But as we all know, Italians overcame the hardships and rose up and had tremendous success in various fields. Italian Americans have been iconic contributors to sports and the arts, facilitating and catalyzing the merging of Italian and American culture. Italian Americans have been heroes to the American people, inspiring across age, ethnicity, and occupation; artists have created works that have become part of the American fabric of existence, allowing Italians to infiltrate the mainstream culture and allowing Americans to better understand and enjoy Italian culture.
Today, Italian Americans continue to contribute to American culture and Italian American politicians stand apart for their willingness to break barriers in their communities and around the nation and globe.