Were You Always an Italian?

"In this thoughtful, penetrating, and hilarious examination of third-generation ethnic identity, Laurino dismantles the stereotypes bedeviling Italian-Americans. With a sympathetic but clear eye, she writes about guidos, bimbettes, and mammani (mama's boys in Italy). She examines the clashing aesthetics of Giorgio Armani and Gianni Versace, and unravels the etymology of southern Italian dialect words like gavane. And careful to avoid the perils of nostalgia, She explores the pungent influence on her life of Italian attitudes towards family, work, and faith."--BOOK JACKET.

First sentence: ONCE MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, in a small village named Conza della Campania in the province of Avellino, my maternal great-grandfather Michele Conte fell in love with the younger of two daughters, but by tradition he was obligated to marry the older sister, Concetta.

Year

2000

Language

English

Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

Editions

4

Pages

224

ISBN

9780393321951

Data source: Wikidata