When Italians in America were “Enemy Aliens”

At 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10, the Italian American Veterans Museum will present a revealing documentary about the treatment of Italian citizens living in the United States during World War II.

During the war, the U.S government restricted the actions and freedoms of 600,000 Italian residents of the United States. All were declared “Enemy Aliens,” and many were placed under curfew, banned from their workplaces, evacuated from their homes and communities, and even placed in internment camps.

The United States government considered them “Potentially Dangerous” not based on anything they had done, but on where they were born.  At the time, Italians were the biggest foreign-born group in the country and Italian Americans were the largest ethnic fighting force in the U.S. Military.

The documentary “Potentially Dangerous: When It Was A Crime To Be Italian” tells the gripping story of the devastating impact these measures had on the Italian-American community. Produced and directed by Zach Buliga, the film will be screened in collaboration with the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and Onesti Entertainment.

The Italian American Veterans Museum is located on the third floor of the Office Center at Casa Italia, 3800 Division St., Stone Park. The museum will be open for viewing at 6:30 p.m., with light refreshments served. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. SEATING IS EXTREMELY LIMITED AND RESERVATIONS ARE AN ABSOLUTE MUST. Call 708-338-0690 and leave your name, phone number, email address and the number of people in your party. Directions will be provided via email.

For a downloadable PDF, click here.

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