What images come to mind when you think about Italian American fathers? When you think of your dad, the dads you knew around you growing up, and the dads you see today, who is that man? And what does he bring to fatherhood from his own Italian or Italian American culture and tradition? Do you see men actively involved with their kids, playing baseball or helping with homework, or are the dads so exhausted from working long hours that they have little time or energy to spend with kids? Is taking care of children “women’s work” or are the dads present and involved?

Are there strict dads arguing with teenagers in those age-old struggles over control? Or is the dad quietly filled with concern and a sense of protectiveness for his children in those sometimes difficult teen years? Does he see his girls as vastly different from his boys? Do you see fathers in long conversations with their children as they are becoming young adults?