WORTH REPEATING

“A man who has not been in Italy, is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see.”  ~ Samuel Johnson

IN THE NEWS

January 6, 2006 – Tribune-Democrat (Loretto, PA) - Biblical Interpretations: Jacob’s Ladder Theme of Italian Art Exhibit

An uncommon exhibit from Italy is on display at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Loretto. This is the only opportunity to see the exhibition in the United States before it’s crated and shipped back to Sicily. On view through March 19 in the museum’s Margery Wolf-Kuhn balcony gallery is “International Regional Artists Biennial VI,” a 46-piece display featuring paintings by participating Italian artists from Siracusa, Sicily. Michael Tomor, executive director of Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, said the most striking aspect of the show is how the artists use colors to express and interpret biblical passages associated with Jacob and his vision of God’s angels ascending and descending a ladder that extended from earth to heaven, which is the show’s theme. In the exhibit, the Sicilian artists confront the subject of sacred art with a range of styles. “The works may not be from American artists, but they are strongly rooted in America’s artistic traditions,” Tomor said. “This exhibit will serve as a bridge that links cultures and serves as a universal language to form better relationships.”
For the complete story visit the following link:
http://www.tribune-democrat.com/features/local_story_006133312.html?keyword=topstory

January 8, 2006 – Tribune-Review (Pittsburg, PA) – What’s in a Name?

Ever since I was a child, I hated my Italian last name, Pici. It’s pronounced PC. (No. Although I wish I were related, we had absolutely nothing to do with inventing the personal computer or coining the term “politically correct.”) My last name has been pronounced this way by my ancestors for as long as I know of, although some more aged Italians have insisted that it should be pronounced Peachy, as in “peachy-keen” or “just plain peachy.” Well, keen is something I’ve never felt about it, and it definitely was never considered plain. What kind of name was Pici, I often thought. Every year I dreaded the first day of school. In kindergarten, I first learned of the difficulty that my name would bring. Since marrying, I’ve since thought about changing my last name back to Pici or maybe doing the modern-day thing of hyphenating. Pici-Harrison. I don’t know. I find myself jealous of my brother and my male cousins, who will forever hold the last name that I miss -- one that I despised for so long, but now see the pride and diversity that it brought. One that I long to own again. That’s when I realized that maybe it wasn’t the Italian last name that was the problem after all, but just the people who were saying it.

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/style/columnists/guests/s_410926.html

January 8, 2006 – Beacon Journal (Beacon, OH) - Everything Italian on Web Site

If the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie -- when you’re on the Internet -- well, you didn’t find amore. It's likely you discovered the relaunched Web site ItalianAmericanShowcase.com. The portal dubs itself the only outlet of its kind for Italian-Americans. The site features a redesigned business directory, a news section, and an online mall. Visitors can find most things Italian, from cannoli to Florentine leather.

Web site president and PASCO Chief Executive Peter Spitalieri launched the site in 2002, but quickly discovered that it needed a face-lift. In September, the Web site launched a redesign aimed to provide a richer sense of community for Italian-Americans. “We’re bringing the idea of an Italian-American neighborhood online,” said James Koppenal, Web project manager. “The site connects people in Italy to people here,” said webmaster Steve Goodman, who manages the site’s day-to-day operations.

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/business/13571981.htm

January 9, 2006 – Baca Raton News (Boca Raton, FL) - Saint Andrew’s School Receives $1,000 Grant for Italian Language Program

Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton prides itself on having a variety of foreign language programs. The school offers Spanish, French, Latin and Italian; Chinese will be available starting next school year. However, one program has received an added boost to help students further understanding of different cultures. Il Circolo, the Italian Cultural Society of the Palm Beaches, has given the school a $1,000 grant to enhance its Italian language program. “We visited the school and were extremely impressed with the high-quality of teaching of Italian. The classes are small and the quality is high. They have a phenomenal program,” said James Guttuso, President of Il Cicolo. Learning Italian is a good experience because it teaches them a whole different culture and way of thinking. “Many universities encourage study in Italian for a year,” he said. “Not enough schools offer Italian. We try to encourage the study of language. It brings culture and diversity. We would like to see our school become a center for language study,” Geremia said.
For the complete story visit the following link:
http://www.bocaratonnews.com/index.php?src=news&prid=13811&category=Schools

January 10, 2006 – The Detroit News (Rochester Hills, MI) - Youth Class Keeps Italian Culture and Language Alive

“Uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque … venti.” Helena Pfaff is 9 years old and can proudly count from one to 20 in Italian -- without pausing. Instead of playing with dolls or video games on Saturday afternoons, Pfaff will hone her Italian language skills at the Italiano per Bambini -- or Italian for Children -- class, an eight-week course for kids ages 5-10 offered through the Birmingham Community Education, a division of the Birmingham Public Schools. The kids will learn the language through lullabies, poems, games, nursery rhymes and sketches. They also will learn the colors and numbers, among other everyday items. “I like the Italian language because I’m hoping to go there one day for a visit,” Helena said. “And if my cousin goes, I want to be able to translate for him.” Helena has one grandparent on each side of her family who is Italian. Her mother, Millie Pfaff, does not speak the language, but said she enrolled her daughter in the class last year so she can keep the language alive in the home. That is the main reason most parents enroll their children in the class, organizers say.

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060110/METRO02/601100335/1009

January 10, 2006 – Discovery News - St. Michael’s Apparition, Earthquake Linked

The ancient story of the Archangel Michael, whose legendary apparition influenced the cultural evolution and spread of Christianity throughout Europe, may be linked to earthquake activity in Southern Italy, according to a new study. The study, published in a recent issue of the journal Tectonophysics, suggests that many early legends were rooted in natural phenomena, such as geological events. The study’s author, Luigi Piccardi, has made similar determinations concerning stories about the oracle at Delphi and the Loch Ness monster. According to legend, the Archangel Michael descended into the ground at Monte Sant’Angelo near the Adriatic Sea, and he temporarily dwelled in a sacred cave there. The oldest written account, which dates to the 8th century, states, “The Gargano (a rocky promontory) was shaken by a huge tremor, lightning often flew, and a dark cloud covered the whole summit of the mountain (Monte Sant’Angelo).”

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20060109/stmichael_his.html

January 10, 2005 – Associated Press - New Yorker Seeks Italian Parliament Seat

When Dom Serafini hits the campaign trail, he stumps from Panama to Alaska in a district four times the size of Europe. Serafini, 56, is among candidates for first-ever seats in the Italian Parliament designated for expatriates. With his dual Italian and American citizenship, Serafini is running in the “district” of North and Central America. That would give him about 300,000 constituents to represent. “Our interests are different from Italians in Italy,” Serafini said in a recent interview. “We represent a good resource for Italy, but Italy doesn’t take advantage of this. It doesn’t care about Italians overseas,” he said. “So I decided it was time to stop complaining and do something about it.” While voters in Italy may favor lower taxes, for example, Italians abroad would consider that step as the chance for fewer consular services, fewer resources for teaching Italian and less money for promoting Italian culture, Serafini said.

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Italian_Senate_Candidate.html

January 10, 2005 – AGI (Rome, Italy) – Employment: Italians Work More Than Germans and French

Italians work more than the Germans and the French, but then Italy’s labor market is small, in that only 5.8 people out of 10 work, while the EU average is 6.5. This is the explanation published by “Lavoce.info”, written by Professor Leonello Tronti, on “How much do Italians work?” The myth that Italians do not work much and that’s why the economy is not competitive is thus contradicted. Based on four yearly European figures with labor costs set at 2000, is in Italy on average 1694 per year: 153 more than the French, 225 hours more than the Germans, 73 more than the British, and 60 more than the Spanish.

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200601101635-1162-RT1-CRO-0-NF11&page=0&id=agionline-eng.oggitalia

January 11, 2006 – Catholic News – (Rome, Italy) - Gluttony Deadliest Sin for Italians
Most Italians feel more guilty about over-eating than they do about cheating on their partners, according to the findings of a survey that factors other than religious faith are more inclined to influence behavior. Reuters reports that the survey, by psychology magazine Riza Psicosomatica, found that excessive eating and spending topped the list of what people considered the most guilt-inducing vices. Sexual infidelity came bottom of the list of the magazine’s ‘seven deadly sins’, behind neglecting friends and family, failing at work and not looking after one’s physique. The survey of some 1000 Italians aged 25-55 found that religion played little part in determining what made people feel guilty, despite Italy’s Catholic traditions. Only 7% of those questioned said religious rules induced guilt. The most powerful drivers of guilty feelings were the judgment of loved ones or the disapproval of society as a whole.

http://www.cathnews.com/news/601/24.php

January 11, 2006 – PRN Newswire (NYC, NY) - Louis Tallarini Takes Office as President of the Columbus Citizens Foundation

The Columbus Citizens Foundation announced today that Louis Tallarini has assumed the position of president of the Foundation, effective January 1, 2006.  Mr. Tallarini, who was elected president on November 2nd, 2005, will serve a two-year term.  He succeeds Lawrence Auriana, who has been elected chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Governors. “I am honored to assume the leadership of the Foundation and look forward to continuing its growth,” said Mr. Tallarini. “The Foundation will continue to build on the success of its Columbus Week Celebrations, serve as the foremost voice for Italian-American culture in the United States and expand its scholarship programs, which each year help hundreds of needy Italian-American students receive a quality education.”

