Introduction

The Italian American diaspora—whether in its Northeastern epicenter, its vibrant Midwestern and Pacific Coastal communities, or even its scattered Western and Southern enclaves—is characterized by a profound sense of ethnic identity. Scholars have productively conjoined two fields of study—memory and migration—in order to elucidate “the role of memory in the construction of migrants’ identities.” Scholarship on the Italian American experience has necessarily involved listening to, recording, and transcribing oral histories, prompted by the recognition that first- and second-generation interlocutors were dying without leaving behind a written record of their experiences. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.