The Italian Americans -part 1- Where Italians came from, now and them

May 02, 2020 763

Friday, May 8, 2020. 5.30 pm - 6.30 pm. 45 minutes lecture, 15 minutes Q & A. The webinar will take place online through Cisco Webex. The webinar is $10 for all Filitalia members and non members. RSVP is required, so please reserve your ticket online.

Join Angela Cacciarru and the first part of "Italian Americans" series. A popular Italian song from the past says, “Mamma mia dammi cento lire, che in America voglio andar” (“Mama, give me 100 liras because I want to go to America!”). This little song captures the atmosphere of post-war Italy, characterized by the flow of migration from the “Bel Paese” to the “New Continent”, which would continue for many years to come.

Many immigrants left with a heavy heart from past experiences with war and economic hardship, but also had hope for a brighter future for their families. And then there was America: so real, so full of promises and challenges. The Land of Opportunity, it was said.

Let’s fast forward to the current wave of immigrants: determined and creative, as were their ancestors. Like them, new arrivals from Italy bring with them the charm and energy of a country that is more than ever a symbol of culture, beauty and allure.

It’s fascinating to look more deeply at the specific regions of Italy from which the various waves of immigrants came. What were their circumstances resulting in a decision to leave all they had ever known? What were their roots, which so greatly influenced their contribution to their new country?

These are among the issues we will explore in our lecture. We also look forward to hearing your stories and those of your families, brave travelers who shaped the past and the present history of migration to the United States of America!

About Angela Cacciarru:
Angela was born and raised in Italy, and has more than twenty years of experience as an instructor of Italian language and culture. She got her BA in Economics from the University of Cagliari, in Sardinia, where she also collaborated with a poetry magazine as an editor and author.

She left Italy in 1990, and, since then, has developed an extensive international and multidisciplinary teaching background in the United States, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa. She became an United States citizen in 2004.

Her knowledge of Human Geography, her academic specialty since her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been important in diversifying and broadening the content of her classes.

SOURCE: Filitalia International

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