Examine the second generation’s entry into the labor movement, politics, sports and entertainment.

A second generation of Italian Americans begins to enter the labor movement, politics, sports and entertainment. Fiorello LaGuardia becomes mayor of New York City. Joe DiMaggio, the son of a San Francisco fisherman, becomes a baseball powerhouse who becomes an American hero. But with the outbreak of World War II, loyalty to America is questioned and Italians are forced to choose between two nations at war. While many Italian Americans fight on the frontlines with valor and bravery, other Italian Americans are labeled “Enemy Aliens,” including DiMaggio’s parents. The war proves to be a turning point for Italian Americans as they begin to break out of their enclaves.