Bay Curious

How Italians Were Treated As 'Enemy Aliens' During WWII


Listen Later

During World War II, 10,000 Italian citizens living in California were forced to leave their homes as part of security measures meant to protect the West Coast from enemy invasion. Others were forced to register as enemy aliens, and were subject to property seizures, curfews and travel restrictions. On this week’s show, Pauline Bartolone investigates what West Coast Italians faced during WWII, how it was different from what Italians experience elsewhere, and why many people — including Italians – don’t know this history.


Additional Reading

  • How Bay Area Italians Were Treated as 'Enemy Aliens' During WWII
  • Read a transcript of this episode
  • Una Storia Segreta: When Italians Were Enemy Aliens
  • Sign up for our newsletter
  • Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest
  • Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

  • This story was reported by Pauline Bartolone. Special thanks to Historian Stephen Fox and to James King for writing in to Bay Curious with the question. 

    This episode of Bay Curious was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Christopher Beale and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett, Bianca Taylor, Holly Kernan and the entire KQED family.


    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Bay CuriousBy KQED

    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8

    4.8

    1,042 ratings


    More shows like Bay Curious

    View all
    This American Life by This American Life

    This American Life

    90,931 Listeners

    Radiolab by WNYC Studios

    Radiolab

    43,870 Listeners

    Fresh Air by NPR

    Fresh Air

    38,507 Listeners

    Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

    Hidden Brain

    43,602 Listeners

    Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

    Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

    38,860 Listeners

    99% Invisible by Roman Mars

    99% Invisible

    26,238 Listeners

    KQED's Forum by KQED

    KQED's Forum

    719 Listeners

    KQED's The California Report by KQED

    KQED's The California Report

    397 Listeners

    Close All Tabs by KQED

    Close All Tabs

    98 Listeners

    MindShift Podcast by KQED

    MindShift Podcast

    247 Listeners

    Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

    Science Friday

    6,400 Listeners

    The Latest from KQED by KQED

    The Latest from KQED

    79 Listeners

    The Daily by The New York Times

    The Daily

    112,032 Listeners

    Up First from NPR by NPR

    Up First from NPR

    56,517 Listeners

    Political Breakdown by KQED

    Political Breakdown

    190 Listeners

    The Bay by KQED

    The Bay

    435 Listeners

    The California Report Magazine by KQED

    The California Report Magazine

    132 Listeners

    Throughline by NPR

    Throughline

    16,335 Listeners

    KQED Newscast by KQED News

    KQED Newscast

    30 Listeners

    Short Wave by NPR

    Short Wave

    6,551 Listeners