Learn the history
Start with the Italian American story
Read a sourced overview of migration, identity, culture, and the communities built across the United States.
Read the history guideOctober and every month
Italian American Heritage Month
Make room for the stories, traditions, and people that connect Italian American families across generations.
A living heritage
There is more than one way to participate
Heritage is not only something we inherit. It is something we document, practice, question, and pass forward. Use these pathways to find a meaningful next step.
Trace your roots
Turn a surname into a place
Use regional surname clues and the free family-history starter kit to plan your next genealogy session.
Get the starter kitGather together
Find a tradition to carry forward
Browse the month-by-month calendar of feasts, festivals, observances, and food traditions shared across Italian America.
Explore the calendarSee the people
Meet notable Italian Americans
Explore the Institute’s growing directory of artists, leaders, scientists, athletes, and community builders.
Browse the directoryThis month’s invitation
Preserve one thing
You do not need a perfect archive or a complete family tree. One carefully preserved detail can give the next generation a place to begin.
- Ask a relative for one story, recipe, photograph, or place name you have not recorded before.
- Support a local cultural organization, archive, parish, museum, or community event.
- Share a family memory with the next generation and preserve the original names and spellings.
- Contribute a story or resource so the public record reflects the breadth of Italian American life.
Keep the record growing
Follow the Institute’s free stories and resources, or help preserve the community record by sharing yours.