Transatlantic Migration and Transnational Narratives of Return: Intercultural Encounters between Italy and the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper deals with new explorations of the historical migrations that attempt to establish cultural interconnections and identify processes of transnational networks. It discusses Italian history of migration, particularly the transatlantic mass movement to the United States, which is increasingly revisited from both sides of the ocean. On the one hand, Italy is ‘rediscovering’ this past migration and redefining its cultural identity in dialogue with new discourses emerging with contemporary immigration into the country. On the other, Italian/American literature and criticism have greatly contributed to transforming views of Italian identity, thus reversing the traditional influence of the ‘mother country’ on its former emigrants. Drawing on available comparative approaches, the analyses focuses on two literary sources representative of a significant turn in the memory and discourse on migration. It examines the extent to which new forms and imaginaries of migration have emerged in Italy and their effects on creating a climate of intercultural exchange and dialogue. In doing so, I will attempt to establish and adopt a retrospective which evaluates the analytical, critical and creative retrievals of the past.