay particular attention to various phases of the
writing process including basic grammar skills, formulating and defending an argument,
organizational skills, conducting research, and citing primary and secondary sources.
Note: Please be advised that this syllabus is subject to change in minor ways. It is very
possible a reading can be added, or deleted, at certain points in the semester. I will give
you advance notice to any possible changes to the schedule.
Required Reading:
1. Jennifer Guglielmo & Salvatore Salerno, eds., Are Italians White? How Race is Made
in America (Routledge, 2003)
2. David Roediger, Working Toward Whiteness: How America’s Immigrants Became
White, (Basic Books, 2005)
3. Course Packet— available at Iver Printing, 67-03 Main Street [off of Melbourne Ave].
Course Requirements:
Midterm & Final Exams:
You will complete a take home Midterm and Final exam. I will distribute questions one week
before the exams are due. Based upon material covered in class meetings, especially assigned
readings, you will write an essay in response to several questions. The essay must be typewritten and 4-6 pages in length. Each exam is worth 10 % (Total is 20 % of final grade)
Research Paper:
You will have the entire semester to complete this assignment. Your Paper Topic must be
typed and handed in by September 20th . You will earn 2 points toward your final grade for
completing this assignment properly and on time. Your Preliminary Bibliography is due
November 1st and is worth 3 pts. A Rough Draft of your research paper is due November
29th and is worth 5 pts. These deadlines are for your benefit as a way to encourage [at least I
hope so] you not to wait until the last minute to get started on this assignment. Your paper
will use SECONDARY and PRIMARY to inform and support your argument or thesis. Your
paper must have footnotes or endnotes and should be approximately 10 pages in length. We
will discuss all of this, including the process of research and writing, in class. See Syllabus
for relevant dates and assignment deadlines. (Research Paper is worth 20 % of final grade)
Student Oral Presentation:
Each student will present their research findings before the class. The presentation must be 57 minutes long and must not be read verbatim from a typed sheet. Instead, students must
present the most interesting aspects of their research finding up to that point, their emerging
arguments, and examples of supporting evidence. Students can work from notes, but must be
mindful that their grade will be computed not only on substance, but oral presentation. All
students will present their oral reports on December 13th. Worth 10% of final grade.
In Class Participation:
Participation is defined broadly. Attendance is required in this course and more than two
absences will adversely affect your grade. However, just attending class is not enough.
Students must keep up with the weekly readings and come to class prepared to participate in
discussions. Consistent, informed, and positive participation will earn students high
participation grades. Negative participation, loosely defined as failing to discuss weekly
readings, abusive lateness, text messaging, dozing off, or engaging in otherwise unproductive
activities, will yield a participation grade closer to zero. Worth 20 % of final grade.
On-line Participation:
Each week of the semester (when there is an assigned reading) students will post weekly
responses to the readings on our course blog. Two students will be assigned to “spark” the
discussion by writing 2-3 paragraphs posted online by Sunday at 7:00pm responding to that
week’s reading. Since this blog will be used as a springboard for our in class discussions, all
other students must weigh in by 7:00 pm Monday evening. Worth 20 % of final grade.
A Note on Late Papers: Each day an assignment is late your grade will decrease by one
point. For example, if your paper is 7 days late [one week], 7 points will be deducted from
your grade before I even read the paper. That could be the difference between an A and a B,
or worse, a C and a D. Hopefully you get the picture.
Aug 30
Week 1
Introduction
Course outline
Course requirements
Sep 6
Week 2
What is race? Whiteness ? Race as social construct
Reading:
Toni Morrison, “Playing in the Dark: Whieness and the Literary Imagination,” pp. 79-84 in
Critical White Studies: Looking Behind the Mirror, Edited by Richard Delgado & Jean
Stefancic
Reginald Horsman, “Race and Manifest Destiny: The Origins of American Racial AngloSaxonism,” pp.139-144 in Critical White Studies: Looking Behind the Mirror, Edited by
Richard Delgado & Jean Stefancic
Martha Mahoney, “The Social Construction of Whiteness,” pp. 330-333 in Critical White
Studies: Looking Behind the Mirror, Edited by Richard Delgado & Jean Stefancic
Jennifer Guglielmo, “Introduction: White Lies, Dark Truths,” pp. 1-14 in Are Italians White:
How Race is Made in America, Edited by Jennifer Guglielmo & Salvatore Salerno [hereafter,
AIW]
James Baldwin, “On Being White and Other Lies,” pp.177-180 re-printed in Black on White:
Black Writers on What it Means to be White, Edited by David Roediger
W.E.B. DuBois, “The Souls of White Folk,” pp.184-199 re-printed in Black on White: Black
Writers on What it Means to be White, Edited by David Roediger
Sep 13
Week 3
Historical Construction of Whiteness
Reading:
David Roediger, “New Immigrants, Race, and ‘Ethnicity’ in the Long Early Twentieth
Century,” Ch. 1, pp. 3-34 in Working Toward Whiteness: How America’s Immigrants Became
White [hereafter, WTW]
Matthew Frye Jacobson, “Introduction: The Fabrication of Race,” pp. 1-12; & Ch. 2, “AngloSaxons and Others, 1840-1824” pp. 39-90 in Whiteness of a Different Color: European
Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race
Sep 20
Week 4
Italians & Race—The Southern Question
The “New Immigrants”: American Reception/Perception
Reading:
David Roediger, “Popular Language, Social Practice, and the Messiness of Race,” Ch. 2, pp.
