Most Italian-Americans are several generations removed from the mother country. Nonetheless, Americans continue to be obsessed with things Italian, from mafia flicks to meatballs. Host Frank Stasio speaks with Duke University English professor Thomas Ferraro, who explores the historic roots and imagined myth of Italian cultural identity in his new book, “Feeling Italian: The Art of Ethnicity in America” (NYU Press/2005). Also, producer Katy Barron may not look Italian, and she no longer has an Italian surname, but she’s determined to cling to her heritage, even if it means teaching her children insults in her grandparents’ native language.