Italian Americans have lived in the United States since the 17th century. This year, for Italian Heritage Day on Oct. 12, their history is celebrated with an exclusive interview with Ray Guarini and a look at Italian treasures in the West Village.
Ray Guarini founded the Italian Enclaves Historical Society. This nonprofit documents Italian neighborhoods in North America. To preserve Italian American memory, it tracks churches, feasts and even cemeteries. Since its founding, it has built a database of almost 900 neighborhoods and 600 churches. Its efforts aim not only to digitize these spaces but also to safeguard oral history through local interviews.
