Italian Americans are the fourth largest ethnic group in America. Most of these immigrants came from the southern parts of Italy, like Sicily and Campania, because of the political situation in Italy. Overall, an estimated 5.5 million Italians immigrated to the U.S. between 1820 and 2004. Most of these, about 4 million, came in the period between 1880 and 1920. Now there are 18 million Americans who claim Italian ancestry. The course highlights the history of Italian-American experience in California and will trace the assimilation to achievement, from 1880 to 1950. Starting from a close study of the motivations for immigration to the U.S., the course will move on to analyze the difficulties faced in assimilation along with their social, religious, intellectual, political and economic development. The course will also highlight similarities and differences with the new immigrant experience, including a close study and comparison of the padrone system to the current labor exploitation system.