Vincenza Scarpaci Walla Walla Italian Research Project Records
Content Description
The Vincenza Scarpaci Walla Walla Italian Research Project records interviews recorded on audio cassette tapes conducted by Vincenza Scarpaci in preparation for her 2005 book, “The Journey of the Italians in America.” This collection, which dates from 2002 to 2004, consists of interviews with members of Walla Walla’s Italian American community, as well as photographs that community members donated to Scarpaci’s project. This collection provides first person recollections of life for Walla Walla’s Italian American community from approximately 1910 through the 1960s, with specific focus on agriculture, food, and the Walla Walla Growers Association.
Dates
- Creation: 2002-2004
Creator
- Scarpaci, Vincenza (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Biographical Note
Vincenza Scarpaci was born in New York and is a graduate of Hofstra University and Rutgers University, with a Ph.D. in history. She taught American history at Seton Hall University, Towson State University, Sonoma State University, and University of Oregon. Throughout her career she focused primarily on immigration history, particularly Italian immigration. In 2002, Scarpaci was invited to visit Walla Walla, Washington and give a lecture to the Italian Heritage Association of Walla Walla. She began interviewing Walla Wallans of Italian heritage later that year. The interviews were used for research for her 2005 book, “The Journey of the Italians in America,” which also covered the history of Italian families all across the United States and Canada.
Extent
42 Cassettes
1 Linear Feet (1 small flat box and 1 manuscript box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Vincenza Scarpaci Walla Walla Italian Research Project records includes interviews Scarpaci conducted with members of Walla Walla’s Italian American community, as well as photographs that community members donated to Scarpaci’s project. Scarpaci was a professor of history, and specialized in the history of American immigration.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Access copies of the digitized files from the cassette tapes are available. Please contact the Whitman College and Nortwhest Archives for more informaiton.
The cassette tapes have been digitized using Audacity. Tapes 2020-009_C007, 2020-009_C024, 2020-009_C028, 2020-009_C030, 2020-009_C034 were not digitized because they are either blank or copies. 2020-009_C016 was unable to be transferred due to an issue with the cassette tape.
- Title
- Guide to the Vincenza Scarpaci Walla Walla Italian Research Project Records
- Author
- Katy Sassara
- Date
- 2022
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Support for processing this collection was provided by Gary Figgins in honor of his mother Virginia Figgins.
Repository Details
Part of the Whitman College and Northwest Archives Repository