Ilaria Serra

Useful overview of Italian American issues and experiences from immigration to second and third generation experiences, and from an unusual perspective - one the author calls "imago". I found Chapter 5, "The Interviews: The Shaky Voice of Immigration" to be particularly interesting and useful. The text had just enough typos and errors, and slightly disconcerting word uses, to irritate the former editor in me, but that's just me. If you have an interest in Italian American immigration and integration, this is a highly recommended source.… (plus d'informations)

An overview of selected Italian American autobiographies, starting with a long discussion of the authenticity of the genre. As a reference to further reading, it is wonderful, but as a stand alone survey of these written records it is brief and somewhat superficial. However, the list of autobiographies at the end is unique and very useful if you want to dive in further. Read this as part of my research into my Italian family roots. And yes, I did wind up tracking down a number of the stories that were recommended… (plus d'informations)