Dr. Teresa Fiore Interviewed on Italian National TV Program in Connection to Women’s History Month

On March 22, 2022, Dr. Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies) was interviewed on “L”Italia con voi,” a program aired on the international channel of the Italian National TV network RAI. The program devoted a section to the topic of equal opportunities for women in connection to Women’s History Month, on the occasion of the visit of Italy’s Minister of Equal Opportunities and Family, Elena Bonetti, to the US. Other participants included Italy’s Consul General in NY, Lorenzo De Michele, and Nicola Corradi, journalist of the online newspaper La Voce di New York. Dr. Fiore was asked to provide a historical comparison of the condition of women between Italy and the U.S., but also to reflect on the present situation and identify current challenges for women professionals.

Minister Bonetti summarized the global effort to promote women’s empowerment while also emphasizing the contribution of Italy to this initiative. Consul Di Michele described programming at the Consulate to give visibility to the role of Italian and Italian American women in professional fields ranging from curation to legal consulting. Dr. Teresa Fiore addressed the female experience of Italian immigration to the U.S. as recounted in films and literary works spanning from Maria Messina’s short stories to Mario Puzo’s The Fortunate Pilgrim, Melania Mazzucco’s Vita and Emanuele Crialese’s Golden Door. Fiore concluded by addressing the characteristics of contemporary inbound flows from Italy (mainly female unlike in the past, and with higher levels of education), as well the different experiences women workers go through in the U.S. vs. Italy.

The full program is available on the RayPlay platform (after signing up) and this section is at the beginning of the video: L’Italia con voi – March 22 episode