35-54, in WTW
Desmond King, “A Less Intelligent Class? The Dillingham Commission and the New
Immigrants,” from Making Americans: Immigration, Race, and the Origins of the Diverse
Democracy, Ch.3, pp.50-83
***Research Paper Topic Due***
Sep 27
Week 5
American Reception/Perception & Italian American Racial Inbetweeness
Reading:
David Roediger, “’The Burden of Proof Rests with Him’: New Immigrants and the Structures
of Inbetweeness,” Ch. 3, pp. 57-92 in WTW
Louise DeSalvo, “Color: White/Complexion: Dark,” pp. 17-28 in AIW
Tom Guglielmo, “No Color Barrier”: Italians, Race, and Power in the United States,” pp.2943 in AIW
***Grammar & Style Review; Writing as a Process***
Oct 4
NO CLASS (FRIDAY SCHEDULE)
Oct 11
Week 6
Lynching, Race, & “inbetweeness”
Reading:
David Roediger, “Inside the Wail: New Immigrant Racial Consciousness” Ch. 4, pp. 93-130
in WTW
Vincenza Scarpaci, “Walking the Color Line: Italian Immigrants in Rural Louisiana, 18801910,” pp. 60-76 in AIW
Peter Vellon, “Victims of the Mob:” Lynching and the Racial ‘Inbetweeness’ of Italian
Immigrants in the American South, 1891-1915," Ambassador Magazine (Fall 2000)
Oct 18
Week 7
National Origins & Immigration Restriction
Reading:
Desmond King, “’Frequent Skimmings of the Dross’”: Building an American Race,” from
Making Americans: Immigration, Race, and the Origins of the Diverse Democracy, Ch.5,
pp.127-165
***Midterm Exam Questions distributed***
Oct 25
Week 8
National Origins & Immigration Restriction, cont’d.
Reading:
David Roediger, “’A Vast Amount of Coercion’: The Ironies of Immigration Restriction,”
Ch. 5, pp.133-156 in WTW
Desmond King, “Enacting National Origins: The Johnson-Reed Immigration Act (1924),”
from Making Americans: Immigration, Race, and the Origins of the Diverse Democracy,
Ch.7, pp.199-228
***Midterm Essay Due***
Nov 1
Week 9
Constructions of the Racial “other”: Religion, Film, & the Italian Language Press
Reading:
Robert Orsi, “The Religious Boundaries of an Inbetween People: Street Feste and the
Problem of the Dark-Skinned Other in Italian Harlem, 1920-1990,” American Quarterly, Vol.
44, No. 3 (September 1992) pp.313-347
Giorgio Bertellini, “Black Hands and White Hearts: Italian Immigrants as ‘Urban Racial
Types’ in Early American Film Culture,” Urban History, 31, 3 (2004), pp. 375-399
***Research Paper: Preliminary Bibliography Due***
***Research Process: Review of Sources & Interpretation***
Nov 8
Week 10
Fascism, Race, and Italian Americans
The Great Depression, Unionism, and Welfare
Reading:
Tom Guglielmo, “Fascism, Empire, and War” from White on Arrival: Italians, Race, Color,
and Power in Chicago, 1890-1945, Ch. 6, pp. 113-128
David Roediger, “A New Deal, an Industrial Union, and a White House: What the New
Immigrant Got Into,” Ch. 7, pp.199-234 in WTW
Nov 15
Week 11
Race, Color, and Housing
Reading:
David Roediger, “Finding Homes in an Era of Restriction” Ch. 6, pp.157-198 in WTW
Ira Katznelson, “White Veterans Only” from When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold
History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America, pp.113-141.
Tom Guglielmo, “The Color of Housing” from White on Arrival: Italians, Race, Color, and
Power in Chicago, 1890-1945, Ch. 8, pp. 146-171
Nov 22
NO CLASS (THURSDAY SCHEDULE)
Nov 29
Week 12
Italian Americans and the “white ethnic backlash”
Reading:
Matthew Frye Jacobson, “Hyphen Nation” from Roots Too: White Ethnic Revival in PostCivil Rights America, Ch. 1, pp.11-71
Jonathan Rieder, “The Rise of the ‘Silent Majority’” in Fraser & Gerstle, eds., The Rise and
Fall of the New Deal Order, 1930-1980, pp.243-268
***Review: Annotation & Citation***
***Rough Draft of Research Paper Due***
Dec 6
Week 13
Italian Americans and the “white ethnic backlash,” cont’d.
Reading:
Jonathan Rieder, “The Lost People,” from Canarsie: The Jews and Italians of Brooklyn
Against Liberalism, Ch. 4, pp. 95-131
Maria Lizzi, ’My Heart is as Black as Yours’: White Backlash, Racial Identity, and Italian
American Stereotypes in New York City’s 1969 Mayoral Campaign, Journal of American
Ethnic History, 2008 27(3): pp.43-80.
Stefano Luconi, “Frank L. Rizzo and the Whitening of Italian Americans in Philadelphia, Ch.
11, pp. 177-191 in AIW
Dec 13
Week 14
Italian Americans, Stereotypes, and the Murder of Yusef Hawkins
Reading:
Joseph Sciorra, “Italians Against Racism”: The Murder of Yusef Hawkins (R.I.P.) and My
March on Bensonhurst, Ch. 12, pp. 192-209 in AIW
Jonathan Rieder, “Striking Back,” from Canarsie: The Jews and Italians of Brooklyn Against
Liberalism, Ch. 6, pp.171-202
John Kifner, “Bensonhurst: A Tough Code in Defense of a Closed World,” The New York
Times, 1 September 1989;
Helen Barolini, “Buried Alive By Language,” in Chiaroscuro: Essays of Identity
*** Student Presentations***
***Final Exam Questions distributed***