Today Sara is joined by Steve Cerulli, a PhD student at Fordham University, whose work focuses on the Italian diaspora to the United States. His research dives into themes like assimilation, settler colonialism, and Italy’s role in supporting colonialism abroad. In addition to his doctoral work, Steve is a researcher at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute and teaches at Hostos Community College of The City University of New York.
* A brief note that Steve mistakenly mentions Jessica Barbata Jackson in relation to the book, Whom We Shall Welcome, but the author is Danielle Battisti.
More about this episode in a personal note from Sara:
I first came across Steve’s work while doing my own deep dive into this subject—trying to make sense of the stories I was raised with, and why certain versions of history always seemed to rise to the surface while others stayed buried. The more I learned—especially about Italy’s anti-fascist and anarchist movements—the more I realized how much had been left out.
Steve’s work helped fill in those gaps. He sheds light on the progressive and leftist roots of Italian American identity—histories often erased or overshadowed by a dominant narrative of conservatism and white nationalism.
In our conversation, we talk about the ways Italian-American history has been manipulated to serve political and economic agendas, where Christopher Columbus fits into that narrative, and, as Steve powerfully puts it, why “Italian Americans went from a group that was being lynched to a group that did the lynchings.”
This was an incredibly informative and thought-provoking conversation for me—and as you’ll see from our extensive show notes, Steve brought all his receipts.
Our conversation pushed me to think more deeply about my own cultural roots—and left me with a renewed commitment to examine the stories I’ve inherited, especially the ones I’ve never thought to question.
And even if Italian-American identity isn’t your own, I hope this episode offers you a moment to reflect; to ask yourself:
What have I been taught about who I am?Why do I believe what I believe?And who does that story really serve?
A heartfelt thank you to Steve Cerulli for joining us on today’s episode.
About Steve Cerulli
Steve Cerulli is working on a PhD at Fordham University in the Modern History track. He is a researcher at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College/CUNY. He sits on the board of the American Italian Cultural Roundtable, Italian Enclaves Historical Society, Casa Lago Press, and the Giovanni Schiavo Series. He is interested in the development of historic and international Italian identities, transatlantic fascism and anti-fascism, and anarchist and socialist thought and movements within the Italian diaspora.
Follow Steve on Instagram ➜
Learn more about this episode’s (song) title and listen to Stornelli D’esilio ➜
Final Call! Contribute to The Mourning Papers
Submissions are now open for The Mourning Papers, our new quarterly print publication centered on community, care, and connection. It’s inspired by our core themes—grief, joy, resistance, and New Jersey—and we’re looking for contributions from writers, artists, organizers, and anyone with a story to tell.
While we’re prioritizing voices from New Jersey, we also welcome submissions from beyond the state that resonate with our mission.
The first issue drops on the autumn equinox—September 22, and submissions are due by July 24. All the details are at burymeinnj.com.
And if you’re someone who’s been questioning the power of your voice—your ability to create meaningful work—or even just the desire to make anything at all in a time that feels so heavy with grief and noise...
Join Us Live! And Write for Your Life
We invite you to a space that honors that feeling, and gently makes room for something new. Join us for a one-day creative retreat in South Jersey, led by our beloved Operations Chief, Katel LeDu, founder of the creative consulting practice Liminal Bloom.
This retreat is designed for anyone looking to restore their creativity during times of resistance—a space to reconnect with yourself, your voice, and the collective power we hold when we choose to create, even in the midst of chaos.
We’ll gather on Saturday, September 13th, from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, for a day rooted in meditation, writing practice, and community care.
Morning refreshments and lunch are included, and we’re offering sliding scale tickets and two scholarship seats to help make this space accessible for all who need it.
If your creative spark feels dim—or if you’re simply longing for solid ground while carrying your grief—we’d be honored to hold that space with you.
Spots are limited, and you’re hearing about it here first! Learn more about the retreat and secure your spot ➜
Credits + Gratitude
Bury Me in New Jersey is recorded in Hammonton, NJ, with the help of our sound guy Nick Rumaczyk, head mensch and husband Bradley Nussbaum, and operations chief Katel LeDu.
Our theme music is Grief on Repeat by New Harm—you’re getting an exclusive first listen here, and their debut EP is coming soon!
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to our Kickstarter backers who made this season possible: Anjanette R., Sergey K., Molly E., Kim H., Erin and Bill H., Fluffy Farms, Lauren L., Fairacres Organic Produce, Holly, Stacy G., Sam J., Kerrie, and Colleen C. We are endlessly grateful for your support.
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Bibliography courtesy Steve Cerulli
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Whom We Shall Welcome: Italian Americans and Immigration Reform, 1945-1965. Fordham University Press, 2019.
Bencivenni, Marcella. Italian Immigrant Radical Culture: The Idealism of the Sovversivi in the United States, 1890-1940. NYU Press, 2011.
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Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne. Not “A Nation of Immigrants”: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion. Beacon Press, 2021.
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Gesualdi, Louis John. “The Religious Acculturation of the Italian-American Catholics: Cultural and Socio-Economic Factors.” ETD Collection for Fordham University, Jan. 1987, pp. 1–174, https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8809469.
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Guglielmo, Jennifer, and Salvatore Salerno, editors. Are Italians White?: How Race Is Made in America. Routledge, 2012.
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Jackson, Jessica Barbata. Dixie’s Italians: Sicilians, Race, and Citizenship in the Jim Crow Gulf South. LSU Press, 2020.
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Killinger, Charles. Gaetano Salvemini: A Biography. Praeger, 2002.
Kinna, Ruth. The Government of No One: The Theory and Practice of Anarchism. Pelican, 2020.
Kubal, T. Cultural Movements and Collective Memory: Christopher Columbus and the Rewriting of the National Origin Myth. Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
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Mendola, Louis, and Jacqueline Alio. The Peoples of Sicily: A Multicultural Legacy. Trinacria Editions LLC, 2013.
Moss, Richard. Creating the New Right Ethnic in 1970s America: The Intersection of Anger and Nostalgia. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2017.
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Orsi, Robert A. The Madonna of 115th Street: Faith and Community in Italian Harlem. Yale University Press, 1985.
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Seguin, Charles, and Sabrina Nardin. “The Lynching of Italians and the Rise of Antilynching Politics in the United States.” Social Science History, vol. 46, no. 1, 2022, pp. 65–91, https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/122/article/848272.
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South Jersey AAPI History, Seabrook Farms & Japanese American Internment
Tamburri, Anthony Julian. The Columbus Affair: Imperatives for an Italian/American Agenda. Casa Lago Press, 2021.
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