Author Talk: Lindsay Marie Morris presents Beneath the Sicilian Stars

Dive into a lesser-known chapter of American history: the experiences of Italian Americans on the West Coast during World War II. Based on the real events that inspired her historical novel Beneath the Sicilian Stars, Lindsay Marie Morris brings to life the stories of families labeled “enemy aliens,” forced to evacuate their homes, as well as men imprisoned in internment camps.

Lindsay examines the impact of Executive Order 9066 on Italian American communities, especially in the Bay Area. San Francisco residents living within 14 blocks of Fisherman’s Wharf were given just days to evacuate their homes. Communities including Alameda, Richmond, and Martinez were declared off-limits to enemy aliens, and more than 22% of Pittsburg, California’s population was displaced due to proximity to the town’s steel mill and military base.

Audiences will learn about surveillance, civil rights violations, and the long-buried trauma passed through generations.

Highlights include:

The little-known internment of Italian Americans

The devastation of family-run industries like fishing in California

Stories of resilience, cultural erasure, and rediscovery

Legislation and resolutions acknowledging past injustices