Italian-American Heritage Month: Interview with Danielle Romero

As part of my annual Italian-American Heritage Month highlight, I interviewed Danielle Romero of the YouTube channel NYTN

For those unaware, October is Italian-American Heritage Month, if the title didn’t give that away.

According to Google AI (all hail our new robot overlords), Italian Americans, “make up the fourth largest European ancestry group in the United States, with over 15.7 million people identifying as Italian American, or about 6% of the U.S. population. This makes Italian Americans the only European group with an increasing population since the 1990 census. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the Northeast and Midwest, but there are also significant communities in many other major metropolitan areas. New York City has the largest Italian American population, with concentrated communities in the five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester County, Fairfield County, and North Jersey.”

The US is also ranked 7th in the world for Italians living abroad.

Now, why does this matter?

Well, for no other reason than it’s my Substack and I ‘do what I want.’

I kid, I kid, but honestly because it’s my own Italian heritage has played a significant role in my life in all the normal ways our family’s culture, history, and ethnic nuances play a role in shaping all of us. Mine just happens to be shaped in the lense of Italian ancestry and I think it’s important to share.

I highlighted a bit of this last year:

• Ottobre is Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month: Part 1

• Ottobre is Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month: Part 2

It is an ethnic heritage and culture I both take pride in and acknowledge at the same time; I’m missing a lot of pieces and have had much of it watered down over time as a cause of assimilation, the power of the American Melting Pot or American Mosaic.

Whichever metaphor you prefer.

While a lot has been lost, in my old age of my early 30s and feeling the existential twinge of death’s cold grasp as I age (early mid-life crisis), I have made it an active mission to not let that watering down continue.

Specifically, because I want to be able to pass it down to my children, and I don’t want the little flame left with me to die out.

This includes a good deal of energy into relearning the language, more than the little I remember from my grandfather, with instructors on Italki and all the neat apps on my phone. Although, I should already have a better grasp of Italian than I do after nearly four years of in school. I’m also working through old family recipes and trying new ones; one of my Italian instructors is from my grandmother’s home region of Abruzzo and wrote a book on Italian food history, so he has helped tons in this process.

But this isn’t about me; it’s actually about someone else.

I had the privilege to speak with Danielle Romero of the YouTube channel NYTN about her own expiriences as an Italian-American and her thoguths on the subject.

I discovered Danielle’s channel last year, and I cannot say enough good things about her content. She does phenomenal work mixing the personal with the historical and highlighting many aspects of Italian-American, along with other ethnic groups close to her heart, and their histories that have been lost or forgotten, especially many of the less-than-positive experiences these immigrant groups might have faced.

I hope you enjoy the interview because it was honestly very enlightening for me.

Chris (C): Would you mind sharing a bit about your Italian-American background, where your family is from, and how, if at all, you feel it's shaped your current identity?

Danielle (D): I grew up ‘only’ seeing myself as someone of Italian heritage. My dad is extremely proud of that, and we never knew much about my mom’s side until a few years ago.

I grew up in Troy, NY, and my dad’s grandparents all came through Ellis Island and settled in that area. It’s where my family still lives. I believe all my dad’s grandparents emigrated to the US between 1905-1923, the last one getting here right before the ban on 99% of Italian immigration that was enacted in 1924.

I'm glad my great grandpa made it here in time.

My dad’s paternal side comes from Calabria and Campania, and we still have family in Naples and Durrazano. My dad told me we were Sicilian, but I think that is because Naples used to be part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies before the Risorgimento.

My dad’s maternal side is a little more mysterious, but his grandpa grew up and went to college in what is now Molise, Italy, and was actually in the Italian Army in WW1 as the bandmaster.

My grandpa Dominick, my dad’s dad, was fluent in what I thought was proper Italian, but I believe now it was Napolitano.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to dig deeper into those roots, trying to understand not just where we came from, but how it’s connected to the bigger American story.

C: Would you also mind sharing your other heritages? I know there are some others to highlight and how they've shaped you as well, especially in connection to your Italian ancestry. 

D: On my mom’s side, things get really surprising.

I thought she was French and Irish, but her maternal side is Irish, Creole, African, and Indigenous roots, mostly from Louisiana.

It’s a lot to wrap your head around when you didn't grow up with it all, but it’s also made me appreciate just how layered identity can be.

