Read “No Italian Spoeken for the duration…”
Note: The page numbers refer to the numbers on the bottom of the actual pages. The essay begins on page 3, but the PDF number is 1, and so on. I refer to the page numbers on the bottom of the page in case you print out the essay. Since there are a lot of questions, you may answer them briefly but try to include quotations and details.
Answer the following question:
1. What is unique about the period of World War II that provides insights into the formation of Italian American identity? (see pages 3-5)
2. What were the contradictory ways that the Italian language were viewed by the FBI and the military? (see pages 3-6)
3. Present some details and examples of how Italian Americans coped with the trauma of being labeled “enemy aliens.” (see pages 7-9)
4. What do the FBI files reveal about the FBI’s attitudes toward the use of the Italian language? (see pages 10-11)
5. How did some Italian Americans react to this persecution and labelling and what were some of the negative effects? (see pages 13-16)
6. Provide a one-paragraph summary of the section, “Italian in the Service of America” (pages 16-19)
7. Provide a one-paragraph summary of the section, “Louis Prima and the Limits of Italianita in the Post-War Era.” (pages 19-25).
