Demographics, Research, and Analysis
The John D. Calandra Italian American Institute continues with its project in demographics, research, and data analysis. The Italian Diasporas: Data Snapshot series provides information regarding a variety of characteristics related to the Italian diaspora. These summaries and more extensive reports answer questions such as:
What sets the Italian diaspora apart from those of other ethnic groups?
What distinguishes the Italian diaspora across the countries of immigration?
Are there significant differences in patterns of assimilation and acculturation for the Italian diaspora?
It seems fitting as colleges and universities begin the new academic year that September’s Data Snapshot look at an area pertinent to education.
In the last five years, by all measures, public interest in ethnic studies has increased, especially in academic settings. This includes the number of programs, the number of faculty, undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees, and the number of degrees awarded.1 The City University of New York (CUNY) welcomes the inaugural class into its new Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies graduate program this year. The program advertises that:
The Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies (BRES) graduate program is the first of its kind in the New York metropolitan area, positioning CUNY as a leader in the multidisciplinary scholarship of race and ethnic studies in the region and the country. The program aims to produce the next generation of scholars whose research puts them at the frontiers of knowledge creation in various fields and disciplines. The research skills and multidisciplinary insights BRES students develop will allow them to identify important unanswered questions and create research strategies that improve our multifaceted understanding of race and ethnicity and intergroup relations in the US and beyond.
An important observation is that the BRES program is “the first of its kind in the New York metropolitan area.” The implication is that while programs in Ethnic Studies have been thriving and growing nationwide, one of the largest urban university systems in the United States, with twenty-six independent campuses, is only now providing an opportunity for students to attain graduate credentials in the field. Numerous degrees addressing specific ethnic groups do exist at CUNY and other institutions of higher education. These include specific European ethnicities such as Irish and Francophone Studies, Black/African-American Studies, and Latin American Studies. There are also programs across all levels that relate to the language, history, culture, and literature of Italy. These programs may be listed as Italian Studies, Italian American Studies, Italian diaspora Studies, or some other designation.
There is no degree offered in either of these “Italian American or Italian Diaspora” areas at CUNY or the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Given that New York State has the largest number of residents declaring Italian heritage, it is perplexing that in the entire state there are only two programs at the doctoral level that include “Italian” in the name of the degree (New York University, Columbia University). There have been attempts to create programs, including at CUNY, but these attempts have been met with various challenges. There are other ways to attain a degree in one of the Italian studies fields. The most common pathway is through a specific area in a field, such as a degree in comparative literature, history, or film studies. The degree awarded reflects the discipline rather than the specialization.
The maps and table presented in the Data Snapshot show where and how many programs exist in the United States at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The table divides these programs by state according to their curricular designation.2
If you are aware of a degree program that is not represented in this data, please let us know by sending the information to: [email protected]. The Institute also invites you to share suggestions for future snapshots and reports.
1 Humanities Indicators of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Race and Ethnic Studies Programs Today: Findings from the 2024 Department Survey (Cambridge, MA: American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2025).
2 The data does not include any new programs with a Fall 2025 start date.
For previous Data Snapshots click here.