TUESDAY TO SUNDAY  – Italian American Museum of Los Angeles

The Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, or IAMLA, is located in the historic Italian Hall, which was constructed in 1908 to serve as a gathering place for the Italian community. Today, the Italian Hall is the oldest remaining structure from Los Angeles’ Italian enclave and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

THE HISTORY

Italians and Italian Americans have played an instrumental role in the development of Los Angeles as one of the world’s greatest metropolises, yet the history of Italians in the region is largely unknown. Though Los Angeles is home to the nation’s fifth-largest Italian population today, and the Italian presence in the American West predates the nation’s founding, seldom is the city included in dialogs surrounding contemporary or historic Italian American communities. An examination of the region’s Italian roots reveals both the complexity of the Italian Diaspora and the exceptionally diverse fabric of Southern California’s history.

The Los Angeles Italian experience contrasts with that of Italian immigrants elsewhere in the country and reveals the complexity of the Italian American diaspora. Given the success that Italian Americans have achieved in the United States, it is easy to forget that they, like other minority groups, faced considerable prejudice and hostility in their struggle to achieve the American Dream. In the American South, Italians were a common target of lynchings and racially-motivated violence. In the early 20th century, eugenicists described Italians as genetically inferior, while political cartoons of the era depicted Italians as threats to American security and racial purity.

THE MISSION

The mission of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles is to foster a deeper understanding of Southern California’s diverse heritage through research, historic preservation, exhibitions, and educational programs that examine the history and continuing contributions of Italian Americans in multi-ethnic Los Angeles and the United States.

The IAMLA is a charity that depends on donations to accomplish its specific mission. As such, the IAMLA does entertain requests for financial support to fund other organizations, charitable or otherwise, nor does it provide financial resources to artists, scholars, filmmakers, etc. The IAMLA does not fund exhibitions or theatrical or cinematic productions, nor is the museum rented for such projects.

Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00am – 3:00pm

For additional information, visit the website @

www.iamla.org

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