Assistant Professor, Italian
About
I am trained in both Italian and Brazilian Studies and my work focuses on the circulation and reimagination of ideas across time and space. In my work I explore the ways in which the concept of Italian identity has evolved beyond the strict geographical confines of the Italian nation-state and how it has impacted the way we imagine the bel paese. At the same time, I look at how the emigration of millions of Italians has shaped notions of class, race, and gender in the Americas—specifically in Brazil.
Currently, I am completing my book manuscript, tentatively titled “Under the Auspices of Dante: Italianità and Fascism in Brazil,” in which I study the diffusion of fascism in São Paulo, Brazil. My work pays particular attention to the reception of fascist ideas among the members of São Paulo’s middle class, which mainly consisted of Italian business owners and professionals who were determined to distance themselves from popular notions of Italianness linked to socialism, anarchism, and racially-impure working-class populations. For an updated list of publications and projects please read here.
My research and teaching interests include: Italian and Brazilian literature and culture, fascism, migration, Global South, and memory studies.
