IAP 08: Were You Always an Italian? Maria Laurino on History, Identity, and Stereotypes

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we speak to author Maria Laurino, who has written for numerous publications, including The New York Times, and whose essays are widely anthologized. Her first memoir, Were You Always an Italian?, (W.W. Norton, 2000) was a national bestseller and explored the issue of ethnic identity among Italian-Americans. Her second memoir, Old World Daughter, New World Mother, (W.W. Norton, April 2009) examined the pull and tug the author experienced between Old World traditions that valued familial dependence and a New World feminism that prized female autonomy. In 2014, she published The Italian Americans: A History, a companion book to the popular PBS series of the same name, which chronicles the Italian American experience from 1860 to the present day. Currently, Laurino teaches creative nonfiction at New York University. We also feature a touching story from one of our listeners, Ben Lariccia, in our Story Segment.