From the Editor

From the EditorI am happy to share the publication of volume 5 of Diasporic Italy: Journal of the Italian American Studies Association. This is Diasporic Italy's first co-edited special issue. Elisa Bordin (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia) and Theodora Patrona (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) approached us about publishing a special issue focusing on “Fathers and Sons,” an understudied but critical topic in Italian Americana. The editorial board was excited to accept this proposal and collaborate with both scholars on this endeavor. While this volume focuses primarily on Italian American literature, two contributions explore media studies; one article on film and the other on television. This volume considers some classical works as well as contemporary ones, in particular the recent television series The Bear (2022–). We have been working on this volume all year, and I appreciate the vision and diligence of our co-editors.This past year, the Italian American Studies Association (IASA) hosted both a national conference and an international symposium. The international symposium was at Georgetown University's Villa Le Balze in Fiesole, Italy, June 27–30, 2024 and brought together scholars from the US and Italy in an intimate setting. While our annual national conference was at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida, October 17–20, 2024. At FAU, numerous national, international, and regional scholars gathered to more closely explore the Italian diaspora across fields. There was a lovely presence of graduate students from FAU's program in comparative literature and comparative studies. The IASA also hosted the fourth IASA-sponsored guaranteed session at the Modern Language Association Convention in January 2025. This year's theme was (In) Visibility in the Marginalized Field of Italian American Studies. If you have presented at any of those venues or are currently working on a piece, please consider submitting it to Diasporic Italy for review. We look forward to reading it.This fifth volume is divided into three major sections: Literary Perspectives, Visual and Media Culture, and Diaspora in Translation. We are confident that these diverse avenues of inquiry will better enhance our knowledge and understanding, incorporating intersectional aspects of the personal, professional, and scholarly.My heartfelt thanks go to Elisa and Theodora, who have done a fabulous job curating this volume. Their dedication to the field is evident in the quality of these pieces. Much appreciation is extended to our authors, editors, and reviewers for their continued support of the journal. Our reviewers are truly special; their attention to detail, speed, and insight have strengthened the quality of this volume and motivated authors to confront their work in an intellectual manner.In closing, while we slowly increase our library subscriptions to Diasporic Italy, we need to do better. Please write to your librarian today and ask them to subscribe.Buona lettura!