[Re]creating Italian American historiography: 'Astoria' and the truth of narrative

The Italian American image in the US has been largely shaped by media repre sentations. Research has shown that mass media portrayals of topics like th e Mafia and ethnic characters frame and package these issues, oversimplifyi ng them and rendering a distorted view of Italian American history, culture and civilization. Movies like The Godfather have left a permanent imprint and have created a filter through which Americans 'read' Italian American c ulture. In order for the historiography of Italian American to reframe itse lf, scholars and writers must begin studying history from a dialectical per spective through which the continuity of history and sporadic moments of me aningful history lead to new creative interpretations. Vico's notion of his tory described in his New Science offers insights into the working of this historical dialectic. Vico postulates a history in which individual subject s identify their meaning through the understanding of their deeply embedded relationship within the culture of which they are part. The novel Astoria by Viscusi, recipient of American Book Award in 1996, addresses the creativ e process of [re]creating the Italian American Narrative. In undermining th e simplification of The Godfather's saga, the novel aims to bring the reade r close to a place where the stereotypes are produced, with a view to formu lating new images and new notions of historical processes.