Educating America and the Contributions of Italian Americans

Italian American educators have played an important role in shaping American education, both by advocating for equitable access and by preserving cultural identity. In the 1960s and 1970s, during a period of ethnic revival and civil rights activism, Italian American teachers and academics began to assert their heritage more openly. They created curricula in Italian and Italian American studies, formed organizations to support Italian American educators, and contributed to the overall development of ethnic studies programs. Today, Italian American educators are found across all levels of the educational system, from preschool through post-secondary education. They have made significant contributions not only in the classroom but also in educational leadership, curriculum development, and cultural scholarship. Their legacy is one of resilience, transformation, and commitment to both American ideals and simultaneously to the preservation of Italian heritage.

This volume presents the historical journey and data to support these claims. Thanks to the work of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, its researchers and demographers created a survey, followed up that survey with detailed interviews, statistically analyzed the representation of Italian American educators across the country and specifically in the New York Tristate area comparing their presence to that of non-Italian Americans, and then, based on the evidence, put forward their insights about the critical role of Italian American educators.

-Donna Chirico, Senior Editor