Italian Americans, The 4x54

The Italian Americans revealsthe unique and distinctive qualities of one immigrant group’s experience, andhow these qualities, over time, have shaped and challenged America. At the turnof the 20th century, many Italians immigrants came to work, earn money to support their families, and eventually return home. Nearly half of the first generation Italian immigrants did return to Italy, but for those that madeAmerica home, their struggle to maintain a distinct Italian culture was guidedby remarkably powerful ideals of family that had always been at the center of their lives.

While the power of the Italian family became a source of strength, it also bred suspicion, popularized in popular media as a dark, criminal element. This clashof culture echoed through generations of Italian Americans as they enteredpositions of political, social, and cultural influence.

Through extensive archival materials and interviews with scholars and notable Italian Americans such as Tony Bennett, Nancy Pelosi, Gay Talese and JohnTurturro, The Italian Americans tellsthe story of those who played vital roles in helping to shape a unique Italian American identity and to transform American life and culture.

• Download Fact Sheet