Inland Empire Council for the Social Studies
Italian American Heritage Month
October
Italian American Heritage Month is celebrated annually to recognize the achievements, and contributions of Italian immigrants and Italian Americans. The Heritage month takes place in October to overlap with Columbus Day, a federal holiday celebrated on the second Monday of each October. Italian American Heritage Month was established in 1989 by a special proclamation of both Congress and President George H. W. Bush.
Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History
https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/italian/the-great-arrival/
Primary sources and Teachers’ Guide provided for this Library of Congress resource
Child Labor and the Building of America
https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/child-labor-and-the-building-of-america/
Primary sources and Teachers’ Guide provided but the focus is not completely on Italian child laborers in this primary source Library of Congress lesson.
Vicious Bigotry, Reluctant Acceptance: An American Story – New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/12/opinion/columbus-day-italian-american-racism.html
Article and images may be used to promote discussion. This is especially of interest as it relates to the special reverence that many Italian-Americans hold for Columbus.
Immigration and Oral History
https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration-and-oral-history/
This Library of Congress oral history lesson compares Chinese American and Italian American experiences in the US in the late 19th c.
Why America Targeted Italian-Americans During World War II – History Channel
https://www.history.com/news/italian-american-internment-persecution-wwii
Article and images may be used to promote discussion.
What Sets Italian Americans off from Other Immigrants?
https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2015/januaryfebruary/feature/what-sets-italian-americans-other-immigrants
This article from the National Endowment for Humanities Journal describes life of immigrants from Italy to America beginning in the late 19tth c.
History and Culture of Italy
https://www.lessonplanet.com/article/history/history-and-culture-of-italy
This Lesson Planet curriculum resource (Grades 6-12) provides a brief summary of Italian culture and history. The lessons were developed by PBS. Use of background information is helpful in providing the context of Italian migration to America.