Politics

 

The Italian Caucus of California

A Small Beginning — and a Big Moment for Italian Americans in Sacramento

By Chris M. Forte

For more than a century, Italian Americans helped build California — from fishermen in San Francisco and farmers in the Central Valley to merchants in Los Angeles and the families who shaped neighborhoods like San Diego’s Little Italy. Their names are on wineries, churches, restaurants, civic halls, and family businesses across the state.

Yet in Sacramento, that presence has largely been invisible.

California has long had legislative caucuses representing major communities — Black, Latino, Asian Pacific Islander, LGBTQ, Jewish — but Italian Americans never had a comparable organized voice inside the Legislature.

That may now be starting to change.

A newly formed Italian Caucus of California — still informal and developing — represents what could become the first modern Italian-American legislative caucus effort in California history. Small in membership but large in symbolism, the caucus signals something many Italian-American leaders have quietly discussed for years: the need for recognition, coordination, and representation at the state level. Read more.

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Politics: The Fight for Italian American History in California Schools

Curriculum Battles, Legislative Efforts, and Historical Recognition in 2026

By Chris M. Forte

In 2026, one of the most important political issues affecting Italian Americans in California is not immigration, foreign policy, or elections — it’s education.

Specifically:

Should Italian American history be taught in California public schools?

The question has become more urgent because California now requires ethnic studies courses in high school, and Italian Americans are often missing from the curriculum.

This has triggered advocacy, legislative resolutions, and growing political discussion across the state. Read more.