Since 2010, Dr. Simonini has been Assistant Professor of Italian at Youngstown State University (YSU). She is a frequent writer and conference presenter on Italian American Studies. Recently, she assumed the position of editor of the journal Italian Americana, whose most recent issue will be published by YSU.

LG: It's a real pleasure to hear from someone like yourself, who not only teaches Italian at the University, but who also studies and publishes about the experience of Italian Americans. To begin, I think our readers would like to learn something of your background.

CS: I'm Italian American on both sides of my family. I grew up in Providence, RI. My last name, Simonini, is Tuscan. My dad is very proud of his Tuscan roots. His family was among the first 12 families from Italy to settle in Providence. That part of my family came very early, around the 1870s. They stayed in an area that became Providence's Little Italy, Federal Hill. My maternal side came from the Lazio, Abruzzo, and Campania regions in central and southern Italy—areas where 80% of Italian Americans trace their roots.

Read more

Source: http://www.lagazzettaitaliana.com/