Acculturation Of Italian Immigrants Essay

The American Revolution brought wind of immigration to America; these immigrants largely included citizens of Italy. Immigration involves a process of acculturation that occurs when there is a minority group that is a subunit of a larger group-or culture (Pozzetta). In any society, conformity and acceptance is necessary for a people to thrive as one nation. Acculturation involves a minority group still involved in traditions of their motherland while also accepting and practicing customs of the “new” nation as a whole. Italian immigrants stands to be perfect examples of Acculturation in the United States. The influx of Italians into the United States resulted in aspects of Italian culture becoming a part of American tradition. Upon arrival to the United States, while most immigrants (non- Italian) used New York as a stop along the way until further migrating to other parts of the country, Italians made New York their home; one-third of Italian immigrants never moved past New York City. Though Italian immigrant clusters

For example the release of The Godfather, while considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time, also created a host of prejudice and negative stereotypes. Italian Americans gained a reputation for organized crime and were often associated by the public as mobsters. This paradox was greatly supported by the movie, The Godfather (Fordham). The success of this movie innately resulted in other films and shows that encouraged the negative stereotypes of Italian Americans in regards to the mafia and organized crime. Italian American fought these stereotypes back with media releases that romanticize Italian culture. For example, movies that involve large family dynamics that create, “deep-seated nostalgia for the ‘old neighborhood’” and enhance the appreciation for Italian culture and combat negative stereotypes