Pisani, Lawrence, 2005 March 18

Part of Collection

Call Number: RU 1055, Series Accession 2008-A-001

Scope and Contents

Lawrence Pisani graduated from Yale College in 1942 and received his Ph.D. in 1951. He talks about his father, an Italian immigrant who covered Connecticut for New York City's Italian daily newspaper and published his own weekly paper for the New Haven Italian community. Pisani discusses the role of these and other local Italian papers in nurturing Italian community. The papers offered information to help immigrants assimilate and become naturalized U.S. citizens. Yet at the same time they served as tools to preserve pride in Italian regional and national heritage and to keep readers abreast of social and cultural events in the Italian communities around New Haven. Pisani discusses the way that members of the Italian community and newspapers reacted to Mussolini. While he believes that most denounced him after he allied with Hitler, he notes that in the 1920s many Italians (and Americans) believed Mussolini might bring progress to Italy. Although he touches on Mussolini and fascism here, Pisani says that the main focus of the newspapers was in social and cultural cohesion rather than political reporting.

Interviewer: Barca, Sarah

Length (min): 30

Dates

2005 March 18

Conditions Governing Access

As a preservation measure, original materials may not be used. Digital access copies must be provided for use. Contact Manuscripts and Archives at mssa.assist@yale.edu to request access