Abstract

MICHAUD, Marie. Los italoamericanos: ¿al margen o en el centro de la sociedad americana. Cuad. Sur, Hist. [online]. 2008, n.37, pp. 107-120. ISSN 2362-2997.

The Italians that have massively immigrated to the United States since the 19^th century and that have remained marginalized as long as they have not been considered as integrated, now seem to belong to the majority group, that is the virtual center of the core society. The shift took place by the time of the Second World War. Then they wanted to assert their whiteness and, simultaneously, their economic mobility enabled them to live at least like middle-class Americans. The only differences between them and the other Americans are cultural, or artistic, which gives them a specific, even exotic identity, the only obstacle to their complete Americanization being their association with the mafia. Thus, they are no longer at the margin of the American society but they belong to the dominant group. Hence they are called Americans with Italian ancestry, Italian-American or white ethnics.

Keywords : Italian-Americans; Italianness; Ethnicity.