The Godfather or Il padrino

(photo source)

THE GODFATHER

Materials I've found so far:

• The Godfather: Stereotype or Reality?
• Italia Living Blog
• That's Italian? Mass Media Stereotypy
  By Michael Parenti
  'Due to ignorance and lack of knowledge stereotypes cause people to have false information about others. Stereotyping is used to type cast of a certain group people, even though many stereotypes are wrong and disrespectful to those being stereotyped. Organized crime, buffoonery and illegal activities are some of the stereotypes that are associated with Italian-Americans. This causes the public to be afraid or intimidated by Italians. A great example of negative stereotypes is in the television drama are The Sopranos. Although Italians portrayed in the mob is not a new stereotype in the entertainment industry, it is believed that is does portray false images of the Italian community and promotes the acceptance of violence in today’s society. Italian-Americans who actually participated in organize crime is a small percentage of the Italian population. One of the main factors that lead to stereotypes is the media. '
• Beyond The godfather : Italian American writers on the real Italian American experience / A. Kenneth Ciongoli and Jay Parini, editors.
  'Beyond The Godfather, Italian American Writers Writing about the Real Italian American experience is a collection of stories from various Italian authors who offer an intimate and unique insight into what there lives were like completely disconnected from the experiences depticted in a movie like “The Godfather”. This work is not so mucha response to the film “The Godfather” as it is a reaction to those that have seen the film and can not distinguish between reality and fiction or are simply content to place stereotypical
  The first story in the book is that of Louise Desalvo called “Finding My Way” and his experiences as a young boy growing up in Hoboken, New Jersey and going to grammar school. This interesting little story shows how important education was this Italian American family and the pride that they felt to become integrated into American society as opposed to the extra legal activities that you would experience in “The Godfather.” Moreover, his real-life experiences at school prove him to be quite astute and polite. This quaint story ends as it had began ground in the real experience of family, one that has no connection to the mafia.
  This book takes a step back from the stereotypes that one might decide to adopt from the portrayals of Italian Americans in The Godfather. Understanding the distinction is important not only because stereotyping a group of people is ignorant, but because in realizing that the book or the movie are a work of fiction should increase one’s appreciation of the work. '
• Beyond The godfather : Italian American writers on the real Italian American experience / A. Kenneth Ciongoli and Jay Parini, editors. 'The book Beyond the Godfather: Italian American Writers on the Real Italian American Experience, is a collection of essays written by writers of Italian descent. The book is in response to the wide popularity of The Godfather. The popularity of this book and movie has overshadowed the culture of Italians. As a result, these essays were compiled in order to give an overview of the styles of writing of the Italian Americans.
  There are three main sections of the book: Memories and Memoirs, Italian American Literature and Identity Politics. Memories and Memoirs are full of anecdotes from Italian American everyday lives. In Louise DeSalvo’s story, “Finding My Way,” he discusses his education experience growing up. From this essay, it is apparent the importance of family as well as education in the life of this Italian American. The Italian American Literature section mainly discussed the different types of styles of writing. This is used to show the diversity in terms of its culture. Lastly, Identity Politics discusses the role that Italian Americans have in the United States. In the essay, “Italian Americans and American Politics,” Michael Barone discusses the influential role of Italians in the U.S. government, and the prominent figures, such as Fiorello LaGuardia, that were present in society.
  The purpose of this book was to respond to the stereotypes of Italian Americans that was created by The Godfather. Although Mafia is an aspect of Italian Americans, the book highlights other aspects of their culture. Most notably, it shows the power that Italian Americans have in America. However, this power is through respectable positions in government and not through illegal ways. In addition to this, the importance of family is evident through the essays written, which is mirrored in the movie.'