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Italian Americans in California

The “Naive Wooden Sculptures” of Theodore Santoro

Laura E. Ruberto

An Italian American self-taught artist from Oakland, California, adds yet another chapter in the story of Italian Americans and material culture.

Il Fanciullo del West: Shorty Joe Quartuccio’s Country Western Sound

Laura E. Ruberto

A Few Notes on California’s Sicilian American country music history.

Leo Politi, Saint Joseph, and Las Golondrinas

Laura E. Ruberto

Children’s literature, the Watts Towers, and Italian-Californian celebrations of Saint Joseph’s Day.

The Case of the Missing Fasanella Painting

Laura E. Ruberto

How I uncovered that the City of Oakland, the Oakland Public Library, the Oakland Museum of California, and the Oakland International Airport have misplaced Ralph Fasanella’s...

Vince Guaraldi--“the sound of Yuletide on these shores”

Laura E. Ruberto

Some Italian-American notes about the man behind the music of Charlie Brown’s Christmas.

A Tourist Visits Italian in California

Joey Skee

In recognition of co-blogger, Laura Ruberto, who intelligently expounds on West Coast iterations of Italian America, I offer my touristic encounter with things Italian in the...

Italian America’s Eureka Moment

Laura E. Ruberto

Finding Romano Gabriel’s Wooden Sculpture Garden along the Italy-California border.

Hollywood, Italian Americans, and the Golden Coast

Laura E. Ruberto

John Fante’s and Richard Quine’s 1956 film, "Full of Life," constructs California Italian culture, one brick at a time.

Californians Sell Little Italy, One Crate at a Time

Laura E. Ruberto

Fruit and Vegetable Crate Labels in California and the Italian Americans They Created

Searching for the Ethnic Angle in John Baldessari’s Art

Laura E. Ruberto

On a visit to a retrospective of this California artist, I consider traces of the Italian immigrant background in his work.

The Gate on the “Golden Gate”

Laura E. Ruberto

Reading Valenti Angelo’s “Golden Gate” to my five-year old son.

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