Soria returns to one of the central themes in the debate that has been taking place among those of Italian descent in the United States concerning the negative image of Italo-Americans in the country’s media. By means of a careful review of the recently published book by Paola Casella, Hollywood Italian, she traces its origin to the overemphasising of the stereotypes in the filmography, even though it is excellent, on and about the Italians in the United States.
Rovilio Costa analyses multilinguism in a pluriethnic and pluricultural society in relation to the current socio-cultural context in southern Brazil, with particular reference to the Italian spoken and studied in Rio Grande do Sul. The increase and spread of Italian courses, in Rio Grande do Sul and the adjoining Brazilian states, has in fact led to tension and sometimes rivalry between a sort of long-established koine – Talian – and the Italian taught in the official courses. Against the attempts at linguistic hegemony, Rovilio Costa proposes a cultural project here that suits the local situation and therefore accepts the coexistence of Portughese-Brazilian, Talian and Italian, in an on-going relationship in both their public and the private dimension.
Adriano Boncompagni examines the case of the regional Tuscan emigration to Western Australia in the twenties and thirties. In particular he concentrates on the nature of the settlement, on the continuity in the choice of work, and on the relationships with Anglo-Australian society. The author reveals scant relations between Italians and Australians and traces the origins to the Italophobia which was widespread on the Australian continent, due to Anglocentricity, and which became linked to the project for the temporary emigration of the Italians.