Imagining Italians: The Clash of Romance and Race in American Perceptions, 1880-1910

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IMAGINING ITALIANS SUNY SERIES IN ITALIAN/AMERICAN CULTURE FRED L. GARDAPHE, EDITOR IMAGINING ITALIANS THE CLASH OF ROMANCE AND RACE IN AMERICAN PERCEPTIONS, 1880–1910 JOSEPH P. COSCO STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS Published by State University of New York Press, Albany© 2003 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207 Production by Kelli Williams Marketing by Patrick Durocher Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cosco, Joseph P. Imagining Italians : clash of romance and race in American perceptions, 1880–1910 / Joseph P. Cosco. p. cm. — (SUNY series in Italian/American culture) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-7914-5761-3 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0-7914-5762-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Italian Americans—Public opinion. 2. Immigrants—United States—Public opinion. 3. Italian Americans—Social conditions—19th century. 4. Italian Americans—Social conditions—20th century. 5. Immigrants—United States—Social conditions. 6. Public opinion—United States. 7. Italian Americans in literature. 8. United States—Ethnic relations. 9. Racism—United States—History—19th century. 10. Racism—United States—History—20th century. I. Title. II. Series. E184.I8 C654 2003 305.85'1073'09034—dc21 2002042632 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 With deep respect and gratitude I dedicate this book to: Giuseppe and Carmella Frustaci, the maternal grandparents I never knew, who ventured from Italy to the New World to find a better life Carmella Cosco, my mother, who was sent back to Calabria as a child when her mother died, and later sacrificed her life in Italy to return to America as a wife and mother Anthony Cosco, my father, for convincing my mother to make the long return journey across the ocean for the sake of their two sons All the Italian immigrants who journeyed to a new homeland, made a life there, but never completely forgot their native land ...