In this richly researched, beautifully designed and illustrated volume, Maria La
urino strips away stereotypes and nostalgia to tell the complicated, centuries-l
ong story of the true Italian-American experience.
Looking beyond the familiar
Little Italys and stereotypes fostered by The Godfather and The Sopranos, Laurin
o reveals surprising, fascinating lives: Italian-Americans working on sugar-cane
plantations in Louisiana to those who were lynched in New Orleans; the banker w
ho helped rebuild San Francisco after the great earthquake; families interned as
enemy aliens in World War II. From anarchist radicals to Rosie the Riveter to N
ancy Pelosi, Andrew Cuomo, and Bill de Blasio; from traditional artisans to rebe
l songsters like Frank Sinatra, Dion, Madonna, and Lady Gaga, this book is both
exploration and celebration of the rich legacy of Italian-American life.
Reader
s can discover the history chronologically, chapter by chapter, or serendipitous
ly by exploring the trove of supplemental materials. These include interviews, n
ewspaper clippings, period documents, and photographs that bring the history to
life."
