This study is a historical research that used content analysis of secondary sources (newspapers, magazines, literature, movies and sociological studies) in order to describe Italian immigration in America. The research is focused on Italian-American communities in the areas of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.
Between 1880 and 1920, Italian-Americans became one of the largest ethnic groups in the United States. For a long period, they faced discrimination and lived at the edge of the American society. Education, immigration and urban policies influenced the social structure of the Italian communities. Later, second generation immigrants started writing books and making movies that expressed a different perception of the Italian-American identity. At the same time, in 1950s and 1960s, the Italian economy boosted, and the Italy started to be associated with culture, beauty, fashion and style. Thus, in the last decades Italian-Americans became proud of their ethnic heritage
