Description
Book SynopsisThe Italian/American Experience: A Collection of Writings represents a meaningful attempt to inform Italian Americans about their group's varied experiences in America. This book, unlike many works on the Italian American experience, contains writings that explain why popular negative notions of Italian/American life are inaccurate. The Italian/American Experience lists a number of organizations and journals specializing in Italian American culture and provides brief descriptions of many leading researchers in the field of Italian American studies. This unique text also contains an annotated bibliography of key books that deal with the lives of Italians and Italian Americans. This collection of eleven works offers readers an in-depth view of Italian American culture and heritage.
Trade ReviewIn The Italian/American Experience: A Collection of Writings, sociologist Louis J. Gesualdi presents a collection of writings to correct the inaccurate and negative popular beliefs regarding the Italian American experience. . . .In a book of less than 100 pages, Gesualdi argues very persuasively that past research has failed to understand the lives of southern Italians and Italian Americans, resulting in misconceptions regarding the achievements of Italian Americans in comparison with other white ethnic groups. . . .The book is powerful in that it confronts findings regarding the role of culture in explaining differences among ethnic groups. . . .The strength of this book is that Gesualdi's pride and passion for all things Italian disproves the beliefs that white ethnic groups do not think of themselves in terms of their ethnicity. . . .Another stregth of the book is that Gesualdi includes research ideas for studying Italian Americans in the twenty-first century, an annotated bibliography of articles and books on Italian Americans, a list of organizations and journals that specialize in Italian American culture, and a brief directory of leading researchers in the discipline of Italian American studies. He has created a wonderful source for anyone interested in studying ITalian Americans, and has provided a framework for examining the role of race and ethnicity in the lives of white ethic groups. . . .[T]his is a valuable book on ethnicity. Because of its brevity, this would be a good book to assign to undergraduates and graduate students in race and ethnic relations classes, Whiteness studies, and Italian American studies. Also, the book is accessible to non-academics as well, and would be appropriate for Italian Americans who are interested in a short history of the Italian American experience. Gesualdi has written a book that should make all Italian Americans proud of their heritage, as it tackles some of the most negative generalizations and beliefs regarding Italian Americans, past and present. * International Social Science Review *
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 An Inaccurate Notion of Southern Italy Chapter 2 A Reply to The Moral Basis of a Backward Society Chapter 3 Making Democracy Work: Criticisms and Response Chapter 4 The Cultural Trait Approach: A Critique Chapter 5 Popularly Held Beliefs about Italian Americans and Organized Crime Chapter 6 Bruhn and Wolf’s Study of Roseto, Pennsylvania: A Brief Discussion Chapter 7 Giovanni Schiavo’s Works: A Summary Chapter 8 Praises for Giovanni Schiavo Chapter 9 Some Ideas for Italian/American Research in the Twenty-first Century Chapter 10 Italian American Studies: A Guide Chapter 11 The Italian/American Experience: An Annotated Bibliography Bibliography Index