My Creole heritage, in particular, has this incredible history of resilience and blending of cultures, and it’s given me a broader perspective on what it means to be American. Once I started learning Louisiana history, I uncovered the really unique and hidden relationship between Sicilian/Italian immigrants and people of color in Louisiana. 

C: So, how did you start your YouTube channel, and what prompted your search for your family heritage?

I know from watching your videos the answer, but for everyone else, how did it start and what have been the most rewarding or interesting finds for you personally in the process?

D: Before my maternal grandmother passed away, I started having my mom ask her questions through the Marco Polo app.

She never was willing to give much family information before, but suddenly she began opening up. The more she shared, the more questions I had.

I decided to try and find my family in Louisiana, if there was anyone even there to find still. I also began interviewing older family members over Zoom (during Covid).

The YouTube channel kind of started as a personal project and a way to share it all with my mom and her family.

I’ve always been into history, especially the parts that don’t get talked about much. So, when I started digging into my own family’s past, I realized there were so many stories that hadn’t been told, or at least not told in the way they should be. The more I found out, the more I wanted to share, not just with my family, but with anyone who might feel connected to these hidden parts of American history.

One of the coolest things to me is that the more I learned about my mom’s family’s experience in Louisiana-navigating life as a mixed-heritage community in a deeply segregated South-the more I understood the struggles my paternal Italian side faced when they immigrated.

It’s like both sides of my family were trying to find their place in a country that didn’t quite know what to do with them, and that shared experience has really shaped how I see what it means to become American.

C: One of the biggest topics on your channel is about the evolution of 'whiteness' throughout American history.

I find it particularly fascinating because of my own family’s expiriences, at least on my father’s side, growing up in the American South. Particularly being Italian and not being accepted into what we'll call the mainstream culture and viewed as 'other,' or simply put, non-white.

Without deep diving, my grandfather had some issues with the KKK, in particular, because he was Italian and hiring African-Americans to work for him, among other reasons and situations I won't rabbit hole.

So, the evolution of 'whiteness' over time and assimilation fascinates me, because it has directly affected my own identity and historical worldview through my family's history.

I thought you've done a great job on your YouTube pieces and I even cited one of them in my Italian-American Month post last year, so I'd love to hear about how this topic has shaped you, your family's history, your coverage on it, what has interested you about it, and what you can share from the Italian-American perspective. Overall, your thoughts on the topic are something that really interests me.

Ending my detour, why do you think American racial and ethnic identity or characterization is so broad and lacks the proper nuance in understanding one's history and ancestry?

D: The whole concept of 'whiteness' and how it’s changed over time is something that’s really personal to me, especially with my mixed background.

Like you mentioned, Italians weren’t always considered 'white' in America, and that definitely played out in my family’s history. When I read Ben Franklin’s essay spelling out his thoughts on who is white (On the Anglo-Saxon), it made me want to keep digging into more primary sources we don't cover in school.

It’s wild to think about how the lines of race have shifted over time and how groups like Italians had to navigate that.

For me, exploring this topic on my channel is about understanding those shifts and what they mean for all of us today. It’s been eye-opening to see how these ideas still affect us, especially when we talk about identity and belonging in America. We’re still grappling with the consequences of these shifting definitions, and I think that’s something worth discussing openly and honestly.

C: What do you think is the biggest misconception about Italian American history or identity? 

D: American identity is so broad because we have always been a mixed people. Even before 1776, enslaved people were having babies with settlers and indigenous people, creating these multi-racial communities.

Were they forced or by choice? Probably both.

Either way, we miss the nuance because we try to fit everyone into these neat little boxes, but history doesn’t really work that way. Not our family story, and not our national story.

I think the biggest misconception is that identity is not static or simple. It’s really this complex, evolving thing.

My own background is a good example of that—Southern Italian, Creole, Irish, African, Indigenous—it’s a lot, and it doesn’t fit into a single category. But that’s what makes it interesting, and I think that’s why it’s so important to dig into these stories and see the bigger picture.

C: Has there been any shaping of your self-identity more towards a Southern Italian or Sicilian identity, versus 'Italian' as a whole? And how has the Italian regionality of the South vs North mindset played in your own life and family, if at all? 

Getting to know other Italians and Italian Americans has been amazing, a lot of people have done amazing work in this area, Professor Fred Gardaphe and Professor Luca Coniglio both come to mind, and yet there is still so much work to be done.

I think as Italian Americans, we don't really know who we are. There are reasons for that, and they are worthy of discussion.

