Episode Details

The John D. Calandra Italian American Institute presentsThe 4th Annual Italian Heritage Month 2010 on CUNY-TV Special Programming Schedule

In light of recent developments-such as those in the state of Arizona-regarding immigration and ethnic studies and their reverberations around the nation, the Calandra Institute sees the need to gather our distinguished professors and holders of endowed chairs who, among other tasks, may also develop and direct programs in Italian/American Studies to discuss their work as it pertains to twenty-first-century Ethnic Studies. In this conversation of the research, education, and programming that subtend Italian/American Studies, the professors will engage in an exchange of ideas that will examine numerous topics, such as:
- The definition of Italian-American Studies;
- The development of the field over the years;
- New methodologies of examining the various modes of articulation of cultural expression;
- The building of national and international networks;
- The relationship between Italian Studies and Italian-American Studies;
- The sharing of resources that would facilitate their work and the work of others dedicated to the study and analysis of Italian America in all of its manifestations;
- The bridging of gaps, such as the proverbial "town-gown" dichotomy, a.k.a., bringing the academy to the streets;
- The relationship between the cultural brokers (i.e., professors, independent scholars, writers, filmmakers, etc.) and elected officials.