In contrast to their present-day placement at the conservative end of the political spectrum, Italian Americans once played an under-appreciated role in the “Old Left” progressive movement.

Such was the thrust of a recent presentation by Dr. Gerald Meyer, author of Vito Marcantonio: Radical Politician (1902-1954) to the New Haven Public Library. The author of Are Italians White? and The Lost World of Italian American Radicalism, Meyer asserted that Italian Americans were not merely quiet, committed, and loyal followers of leadership from beyond their community, but homegrown instigators for social justice.