The Italian American Studies Association
Conference Overview
From November 3–5, 2016, the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies hosted the Italian American Studies Association's (IASA) annual conference at California State University, Long Beach. Entitled "Recorded, Reported, Projected, and Pixilated: Italian Americans in Mass Media," this year's IASA conference examined how the internet, television, newspapers, and other types of media have characterized and continue to change the way in which Italian Americans conceive of themselves. On the evening of November 3rd, the conference opened with a keynote address by renowned author Louisa Ermelino and a dinner generously sponsored by Mr. Mark Cangiano. The night also celebrated the 15th Anniversary of the Graziadio Center, which has long served as a point of intersection for the University and the Italian-American community. On November 4th and 5th, the conference saw a variety of papers and roundtable discussions, as well as a second keynote address by Dr. Pasquale Verdicchio of UC San Diego. From Italian-American jazz musicians to LA author John Fante, the topics explored throughout the conference were as rich as they were varied. On Saturday night, the IASA conference concluded with a final reception at the Italian American Museum in Downtown Los Angeles, situated in LA's historic Italian Hall built in 1908. It was a fitting end to the IASA's long-awaited return to the West Coast.
