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What do Tom and Jerry, Woody Woodpecker, The Jetsons, Snow White, and The Flash have in common? In addition to being some of the most iconic series and characters in the history of animation, they were also conceived by or can be linked in some manner to Italian Americans. The impact that Italian Americans have had on the world of animation, and th...

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Best known as a Caldecott Award-winning author and illustrator, Leo Politi pioneered multiculturalism in children’s literature and captured bygone eras and communities with his paintbrush. The son of Italian immigrants, Leo Politi was born Atiglio Leoni Politi in Fresno, Cali., in 1908. Located in California’s Central Valley, Fresno is typically no...

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Marianna Gatto. Marianna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. I’m a lifelong resident of Los Angeles, born and raised in Los Feliz and Silverlake, and from the time I was young, history, especially United States immigration history, was what ignited...

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Fifty years ago, Los Angeles-based Italian American artist Leo Politiquestioned the the notion of "progress" "achieved" at the expense of the destruction of communities and history. Although primarily recognized as an award-winning children's book author and illustrator, Politi spent decades chronicling the city's diverse enclaves and captured its...

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It is said that every recipe has a story behind it. This statement rings especially true among Italian Americans, for whom the significance of food extends far beyond sustenance, and cooking is among the most visible expressions of identity and pride. Eating rituals figured prominently in the Italo American immigration experience. Distinct food and...

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As executive director of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, Marianna Gatto has made it her life’s work to celebrate L.A.’s rich and largely unknown Italian legacy. Los Angeles is all too well known for its Hollywood heavies, rock stars and thriving Latino culture. But as Marianna Gatto will gladly tell you, Italian roots run rich and deep...

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When we speak of Italian immigration to the United States, Los Angeles is seldom the city that comes to mind. Usually, one imagines New York or other Eastern cities.Given this prevailing assumption, many are surprised to learn that Italian settlement in Los Angeles, which is home today to the nation’s fifth-largest Italian population, can be traced...

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The Italian American Museum of Los Angles is seeking a part-time project assistant to work up to 24 hours a week in a fast-paced museum and office environment. Hours and days flexible, but some weekends will be required. Duties will include: Assisting with the organization and production of events, exhibitions, and educational activities; Conductin...

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On May 31, the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA) unveiled the newest addition — the iconic Captain America shield — to its permanent exhibition, Italians in Hollywood. The latest piece showcases the achievements of record-smashing directors Joe and Anthony Russo, best known for Avengers: Infinity War, and Captain America: Civil War. Bo...

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The Italianità: Italian Diaspora Artists Examine Identity exhibition will be opening Sunday May 5th at the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA). The exhibit will focus on the Italian diaspora, which is the dispersion of people to a new country. In the arts, the term gains a deeper meaning as it refers to artists who have migrated from one...

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