The Effect of Food on Connection to Italian Culture Throughout Generations
By: Caden Davis
When one commonly thinks of Italian food, they most likely will picture the classic spaghetti and meatballs, pizza, or lasagna. The more well versed may even refer to testaroli and pizzells. However, it is unlikely that one’s first thought would be the effect that the food has on people. While it isn’t always noticeable, one of the largest symbols of Italian culture is its people’s food. It had been imprinted in the minds of Americans through branding and movies. Almost every jar of pasta sauce at the supermarket will have a mustached man or a box of pasta will have a beautiful wheat-holding woman. In addition, the movies have made it expected for a pizza shop to always be run by an Italian dad and his sons. While these stereotypes might not always be true, it is indisputable that a clear-cut connection has been made and food has been one of the defining features of Italian culture. In an attempt to better understand all of the further implications of this fact, I examined both the positive and negative effects of this relationship. I also analyzed movies we watched in class and interviewed three generations of Italians in my family to see if attitudes regarding this topic were at all altered. Overall, this essay will explore how food has served as a conduit for the cultural connection among Italian Americans personally, historically, and through media representation.
The bond between Italians and their food provides a lot of cultural strength. In many instances, it is a way to keep family connected. Those who immigrated to America brought with them all the recipes from home. They use these to create moments with others to keep their Italian bond. Researcher and enthusiast of Italian cuisine, Lynn Rivard, strengthens this idea by discussing the importance of Sunday dinners. She explained that to Italians, Sunday dinners are, “…not just meals; they…are an opportunity for multiple generations to come together…” (Rivard, 3). While every Italian family may not follow this exact routine, the emphasis on family meals has always been made. My immediate family, though less Italian than my ancestors, always tries to eat together when we can. The ability to share food you’re proud of with the people you love is a necessity. The food has also helped groups of Italians during their early years in the United States. In class, we learned about the quick growth in the popularity of certain dishes such as pizza. It provided Italians with a foothold in this new country. In the land of dreams, they were given an advantage. In their difficult time of discrimination, this was a very important shift because it allowed them to own more businesses and prove themselves as Americans as well as Italians.
While Italian food helps contribute to the definition of the culture, this was not always a positive thing. When Italians first came to America, the natives were wary of these new customs. As many people are when major changes have happened throughout history, they were instinctively against anything other than the norm. Italians were ridiculed for factors such as their garlic smell. Whether it was from cooking or eating it, many were called names such as “garlic-eater”. This became a derogatory term for Italians that were disliked by Americans. This was a hard moment because this simple smell had always been accepted in Italy. It posed an unfortunate situation for the older generations where they were almost expected to be embarrassed of something their family had always done. In this instance, the link between Italians and their food was used against them just because it was an easy trait to point out. On a different note, Italian food was also influenced by American culture. While the idea of a melting pot is good in theory, at times it was taken too far to the American side. Many took Italian food and attempted to change it in a way they thought was better. As will be discussed later, this alteration of their original recipes was taken by some as a risk to lose their origins.
Throughout this course, we examined many different movies that tackled different struggles of the Italian American. The idea of Italian cuisine being Americanized was greatly shown in the movie “Big Night”, by directors Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci. In this movie, Italian brothers Primo and Secondo try to navigate opening an Italian restaurant soon after immigrating to America. As they struggle to find business, the brothers find that other Italian restaurants in their vicinity are much more successful. They are struggling to keep up because Primo is refusing to alter any of his recipes from their Italian origin. For example, at the beginning of the movie he refuses a woman spaghetti and meatballs because in Italy the dishes were never prepared together. Throughout the rest of the movie, arguments are had where Secondo wants to ignore the Italian aspects of the food and give the customers what they want. Their differences are shown in other contexts when Primo refuses to drive because he never had to in Italy. On the other hand, Secondo finds an obsession with sporty American cars. This contrast helps explain why their views on the food were so different. Primo misses his time in Italy and is trying to hold onto it by making authentic food. However, just as he tries to change by driving a new car, Secondo is dissociating from his Italian roots by fighting to Americanize the food. Near the end of the movie they make a pure Italian meal together and realize that its taste and ability to bring together their friends was more powerful than any money they could have made with the restaurant. This movie may highlight the struggle of Italian Americans, but most importantly shows the way in which they can reconnect with their roots. Despite Secondo’s identity struggles, Primo’s passion for their heritage helped preserve their Italian sides. It also gave Primo some comfort in this change because the food allowed him a way to maintain who he was before the move. They both continued to share the ways of cooking these foods to those close to them. By doing this, it allows the recipes, style, and culture to continue in their American connections long after they are gone.
