Blood of My Blood: The Dilemma of the Italian-Americans Volume 7

by Richard Gambino

Book Overview

Richard Gambino, PhD, is the author of "Vendetta." He lives in New York. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1550711016
• ISBN13: 9781550711011
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Guernica Editions
• Length: 388 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.4" x 7.1"

Customer Reviews

A Must Read for ALL Second, Third and Fourth Generation

This book is something that all 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation Italian-Americans should read. It brings an understanding of the first generation of Italian Americans to those of us who were not born or not old enough to understand the circumstances of the first generation. I am a third generation Italian American with behavior patterns and emotions I could not understand until I read this book. The book has also given me a new appreciation for my second generation parents and some of the barriers between us as I grew up.I promise that every page of this book will either make you laugh out loud, or bring you to tears.In short, buy it, read it, lend it to others!

An accurate look into the Italian-American experience.

Both my parents are from a small town in Calabria. I distinctively remember growing up with the feeling that I was not 100% American or Italian. In the home, I had a traditional southern Italian upbringing that did not exist in the homes of my friends, most of whom had Italian backgrounds. Richard Gambino's mention of this condition was the first time I have ever read about it it any text. Needless to say, I identified with the many accounts of the Italian-American experience explained by Mr. Gambino.I would recommend this book to people of any background, Italian or not. The struggles of the southern Italians, both in their own country and in their new one, is a story that many will find intriguing and inspiring.

Gambino's book rings true, even after 25 years

I first read Richard Gambino's "Blood of My Blood" in the late 1970's. Reading this book became a voyage of discovery. The book retains its strength and mission over twenty-five years later. Being Italian-American in 21st century America is still perplexing. Gambino gives many clues and insight into the Italian-American experience.As part of one of the largest ethnic minorities in the USA it is unsettling to have so little information about who we are. Gambino's blending of historical facts with personal stories paints a vivid picture of the Italian-American experience.Mainstream America revels in the ethnocentricity of many ethnic groups, while Italians are still discouraged for being Italian-like. The Italian-American experience, even today, is only a footnote clouded with the mass media's laughable or fearsome images.Though originally publishes in 1974 this books still is a beacon for those struggling to understand what it is to be Italian-American.This is a must read for anyone interested in he Italian American experience.

The starting point for understanding Italian Americans

If one has any Italian American roots, this book should be compulsory reading. For fair-minded people of other backgrounds, who would like to know more about one of America's largest ethnic groups, the same is true. It goes a long way toward explaining why Italian Americans are so misunderstood, even by themselves. Furthermore, Gambino has a masterful, engaging writing sytle.

A must read for anyone of Italian descent, compelling...

Dr. Gambino has presented a sociological analysis woven into a personal autobiographical interpretation of what it is like growing up and being Italian-American. One must accept the hyphen if he or she who is Italian-American wants to accept themselves. The evidence and research is as compelling for me as it was 15 years ago when I first read this book. It is on the the most influencial books on ethnicity in America. Unfortunately, most readers will find books about organized crime as true facts of the 27 million plus Italian-Americans in the USA. This, of course, is the reality of the mass media. Nonetheless, if one wants to understand his or her identity as an American of Italian desent or if you want to become closer to this ethnic mosaic we call the USA, please read this book. It will not only educate but entertain you and make you more understanding of Italian-Americans.