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FDU PRESS
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| Scholarly Review |
 | The Imagined Immigrant
ISBN# 9780838641989
Reviewed by: R.D. Screws, University of Arkansas
Choice, June 2010 |
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Serra (Florida Atlantic University) presents an interesting study that focuses on Italian immigrants who arrived in the US during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The book's first section looks at the US point of view, while the second half investigates the vision of the Italian immigrants. The author's goal is to reveal what was imagined from both sides; this was more powerful than reality. Serra more than accomplishes her goal, writing, "The imago migration is the name for a complex knot of collective representations, how the immigrant is seen, and self representations, how the immigrant sees himself." Serra's wonderful use of primary sources, such as letters, interviews, and autobiographies provides a rich, lively narrative and adds a complex human element to the text. A fascinating chapter chronicles US cinema, especially the silent movies during the first two decades of the twentieth century, which perpetuated Italian immigrant stereotypes. Serra convincingly demonstrates how the American myth was created and how the myth of Italian immigrants was sustained.
Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above.
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