Dr. Matteo Brera, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Research Fellow (Università degli Studi di Padova/Seton Hall University), has presented his groundbreaking paper, "White on Paper: The Italian Migrant Press in Louisiana and the Negotiation of a Racial Identity (1894-1940)," at the Diaspore Italiane. Italy in Movement conference in Genoa (5-7 December 2024).
The presentation delved into the pivotal role of two Italian-language newspapers, L’Italo-Americano and La Voce Coloniale, in shaping and reconstructing racial identities in the racially charged environment of post-Reconstruction Louisiana. Dr. Brera explored their editorial strategies, the use of literature (Italian, American, and Sicilian), and their handling of news and advertisements to navigate the volatile racial landscape and counteract the stereotypes perpetuated by nativist local presses.
