COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Anne T. Romano, Ph.D. has been active in literary and historical associations and involved in the community through her educational endeavors – teaching the youth. For her work in the community, Romano was nominated for the New York State Senate Queens Women of Distinction from former state senator Serphin R. Maltese, elected by Helen Marshall in 2009 for her community involvement as an Italian American for Italian Heritage Month, and served as President of the American Italian Historical Association, Long Island Regional Chapter.
PERSONAL: Romano is a professor, author, and public speaker. Romano wrote a book on criminal justice and also has written a book about her parents immigrating from Itri, Italy to Cranston, Rhode Island, titled, Distant, But Loyal. She grew up in Manhattan and moved to Queens where she attended Queens College and obtained a bachelor’s degree, Master’s in Developmental Psychology at Columbia University, and completed her doctorate at Fordham University in sociology with concentration in criminal justice.
WORK: As a college professor, Romano teaches at Kingsborough Community College in Sheeps Head Bay, Brooklyn and teaches criminology at Nassau Community College in Garden City.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: The biggest challenge for Romano has been the persona that is being depicted of Italians in the media. “Our biggest challenge has been to turn around a lot of the negative stuff about Italian Americans in the media,” said Romano. “We are hard working people and educators.”
FAVORITE MEMORY: Romano’s most favorite memory was when she was 15 years old, during an Italian trip she made with her mother, who had not seen her family for over 25 years. “Meeting my grandparents, aunts, uncles,” said Romano. “Seeing Italy for the first time, seeing all my relatives, it does something.”
INSPIRATION: For Romano, her inspiration has been Geraldine Ferraro. “She is a big hero of mine,” noted Romano. “To see an Italian-American woman and see what she had accomplished as a woman, I am very proud.” – Gaudys Sanclemente
