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Italian Americans (Italian: italoamericani) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. According to the Italian American Studies Association, the current population is about 18 million, an increase from 16 million in 2010, corresponding to about 5.4% of the total population of the United States .
- Frank Sinatra
- Mother Cabrini
- Joe Dimaggio
- Enrico Fermi
- Lucky Luciano
- Mario Puzo
- Lee Iacocca
- Geraldine Ferraro
- Anthony Fauci
- Antonin Scalia
People may remember Frank Sinatra for hits like "My Way," his Oscar-winning performance in From Here to Eternity and his adventures with the Rat Pack. More than that, the proud son of Italian immigrants arguably did more than any other individual to shape the course of American entertainment and popular culture after World War II. He became the fir...
Born outside Milan in 1850, Francis Xavier Cabrini heeded the request of Pope Leo XIII and moved to the U.S. in the late 1880s to serve the millions of Italian immigrants who were flocking to its shores. She founded her first American orphanage in upstate New York in 1890 but refused to stay put, fielding calls to help the abandoned, sick and desti...
While not facing the outright discrimination endured by African Americans, Italian American baseball players weathered their share of ethnically charged abuse in the early 20th century. Such stereotyping was apparent in a 1939 Life profile of Joe DiMaggio, which made sure to note that the New York Yankees star "never reeks of garlic." But DiMaggio ...
In 1938, Enrico Fermi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on radioactivity and the discovery of new elements. But a career highlight for most was just the beginning for the University of Rome physicist who, after defecting to the U.S. to escape the regime of Benito Mussolini, oversaw the first controlled nuclear chain reaction in Ch...
One could choose from a lengthy list of Italian-speaking racketeers who loom large in American culture, but it was Lucky Lucianowho made the biggest imprint by establishing the template for modern organized crime in the States. Born Salvatore Lucania in Sicily in 1897, Luciano came of age in New York City's Lower East Side and put his talents to us...
If Luciano created the blueprint for organized crime, then Mario Puzo is responsible for igniting the public's love affair with the subject thanks to the 1969 publication of The Godfather. Raised in the gritty Manhattan neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, Puzo saw plenty of tough guys run the streets but had no personal experience with gang activity. N...
The only individual to lead modern-day operations of two of the Big Three American automakers, Lee Iacocca followed a classic rags-to-riches storyline to become one of the most celebrated executives of his era. Born Lido Iacocca to a hot dog vendor who was decimated by the Great Depression, he took an engineering degree to a sales position with For...
A schoolteacher turned criminal prosecutor and congresswoman from Queens, Geraldine Ferraro entered the limelight in 1984 by joining Democratic presidential hopeful Walter Mondale to become the first woman and Italian American to earn the vice-presidential nomination on a major party ticket. But her time as a political power player was short-lived....
In 1981, nearly 40 years before he became a ubiquitous media presence during the onset of COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauciof the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases learned of a strange new sickness within the gay community. He plunged himself into the research of HIV/AIDS despite a lack of bureaucratic support, taking the important st...
The first Italian American named to the United States Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia was a giant of the conservative movement that took shape during the Reagan administration. Scalia changed history by the very nature of his position, from his vote to end the 2000 presidential recount that handed the election to George W. Bush to his determination t...
As Italian Americans rediscover Italy and their immigrant ancestors, new immigrants from across the globe are continually arriving in America. They are making their own lives and navigating the complicated process of adapting to a new world while not completely surrendering the past.
Feb 22, 2024 · Italian Americans have made indelible contributions to American culture, leaving an enduring mark in various fields. One notable area is cuisine, with Italian dishes becoming staples in American households.
Italian Americans are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. According to the Italian American Studies Association, the current population is about 18 million, an increase from 16 million in 2010, corresponding to about 5.4% of the total population of the United States.
The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a nationwide organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., and is the largest and most loyal representative of the more than 20 million Italian American citizens living in the United States.
May 18, 2018 · ITALIAN AMERICANS. Italian influence on American history can be traced back to the navigators Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci. America's founding fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, were familiar with the Italian language and culture and with Roman history. Jefferson was a supporter of the Italian physician and ...