Another movie that emphasizes family and food is “Tarantella”, by Helen De Michiel. The main character Diane has just lost her mother and travels back to New Jersey for the funeral. Once there, Diane realizes how far she has strayed from her Italian raised customs. While upset, a neighbor and family friend Pina takes her in to help her reconnect. She does this by helping Diane translate her family recipes to English and sharing her own personal gnocchi recipe. Diane did not have a very good relationship with her mother. Despite her missing the chance to connect in person, these recipes that were passed down to her represent a piece of her mom that she can always have. Pina takes this a step further by contributing some of her family recipes and customs as well. This is a great representation of the Italian view of family. Just because they are not related by blood, both Pina and Diane treated each other as family. Family is seen not just due to who you come from, but instead who you care about. As a way of showing their new familial connection, Pina passes down food related customs. As with many Italians, this has become a strong way to keep their ties together as more generations come and go.
One of the most important examinations of this topic is how these views change between each generation in an Italian family. Factors such as where someone grows up, those in their vicinity, the amount of Italian blood, and much more can all affect someone’s feeling of cultural identity. To analyze the effects of all these differences, I interviewed my 2nd generation grandpa, 3rd generation mom, and 4th generation self. I started out by first asking everyone to provide one word that came to their mind when I mentioned Italian food. In order from oldest to youngest, we stated the words “sauce”, “comfort”, and “family”. It was interesting to me to find that my grandpa, being the most Italian of us all, would not refer to a more emotion provoking word such as my mom and I. I believe that the further down the bloodline I went, the more sentimental we became when thinking of the food. This could be due to the rarity of it. While he grew up eating this food each day, I correlate it more so with family events and gatherings. While this may not be applicable to all Italian Americans, it stands to reason that the food means more when it can be tied to specific events.
These interviews were a nice moment for my family members and I. We found many similarities in the foods we liked and some of our fondest memories around them. I found that my grandpa always looks forward to our Christmas Eve lasagna, while my mom never missed a family reunion calamari dish. While some of our ideas are different, they all show that to us food means family and family means food. This idea is especially important when the idea of cultural pride is questioned. While all my family members said they were proud to be Italian, my grandpa’s first statement was, “First off, I’m American.” While this doesn’t mean he is not satisfied with being Italian, it shows a bit of separation. This may have been due to his childhood. Being Sicilian, he had a darker complexion and was often discriminated against as if he was African American. As a teenager in the 1950’s and 60’s, he was often not allowed in public pools. This may have risked his appreciation for his culture, had his Italian community not still been receptive to him. Growing up in Wellsville, Ohio meant that he lived closely to many Italians from different regions of the country. They always allowed him around and provided an aspect of his heritage that he appreciated. When telling me stories of his younger years, he didn’t focus on the negative parts as much as the great meals shared with him. Every holiday and special event was reason for a celebration. Sharing great food with people who were kind to him provided a reason to love being Italian. My mother and I were very lucky to not have the same struggles as him. Through the use of family meals, my grandpa was able to pass down the traditions that my mother and I still carry on.
After a deep-dive, it has become apparent that there is more to Italian food than just a simple meal. Throughout history, it has conjured many different feelings to Italian Americans. To some, it meant a positive identity and chances at entrepreneurship in a new country. At times this identity was used against them. Their association to Italian food was sometimes made to have a negative connotation. Furthermore, our focus on movies during this class opened my eyes to more specific circumstances. Many films explored how characters dealt with their Italian identity upon living in America. While food was not always the focus, it existed as a common trope to remind the characters of where they came from. One of my most important examinations was looking at how these views differed between generations. Interviewing three generations of my Italian family gave insight to how views changed or stayed consistent depending on our ages and degree of ethnicity. It was eye-opening to see the struggles that my grandpa endured due to being Italian. It was also unexpected to see the differences in some of our family experiences. No matter what though, we all had fond memories of our family meals. They always symbolized a bond between us and stayed consistent despite everything else going on. To us and all other Italian Americans, the food we eat is a vessel. In the end it’s not the type, amount, or even taste that matters most. The most important matter is that it has never failed to bring us together and provide an identity that we are always proud of. I plan to use this tradition to show my children and all to come where our family is from and why we should always embrace it.