Part I of this volume, "Italians Before the Great Migration, " contains the on-topic papers that were highlighted during the American italian Historical Association annual meeting. They display a wide range of subjects and disciplinary approaches. Part II is composed of essays on "Literature and Ethnic Identity" that are not limited to the central conference topic. Part III, "Poetry, " is a collection of poems that span a wide range of human emotions and humanistic sensibilities, presented in English and Italian.