Pizza serves as a powerful example of historical themes such as immigration, cultural exchange and urbanization. In the post-WWII United States, Trenton, NJ, and other cities were gradually being transformed by suburbanization, the rise of fast food, and changes in family living related to women's entry in large numbers into the paid workforce.…

Scholarly books with "identity" and "culture" in the title have loomed large on academic publishing lists for several years. Scholarly books with "Sinatra" in the title are a more recent phenomenon. Despite his six-decade career as the Voice (the 1940s), the Chairman of the Board (the 50s and 60s), and Ol' Blue Eyes (the 70s through his death, in…

Discusses conceptual and methodological problems surrounding research on Italian women's roles. Presents case studies of women who do not fit into the stereotypes used to describe Italian women and to demonstrate research uses of source materials. (Author/MK)

Analyzes the school motif in Italian-American literature. Focuses on novels which dramatize the Italian immigrants' initial resistance to American compulsory education. Asserts that many of these represent the American school as a reflection of the larger society, and as the root of the Italians' assimilation difficulties. (KH)

The American school system precariously bridged the two separate worlds in which the Italian immigrant child existed, that of his ethnic community and of the dominant society. The failure of Italian Americans to participate fully in all levels of academia will diminish expectations in higher education and in the society as a whole. (CJ)

In this article, the author presents the memoir of Angelo Patri, a very important and well-known educational figure during the first of the last century in his educational career. In 1917 Patri published Schoolmaster of the Great City, which gives readers vivid impressions of his early life in Italy and New York, his family and community, his…

Describes the high Italian speech variety commonly used by Italian Americans, based on a study of 39 Italian Americans that included interviews and questionnaires. Dialectal characteristics, convergence with English, and language maintenance and language shift in the Italian-American community are discussed. (CB)

The insularity of Italian Americans is evident in their relationship with the Catholic church in America. By insisting on remaining Catholic, but only on their own terms, the Italians have won no support either from other Catholics, the church hierarchy, or the Protestants who hoped to convert them to Protestantism. (Author/MJL)

The assimilation of Italians into American culture led to the loss of the Italian language, and an oral tradition of Italian peasants in which Italian feminist philosophy was grounded. The legends, parables, and proverbs told by these Italian women challenged the teachings of Catholicism, perpetuating an underground religious tradition which…

Elementary school students who were recent immigrants from Puerto Rico, Haiti, Greece, Italy, Hong Kong and Israel participated in this after school program. The goal of the program was to increase student proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking English. Ninety-seven students from two elementary schools were selected on the basis of…

Discusses the attitudes toward education of Italian immigrants, both parents and children, providing pre- and post-World War II views. Addresses the high school, which had not yet attained its status as a minimal credential for most occupations. (CMK)

Discusses the migration of Italians who left Italy to search for work and migrated in multiple directions around the world forming a global network of social connections to their homeland. Explains that Italian men migrated much more often than women to work in construction, mining, industry, and on plantations or do other forms of agriculture.…

To help parents of Italian descent take an active part in their children's education, a 2-year program was implemented in New York City and Boston. The project attempted to examine the impact of training upon (1) parents' active participation in the schools and the bilingual programs; (2) parents' home activities with their children; and (3) the…

Richard Gambino's "Blood of My Blood" was of help to a writing instructor coming to terms with the role that her Italian ethnicity played in her life and education. Gambino's understanding of the inner tensions experienced by an individual who must negotiate between two cultures has helped the instructor in teaching working-class and…

Describes how the Department of Romance, German, and Russian Languages and Literatures at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), secured sponsorship for several Italian classes threatened by budget cuts from local and national Italian cultural organizations. The collaboration also helped make the CSULB Italian program more responsive to…