Call for Papers: Italians in the Americas

Posted by on May 29, 2007

Italians in the Americas
An International Conference

Call for Papers

25-27 April 2008

The John D. Calandra Italian American Institute (Queens College, CUNY) announces a conference dedicated to the Italian experience in the Americas. The conference will be held in Manhattan.

We see this as a unique opportunity for scholarly communities in North and South Americas to come together and interrogate the past one hundred twenty-five years of diasporic experience in the Americas: the experience, that is, of all ?Italian Americans? in the Western Hemisphere!

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

? Similarities and differences of immigration patterns;

? Educational accomplishments;

? Issues relevant to economics and class;

? Stereotypes, discrimination, and racism: e.g., media portrayals;

? ?Italian Americans? and the issue of race;

? Cultural productions: cinema, folk arts, literature, visual arts, etc.;

? Responses from and to the dominant culture(s);

? Political involvement and civil rights;

? Interrelationship with Italy and other Italian diasporic communities;

? Family, gender, sexuality, and social influences;

? ?Italian Americans? and religion(s);

? Memory and imagination in constructing identities.

Perspective participants should submit no more than a two-page, double-spaced abstract and a bibliography of no more than fifteen items. Title, name, affiliation, and postal and email addresses should be part of the applicant?s submission. We will accept either an email or postal submission. The conference will result in a publication of refereed essays from papers delivered.

Deadline for submissions: 1 October 2007

All correspondence should be sent to the following address:

Italians in the Americas Conference
John D. Calandra Italian American Institute
25 West 43rd Street, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Tel: 212.642.2094
Email: calandra@qc.edu

Conference Committee: Stephen Belluscio, Donna Chirico, Maria Grace LaRusso, Vincenzo Milione, Carmine Pizzirusso, Joseph Sciorra, Anthony Julian Tamburri, Peter Vellon.

Please distribute.