KUED documentary looks at Italian-Americans in Utah

In 1979, Joanne Milner was a student at the University of Utah, and she

also worked at a bookstore. She remembers that Alex Haley came to town

that winter, to promote his newly released "Roots." She recalls that

her job was to stand next to him during his bookstore appearance.While he greeted his readers, Milner took one book after another off

the stack and opened them and handed them to him to be signed. When all

the customers were gone, the author turned to Milner and asked her

about herself.

What were her roots? he wondered. On her mother's side, she said, she

is Italian. "And have you written your family's story?" Haley asked.

Well, she had to admit, she hadn't.

Haley inspired Milner to take a tape recorder on one of her frequent

visits to her 75-year-old grandmother. That conversation led her to

interview other relatives and started her on a quest, the results of

which can be seen this coming week in a documentary on KUED.

The title of the film is "Our Story: Italian-Americans in Utah." As

Milner uncovered her own family's story, her appreciation for all

Italian-Americans deepened. Her appreciation deepened for all

immigrants, actually. "It doesn't take many generations for people to

forget the sacrifices of their grandparents," she says.

So "Our Story," is not the story of her family, or of any one family.

It takes the broadest possible look at the Italians in Utah.

Milner begins with Brigham Young University professor James Toronto

talking about his ancestor, Giuseppe. Giuseppe Toronto was a seaman who