I think what many people don't "get" is that being an Italian American is a special culture all its own.

Its one that is neither European (like being FROM Italy) but its also not Wonder bread mayonaise and spagetti-o's either.

Its simply what it is. A hundred years ago a group of imigrants came to this country and still after all these years they try to embrace their heritage.Some try too hard though, this annoys me.
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I'm with PB on the "Goomba" shit. I can understand Italian pretty well because I lived right next door to my grandparents until they died when I was well in my early 40's when they passed. I can say some sentances, but I would never pretend to know the language fluently by using certain words that most of us grew up with in front of real Italians from Italy. Also they spoke a heavy Naples dialect. I remember when the news would come on cable from Rome my Grandmother had to pay very close attention to understand it.

But there definitely is and Italian American culture that stands alone.