Resources
Archives
A working collection of field work, media and student research on the Italian community of California.
The collection
What the archive holds
The archive gathers the results of the Institute's field work and the research it has supported. It is a mixed collection, because memory does not arrive in a single format. It includes audio and video recordings, photographs and slides, student papers, radio programs and documentation of public events.
Much of the material concerns the everyday culture of Italians in California: markets and shops, religious festivals, food and foodways, family and community celebrations, work, music and belief. Taken together, these items describe a community from the inside rather than from a distance.
Sample holdings
The collection includes student research carried out in university courses on Italian culture. A few examples, given as catalogue entries, suggest its range:
- A study of the role of an Italian market in Los Angeles, by Rachel Mahon, 2001
- A study of the Apulian population at a Los Angeles Italian church, by Molly Hoff, 1999
- A study of the development of Italian women's identity, by Erica Turley, 1999
- An oral history project on Nicholas D'Amore, by Maya D'Amore, 1999
- A study of Sicilian festivals in Los Angeles, by Jennifer Pendergrass, 1999
- A study of a fisherman festival in San Pedro, California, by Monica Seefeldt, 2001
- A study of a new Italian immigrant, by Alessia Nanni Weisberg, 2001
These sit alongside videotapes of past public programs, field recordings of musicians and tradition bearers, and photographic documentation of festivals and exhibitions.
Access
The archive is available for consultation by arrangement, and limited access applies to some items. The wishes of the people who contributed material are respected first, so certain recordings may be heard only under conditions agreed at the time they were made.
Consulting the archive
To consult the collection, describe your interest as precisely as you can and contact the Executive Director. If you already know a name, a place or a year, mention it. The more specific the request, the more useful our answer will be.
Donating to the archive
The archive grows through gifts. If you hold recordings, photographs or papers that document Italian life in California, the Institute would be glad to discuss whether they belong in the collection and how they would be cared for. Please write to [email protected].