Italian Studies 397E - ST-Italian-American Experience

This course examines the history and cultural production of Italians in the United States from 1870 to today. The first part of the course discusses the conditions that spurred mass emigration from Italy and led to the constitution of Italian-Americans as the fourth largest ethnic group in the United States today. Analyzing literary texts, films, and historical documents, this course follows the evolution of Italian-American culture and identity, both collective and personal. The second part of the course focuses in on identity politics and migration in contemporary Italy to show how the Italian American experience has continued to evolve in the new millennium. Course taught in English.