Were You Always an Italian? is a memoir written by American author Maria Laurino and published by W.W. Norton in 2000. It was a national bestseller and its chapters have been widely anthologized including in the Norton Reader, the Italian American Reader, Don't Tell Mama!, and Crossing Cultures. Were You Always an Italian? is an examination of third generation ethnic identity. Among the topics the book explores are the stereotypes bedeviling Italian-Americans, the clashing aesthetics of Italian designers, and the etymology of southern Italian dialect words like stunod and cafone. The title was based on a question posed to Maria Laurino by former New York Governor Mario Cuomo.
A memoir is a collection of memories that an individual writes about moments or events, both public or private, that took place in the subject's life. The assertions made in the work are understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiography since the late 20th century, the genre is differentiated in form, presenting a narrowed focus. A biography or autobiography tells the story "of a life", while a memoir often tells a story "from a life", such as touchstone events and turning points from the author's life. The author of a memoir may be referred to as a memoirist or a memorialist.
Maria Laurino is an American journalist, essayist, and memoirist.
Mario Matthew Cuomo was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as the 52nd Governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994, Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1979 to 1982, and Secretary of State of New York from 1975 to 1978.