One big misconception about Italian-American history is that it’s all the same, when in reality, there’s a lot of diversity within it.

Southern Italians often had very different experiences compared to those from the North. There’s this mindset of regional rivalry that even played out in the way Italians were treated when they first immigrated. I need to understand Italy’s history better, to understand my own American story.

I love that interconnectedness.

C: Do you feel the Italian-American community is dying off with the older generations, in a sort of renaissance with younger generations, just stagnant, or somewhere in between?

D: I’ve thought a lot about where the Italian-American community is headed.

It feels like we’re in this in-between space—somewhere between fading away with the older generations and maybe having a bit of a renaissance with younger people who want to reconnect. I see a lot of interest in people trying to reclaim their heritage, learn the language, or bring back old traditions.

But it’s also a challenge because so much has been lost to time and assimilation. I think the key is preserving and sharing our family stories.

I regret not asking my grandpa more questions when he was still alive.

C: I share similar sentiments and you don’t know what’s lost, until it’s lost and those missed opporuntiues after the fact to have those questions or answered, rather than get lost to time.

In that "in-between space" of older generations and renaissance, do you think there is value in holding on?

Or is it more of a last gasp that naturally fades out over time caught the assimulation funnel into the larger culture, and the inevitable is inevitable?

D: There’s so much value in holding on, but maybe it's less about clinging tightly to every tradition and more about carrying forward what truly matters. Knowing who we are, and where we come from, shapes how we move through the world.

Our family stories are like maps—they show us the paths our ancestors walked, the choices they made, and the challenges they faced. When we know our family stories, we gain a sense of continuity.

We're not just isolated individuals moving through time; we're part of a larger narrative that stretches back generations.

For instance, the resilience of an ancestor who immigrated with nothing but hope in their pocket can inspire us when we face our own struggles.

The traditions they brought with them—whether it's a recipe passed down through the years or a family ritual—become more than just customs. They become touchstones, connecting us to something larger than ourselves.

In this way, the value of holding on to our family stories lies not in preserving them unchanged, but in allowing them to evolve with us.

C: I really like that sentiment and find myself many times, during difficult periods, following a similar line of thought.

To come to literally another ‘world’ with next to nothing across a unseamably endless ocean, no connection to home and no idea really of where you’re going, no grasp of the native language at the chance, just the hope, of something better is pretty inspiring during the low periods of life.

Or, on those days of getting weighed down by 1st world problems, haha.

In your opinion, what are the most important cultural aspects that have been lost to time and assimilation which are specific to the Italian-American community and do you think can be done to recapture them? 

D: Language is a big one—not even really knowing the language my grandpa spoke definitely took away a huge part of that connection for a lot of us.

For anyone looking to recapture their heritage, I’d say start small. Maybe try cooking a traditional dish, learn a few phrases, or even just ask your older relatives to share their stories.

It’s those little things that start to bring it all back. I started making homemade pasta. Slowing down, and reconnecting in a tangible way has meant so much to me.

C: At this point in 2024, do you think there is even a genuine Italian American community at the moment, in comparison to previous generations? 

D: I think the Italian-American community has definitely evolved.

Back in the day, it was tight-knit out of necessity—immigrants leaned on each other to navigate a country that often saw them as outsiders. Neither seeing themselves as ‘ITALIAN’ nor ‘AMERICAN.’

Today, it’s more dispersed.

We’re not living in the same kinds of enclaves our grandparents did, but there’s still a sense of community, even if it’s not as visible. I see it happening a lot in online spaces now.

People are reconnecting, even in the comments of my videos.

I think many of us have just lost our grandparents, and it’s giving us this jolt awake—this realization that if we don’t connect, save, preserve, and share our heritage now, it could be lost. 

C: Haha…I laugh because that’s almost exactly where I’m at.

After my grandmother died and the birth of my first son, I realized the link that was broken. Outside of the obvious loss of my grandmother, it hit that-my son, and my other children, will never get that same ethnic connection to ‘Italian-ness’ that I did.

I ran face first into the realization that if I don’t preserve this thread to my family, and our past, it’s gone. That’s it. Language being the biggest one for me personally, Italian is a lingering connection to my grandfather and, to a lesser extent, my grandmother. It was a piece of my grandfather's identity he was trying to pass onto me, and in my own way, honring his legacy is teaching my own children their language and not letting the connection die out.

