De-stereotyping the Italians:

What do Americans really know about the Bel Paese?

Recently we have questioned the way different cultures and ethnicities are represented in media and the arts, sometimes even rejecting masterpieces of the past as embodying obsolete and offensive ideas. The Italian stereotype, however seems to have survived: dark hair, strong accent, exasperated gestures, deep religiosity, inclination to dishonesty, a diet of pizza, spaghetti and “espresso”, and in the case of men, often served by over caring yet suffocating female figures. On the other hand, this image is flanked by another of a higher profile: Italians are heirs of an ancient civilization, educated, elegant in the way they dress and live, often approached with a sense of inadequacy and deference. But where does the real culture of the Italian people lie? In this talk, Dr. D’Angelo will investigate the ancient and modern that have contributed to the construction…