Hostos Recognizes Italian American Heritage with Celebration of Culture, History, and Scholarship

Hostos Community College proudly celebrated Italian American Heritage Month with an afternoon webinar that brought together faculty, students, and special guests to honor the enduring influence of Italian culture and the immigrant experience in America on Wednesday, October 15.

Moderated by Allied Health Professor Charles Drago, the program featured remarks from Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Interim Provost Dr. Andrea Fabrizio, Dr. Donna Chirico of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Chief Diversity Officer Philip Olivieri, and keynote speaker Professor Marcella Bencivenni, whose presentation explored the history of Italian immigration and identity in the United States.

“By celebrating Italian heritage, we find common ground and strengthen the bonds that unite us all,” said Drago in his opening remarks, noting that President Cocco De Filippis first initiated the event several years ago. “This cultural event is a testament to the beauty of diversity at Hostos Community College.”

During her welcome message, President Cocco De Filippis reflected on her own ties to Italian culture. “I grew up in a bilingual home because my stepfather was an Italian immigrant from Rome,” she said. “I was taught to read and speak Italian as a child, and by the time I was ten, I was already reading books in Italian.” She went on to celebrate the lasting influence of Italy’s art, music, and language, calling Italian “the language of love.”
She also emphasized the broader meaning of the event: “The immigrant experience is the quintessential feature of American life,” she said. “This is a country of immigrants, and each of us carries that history in our families and in our hearts.”

Dr. Andrea Fabrizio, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, shared her own family’s immigration story. “My great-grandmother, Maria, came to the United States as one of eight sisters in the early 1900s,” she said. “Each saved enough to bring the next sister over, until all were reunited in America. Like one bead at a time on a beautiful gown, they came together to weave a new life.”

Fabrizio connected the story to the broader theme of the event: “The more we tell these stories, the richer we become as a society and as a country.”
Representing the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Dr. Donna Chirico praised Hostos leadership for its support of Italian American and diaspora studies. “There is no president at CUNY who supports Italian American studies more than Daisy Cocco De Filippis,” she said. Chirico highlighted the institute’s ongoing research and cultural programs, inviting attendees to future events.

Chief Diversity Officer Philip Olivieri, Director of the Office of Compliance and Diversity, reflected on the evolution of Italian American identity within the context of civil rights. “Italian Americans hold a unique place within CUNY’s commitment to equity and inclusion,” he said. “Recognizing Italian Americans as a protected category affirms that this history matters.”

Olivieri spoke candidly about the discrimination faced by early Italian immigrants, including the 1891 New Orleans lynching of 11 Italian men, the largest mass lynching in U.S. history. “Equity means acknowledging all communities who have endured bias,” he said. “It’s a commitment to remembering where we’ve been and ensuring inclusion for everyone.”
The highlight of the event was the keynote presentation by Professor Marcella Bencivenni, a historian at Hostos whose research focuses on immigration, labor, and social movements. In her talk, “The Italian Immigrant Experience in the United States,” Bencivenni offered an in-depth look at the economic, social, and political forces that shaped Italian migration.

“Italians have been among the most mobile people on earth,” she noted, citing that nearly 29 million Italians left their homeland between 1876 and 1975. About six million settled in the United States, most arriving between 1880 and 1920.
She highlighted the pivotal role Italian labor played in shaping the nation’s infrastructure. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that modern New York was literally built by Italian immigrant workers,” she said. “They dug the tunnels, paved the streets, and built the skyscrapers.”

Bencivenni also addressed issues of discrimination and racial identity. “Early Italian immigrants were often seen as non-white,” she explained. “They faced stereotypes and hostility that echoed in newspapers, politics, and popular culture, many of which persist today.”
Her presentation also traced the community’s political evolution, from radical labor movements to anti-fascist activism. “Italian immigrants were among the first to organize against fascism in the United States,” she said. “They built newspapers, held rallies, and fought for democracy abroad and at home.”

She concluded with a reflection on the lasting legacy of Italian Americans: “More than a century later, their children and grandchildren continue to claim a proud, hyphenated identity. That pride distinguishes them.”
In his closing remarks, Drago thanked the event organizers and attendees. “Never forget what our families went through to give us a better life,” he said. “They were thankful, they were proud to become Americans. Stay strong in your faith, your heritage, your traditions, and pass them on.”