And not just my grandparents, but both sets of their parents, my great-grandparents who immigrated here and took that gamble. It’s almost in my mind, finding ways to bring full circle my family's history of immigration. I can give back to my children what was sacrificed by my great-grandparents for a better quality of life: they gave up their home, their culture, and their identity for a better life for them and their family. They accomplished that and now I can kind of return the favor in a way.

In a mostly ethically assimilated era of what we can call 'European White Americans,' would you say there are even Italian-Americans and if so, are there any identifiers that make them unique or stand out from their European-American counterparts?

D: This is a challenging question.

As European identities have blended over generations, it can sometimes feel like the distinctiveness of being Italian-American—and by extension, any ethnic heritage—is becoming less pronounced.

This blending has its advantages and drawbacks. On one hand, embracing a shared American identity fosters unity and a sense of common purpose. It's crucial that we see ourselves as part of a broader national story, where we are all Americans first.

Yet, there's another crucial point to consider.

Each family’s unique story plays a vital role in what it means to become American. These personal histories are far more than mere footnotes in the American narrative; they are the essence of it, deeply influencing our collective identity.

I am passionate about preserving these family histories because they capture the honest and varied experiences that have shaped our nation.

There’s good and bad in there. By keeping these alive, we keep our diverse heritage alive and, I hope, in doing so, we can all learn to love our neighbors a little better in the process.

C: Do you think it's possible for immigrant cultures and ethnic identities to even retain their subculture?

And again, is there value in doing so? Or is it better to find the harmony and unity needed from cohesion into the larger national identity? 

D: There's a natural tension between maintaining cultural identity and blending into the larger national narrative. I think we as Americans feel this acutely. Yet, this tension can be productive.

It’s where creativity and new cultural expressions often emerge.

When immigrant communities retain aspects of their culture, they provide a space where younger generations can explore and understand their heritage, even as they navigate the broader culture.

This retention of culture isn't a refusal to integrate; it's a way of saying, "This is part of who we are, and it adds value to the whole."

When people write off a list of ‘American’ foods- pizza is always in the top 3. That is an incredible example of this blend. This evolution of pizza shows how immigrant cultures don't just preserve their traditions in a static way. Instead, they interact with and contribute to the larger society, creating something new that still holds traces of its origins. 

C: To close out, considering the strong Mexican-American identities, like Tejanos for example, that you find in places like Texas, or even how certain New Orleans sub-ethnic cultures, Creoles as another one, have survived time differently than other groups and cultures, do you think the Italian-American subculture can survive too in some form or fashion too?

Even if it evolves to meet modern needs?

Or again, is in it's last dying breath before being almost entirely assimilated in ways German, Scotch-Irish, Irish, and other European groups have? 

D: I think the fact that Creole and Tejano cultures were often excluded from being seen as "white" actually played a role in preserving their distinct identities. They didn’t have the option to fully assimilate, so they held onto their traditions, languages, and ways of life as a form of resilience and pride. 

Many European immigrant groups like the Germans, Scotch-Irish, and Irish were absorbed into the broad category of ‘white,’ often losing touch with the distinct cultural practices and languages that made them unique.

It’s a bit of a historical regret for many descendants today, who find themselves searching for those lost pieces of their heritage. They’re looking to reconnect with the stories, traditions, and roots that once defined their families.

Italian-Americans, on the other hand, found themselves straddling that line.

They were not always seen as fully "white," especially in the earlier waves of immigration. This "third space" they occupied created a unique dynamic where they retained more of their culture compared to some other European groups. That in-between status gave Italian-Americans a bit of breathing room to preserve parts of their heritage.

We still have echoes of that—family recipes, dialect words, and customs that have survived precisely because they existed in that space where they weren't entirely absorbed into the mainstream.

It’s like having a foot in both worlds, which allowed certain cultural elements to stay intact even as others were inevitably lost or changed.

So while Italian-Americans might have more than some other European groups in terms of cultural preservation, it’s because they occupied that "third space" for so long.

It's an interesting place to be, and it offers a way to look back and see what can still be carried forward.

I cannot thank Danielle enough for this interview and her time. It was an amazing interview, and I greatly value her perspective. It echoes similar ones to my own expiriences, while at the same time being vastly different.

If you are not subscribed to her channel already, get over to NYTN and do so now.

I hope you all enjoyed this interview as much as I did, and I hope to share a few more of these with you throughout the month.