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| Italian Americans in the United States | |
|---|---|
| Group | Italian Americans |
| Native name | Italoamericani |
| Population | 16 million (approx.) |
| Regions | New York City, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Illinois, California, Florida |
| Languages | English, Italian, Italian dialects |
| Religions | Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Irreligion |
Italian Americans in the United States Italian Americans form one of the largest European-origin ethnic groups in the United States, with deep roots in cities such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco. Their history encompasses early colonial figures, mass migration during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and continued cultural influence in areas including music, film, literature, and culinary arts. Prominent individuals and institutions across politics, business, arts, and sciences illustrate a multifaceted community linked to regions across Italy such as Sicily, Calabria, Campania, and Lombardy.
Early presence included explorers and settlers connected to Giovanni da Verrazzano and Amerigo Vespucci during the Age of Discovery, while colonial era figures tied to New Amsterdam and Spanish Florida predate mass migration. Large-scale immigration from regions like Sicily and Campania occurred during the Great Wave (1880–1924), shaped by networks to ports including New York Harbor and Ellis Island. Immigration restrictions such as the Immigration Act of 1924 and events like World War II affected community trajectories, including wartime internments and service in units like the United States Army. Postwar movements included suburbanization in New Jersey and Long Island, while contributions to civil rights and ethnic politics paralleled activity by figures associated with Tammany Hall and later reform movements.
Population concentrations remain highest in the Northeastern United States with metropolitan hubs like New York metropolitan area and Greater Boston. States with notable communities include Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Illinois. Generational patterns show a mix of first-generation migrants from regions such as Abruzzo and Veneto and multi‑generational families tracing ancestry to 19th-century arrivals. Socio-demographic studies by institutions such as the U.S. Census Bureau and organizations like the National Italian American Foundation document language retention, intermarriage rates, and internal migration to states like Florida and California.
Italian American culture reflects influences from regional Italian traditions—Neapolitan song, Sicilian folk dance, and Ligurian cuisine—filtered through urban American settings like Little Italy, Manhattan and North End, Boston. Prominent cultural figures include entertainers connected to Frank Sinatra, Martin Scorsese, Lucille Ball, and Leonardo DiCaprio, alongside writers tied to Carlo Levi, Don DeLillo, Francis Ford Coppola, and Thomas Pynchon. Festivals such as the Feast of San Gennaro and institutions like the Columbus Day Parade and museums including the National Museum of Italian American History play roles in identity affirmation. Community organizations like the Order Sons of Italy in America and publications such as La Gazzetta Italiana foster heritage preservation.
Languages include regional varieties such as Sicilian language, Neapolitan language, and Lombard language alongside modern Italian language and English, with institutional support from cultural centers and bilingual programs in schools and universities such as Fordham University and Columbia University. Religious life is dominated by Roman Catholicism with parishes linked to the Catholic Church in the United States, religious orders like the Franciscans, and icons brought from Italian shrines such as San Gennaro. Jewish Italian migrants and families maintain traditions connected to communities like those in New York's Lower East Side and organizations tied to B'nai B'rith.
Chain migration from villages in Campania, Sicily, Calabria, and Puglia created enclave neighborhoods around ports and industrial centers including Newark, Paterson, Providence, and Chicago's Little Italy. Many settlers worked in industries centered on railroads, docks, and manufacturing connected to corporations such as U.S. Steel and infrastructure projects like the Transcontinental Railroad (through Italian labor networks). Over time, patterns shifted toward suburbanization with communities in Staten Island, Long Island, and suburbs of Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area.
Italian Americans have been prominent in construction trades, exemplified by unions affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and projects like the Lincoln Tunnel and Hoover Dam where immigrant labor was significant. Entrepreneurship led to businesses in retail, foodservice, and finance with figures associated with firms in Wall Street and small business networks in main streets across New Jersey and Connecticut. Contributions to arts and sciences include inventors and scholars linked to institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, Johns Hopkins University, and Princeton University, while notable athletes have competed for franchises like the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs.
Political engagement spans local ward politics in cities like Philadelphia and Chicago to national officeholders such as members of the United States Congress and governors from states with large Italian American populations. Civic organizations, veterans' groups, and advocacy bodies such as the National Italian American Foundation and the Order Sons of Italy in America influence policy debates on immigration and cultural recognition, while Italian American leaders have participated in presidential administrations and diplomatic posts connected to the United States Department of State.
Category:Ethnic groups in the United States Category:Italian American history