The inn between documentary
For this is their history, as much as it is the history of the wealthy and the successful.Īssimilation has never meant a “melting pot” where everyone “melted” into a homogenous “American” stew. In addition to the discussion of famous Italian Americans and the thoughts of academic talking heads, the documentary tries to include the perspectives of average Italian Americans. It plumbs the complexities of immigrant assimilation and American ethnic identity in relatively sophisticated ways. Yet this is no simple-minded tale or romanticized story of plucky immigrant success.
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A multicultural America seeks better analogies than the old “melting pot” and instead speaks of “salad bowls” and “gorgeous mosaics.” But The Italian Americans doesn’t shy away from the idea of assimilation, presenting episode titles like “Becoming Americans,” “Loyal Americans,” and “The American Dream.” We live in an era that is increasingly nervous about assimilation, finding it too coercive an idea to impose on new immigrants. The documentary touches on the greatest hits of Italian-American life, from Fiorello La Guardia to Mario Cuomo, from Rudolph Valentino to Frank Sinatra, from Sacco and Vanzetti to Joe Valachi, and from Bank of America founder A. It is a stylish, engaging, and thoughtful documentary of nearly 150 years of history, chronicling the migration of a largely southern Italian population to America, beginning in the late 1800s and following its winding path toward the American mainstream. Talese’s interview comes from a new documentary entitled The Italian Americans, scheduled to air on PBS beginning in February.