WHO ARE THE ITALIAN
AMERICANS?
AMERICANS OF
ITALIAN ANCESTRY
PEOPLE WITH DUAL
CITIZENSHIP
NUMBERS ON ITALIAN
IMMIGRATION
WHEN?
MOSTLY BETWEEN 1880
AND 1960
HOW MANY?
655,888 1890 – 1900
2 MILLION 1900 – 1914
WHY?
MOSTLY POOR ECONOMIC
CONDITIONS
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
RURAL PEASANTS
LITTLE EDUCATION
MANUAL LABOUR
“THE CATHOLICS”
TWO THIRDS MEN
“LITTLE ITALY”
2000 USA CENSUS
TRY TO ANSWER THE
FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
• WHO IS HE/SHE?
• TRY TO TRACE HIS/HER ITALIAN
ORIGIN.
• HOW DOES HE/SHE FEEL ABOUT
BEING ITALIAN AMERICAN?
HOW WERE THEY TREATED?
• ANTI IMMIGRANT DISCRIMINATION
• ANTI CATHOLIC SENTIMENT
• ANTI ITALIANISM
• HOSTILITY
• VIOLENCE
THE LARGEST MASS LYNCHING
IN AMERICAN HISTORY
NEW ORLEANS, 1891
11 ITALIAN AMERICANS
“HANG THE DAGOS”
BRUTALLY MURDERED
SICILIANS “LOW FOREHEADS,
DARK SKIN … BRUTAL NATURE”
THE SACCO AND VANZETTI TRIAL
AN UNFAIR TRIAL?
ARMED ROBBERY AND MURDER OF A CLERK
TRIALED, CONVICTED AND EXECUTED
INNOCENT OR GUILTY?
CONVICTED BECAUSE OF THEIR ORIGIN?
A POLITICAL AND RACIST TRIAL?
STEREOTYPE
• IT RELATES TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF A GROUP AND
IS PRODUCED BY THE MEMBERS OF ANOTHER
GROUP
• IT IS BASED ON THE BELIEF THAT THERE ARE
ATTITUDES OR WAYS OF BEHAVIOUR SHARED BY
ALL MEMBERS OF A GROUP
HOW ARE THEY BORN?
• THEY MAY EMERGE FROM HISTORICAL
EVENTS (AT ONE POINT IN HISTORY THEY
MAY HAVE BEEN ACCURATE AND THEN
PERSISTED WHILE THE CULTURE CHANGED)
AMERICAN INDIVIDUALISM FROM THE
EXPERIENCE OF THE PIONEERS IN OLD WEST
THINK ABOUT THE MAFIA STEROTYPE …
WHAY KIND OF STEROTYPES DO
WE KNOW?
• POSITIVE
HEAVEN IS WHERE THE POLICE ARE ENGLISH, THE
COOKS ARE FRENCH, THE MECHANICS ARE
GERMAN, THE LOVERS ARE ITALIAN AND
EVERYTHING IS ORGANIZED BY THE SWISS
• NEGATIVE
… ? REPHRASE THE SENTENCE ABOVE …
HELL IS …
BOYS ARE BETTER AT MATHS THAN GIRLS
GIRLS ARE MORE CREATIVE THAN BOYS
OLD MEN ARE WISE
SLOVENIANS ARE ALCOHOLICS
ITALIANS ARE MAFIOSI
GENERALIZATIONS
• A FLEXIBLE DESCRIPTION ABOUT SOME OR
MANY (STEREOTYPES ARE RIGID CONCLUSIONS
ABOUT ALL OR MOST)
SOME WHITE PEOPLE HAVE NO RHYTHM
WHITE PEOPLE CAN’T DANCE
COMMERCIALS IN USA
ITALIAN AMERICAN MEN:
UNEDUCATED, DISHONEST, VIOLENT, MAFIA GUYS
ITALIAN AMERICAN WOMEN:
ELDERLY, OVERWEIGHT, HOUSWIVES, BLACK DRESSES
OPINION SURVEYS
78% OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGERS ASSOCIATE THEM
WITH CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES AND BLUE-COLLAR
WORK POSITIONS
74% OF THE ADULT AMERICANS BELIEVE THEY HAVE
SOME CONNECTION TO ORGANIZED CRIME
FACTS
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE:
LESS THAN 0,0025% OF ITALIAN AMERICANS
INVOLVED IN ORGANIZED CRIME
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU:
2/3 OF ITALIAN AMERICANS IN WORK FORCE ARE IN
WHITE-COLLAR JOBS (EXECUTIVES, PHYSICIANS,
TEACHERS, ATTORNEYS, ADMINISTRATORS, ETC)
EXAMPLE OF A COMMERCIAL
AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN IS HAVING HER
REFRIGERATOR REPAIRED BY A DARK, HAIRY, WHITE
MAN NAMED JOE. THE WOMAN ASKS HOW MUCH
WILL IT COST TO HAVE THE JOB DONE. “200$”
REPLIES
THE MAN. WHEN SHE CHEKS OPTIMUM ONLINE, SHE
LEARNS IT COSTS 25$.