The Story of Italian Food in America

The story of pizza, hot dogs, and hamburgers becoming quintessential staples of American cuisine mirrors the broader story of immigrants in America: once viewed as foreign, but eventually embraced as essential to the nation’s identity. There is perhaps no clearer example of this than Italian Americans and Italian American cuisine. Nobody thinks twice about going out for pizza, but it took a long time for mainstream American society to embrace Italian American dishes.

The story of Italian food in America began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as Italian immigrants came to the United States to escape poverty and seek new opportunities.¹ As Italian immigrants settled, Italian neighborhoods flourished in cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago. Italian American restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores allowed communities to preserve and celebrate their culinary and cultural heritage.

Many Italian immigrants fled poverty and arrived in the United States with little more than “the clothes on their backs.”² Many Americans had a negative perception of new Italian immigrants, perceiving them as “dirty” and “of lesser” quality.³ Italian immigrants and their descendants faced widespread discrimination in the United States. Discrimination was so widespread that employers would brazenly hang “No Italians Need Apply” signs on windows.⁴ These negative stereotypes also extended to Italian food, which many Americans perceived as food for poor people.⁵

World War II marked a turning point in America’s perception of Italian Americans. American soldiers who fought overseas came back with expanded palates, while Italian American companies like Chef Boyardee popularized Italian flavors at home through wartime rations.⁶ As Italian immigrants integrated into mainstream American society, Italian cuisine adapted and evolved to cater to American palates.⁷ Hard-to-find ingredients led to innovative substitutions, which gradually transformed Italian dishes into the Italian American dishes we know today.⁸ For example, the scarcity of certain cheeses led to the use of mozzarella in dishes like pizza.⁹ Dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, and fettuccine Alfredo were either adapted from traditional recipes or created to better cater to the American palate.¹⁰

The story of Italian Americans and their food in America is a story of cultural integration. The influence of Italian cuisine is evident in everyday American life. Ingredients like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and pasta are staples in American kitchens, while dishes like pizza have become staples of American culture.¹¹ Of the 800,000 restaurants in the U.S. in 2016, about 100,000 served Italian food, with most being pizzerias and casual restaurants.¹² Approximately 3 billion pizzas are sold in the U.S. each year and, according to a Gallup Poll, American children between the ages of 3 and 11 prefer pizza over all other food groups for lunch and dinner.¹³