Michael Parenti was raised by an Italian-American working class family in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City.[4] After graduating from high school, Parenti worked for several years. Upon returning to school, he received a B.A. from the City College of New York, an M.A. from Brown University, and his Ph.D. in political science from Yale University. Parenti is the father of Christian Parenti, an author and contributor to The Nation.