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-11-2006/0004247128&EDATE

January 12, 2006 – New Zealand Herald (Rome, Italy) - Explosive Outlook for Michelangelo Church

Italian environmentalists have launched a campaign to save a dazzling Michelangelo church from ruin after the use of explosives on the underlying Tuscan hillside raised fears the 16^th-century building could face imminent collapse. A large crack has already ripped through the marble pavement, ancient tombs, altar and baptismal font of the Romanesque chapel in the hamlet of Fabiana, near Lucca. The church nestles midway up the Altissimo hill, at the foot of which Michelangelo arrived in 1517 in search of the area’s distinctive marble he intended to use for the facade of the church of San Lorenzo in Florence. Experts in Tuscany believe the widespread practice of blasting the area’s sought-after marble from the caves underneath the chapel could spell disaster for the fragile building.
For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10363294

January 13, 2006 – The Guardian (England) - DNA Samples May Reveal Columbus’s Origins
A row over the origins of Christopher Columbus may soon be solved by DNA samples taken from possible descendants of his family. The man credited with discovering the Americas is claimed as a son by both Genoa in Italy and Catalonia in Spain. Now hundreds of blood and saliva samples are being taken from those who share what would be his Catalan surname, Colom, with more to be taken in Genoa. Scientists will compare the DNA to that of Columbus’s son, Hernando. Results of the study will reportedly be ready by May, the 500^th anniversary of his death.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/spain/article/0,2763,1685552,00.html

COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR

For a listing of many Italian and Italian American programs, updated regularly, visit the John D Calandra Italian American Institute’s Community Events Calendar at the following link:

http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/calandra/community/commoct.html

ROMAN HOLIDAY: STUDY TRIP LEADS TEACHER TO VOCATION

By Andrew Lightman / Daily News Staff, January 14, 2006

MILFORD -- Four years ago, Elizabeth Allegrezza found her calling. At the end of her senior year at Milford High School, Allegrazza was awarded a month long, all expenses paid trip to Rome by the Sen. Louis Bertonazzi Foundation. Speaking Italian and learning the culture and history of Italy, Allegrezza said she found her inspiration to study the language at Fordham University in New York. “I will always remember my time in Rome as one of the most wonderful times in my life,” she said. Now, as the high school’s newest Italian language teacher, Allegrezza was welcomed back Wednesday night by the Sons of Italy as a special guest for an induction ceremony for its junior lodge. Each of the club’s new young leaders took the oath of office, and with it, made a commitment to preserve and strengthen Italian heritage and culture in America. A decade ago, Milford High School offered two extracurricular classes in Italian. Today, Bertonazzi said the subject is second only to Spanish among foreign languages at the school. “And that’s unfair because Spanish is taught starting in the elementary schools,” he said. One of the biggest incentives to study Italian is the trip to Rome, now sponsored by the Sons of Italy, with some help from the Bertonazzi Foundation and the Italian American War Veterans. Students with at least three years of study in Italian who maintain a B average, are eligible to apply for the trip, Bertonazzi said. Applications will be due at the start of February, and the winner will be selected by an independent panel by the end of that month. Peter Valastro, 16, the new president of the junior lodge, said his cousin went to Italy on the trip last year, and he hopes to apply to the program when he is eligible next year. “My family is 100 percent Italian and I’m interested in the culture and further studying Italian,” he said. His interest in the lodge, however, has a lot to do with his family and the friends who have joined along with him. “It’s just fun,” Valastro said. “We do fund-raisers and go to the North End in Boston and occasionally go to a play.” Carlo Cipollone, the educational director for the Consulate General of Italy and a former school teacher and principal from Rome, also attended the ceremony. He said Milford impressed him with its vibrant Italian community. Because thousands of Italians came to America and struggled to survive, Cipollone said Italians in America have a right to be proud of their history. “This heritage belongs to everybody,” he said. “Today we are proud to spread the Italian culture and values, through the language. And not only to the Italian people, but to everybody.” The Italian Consulate, meanwhile, is also promoting Italian education in the schools, by donating money to sponsor the language classes. “Probably in each of the last five years they’ve given us $10,000,” said High School Principal John Brucato.

IMPERISHABLE VISIONS

By Paul Ingbretson, The New American, December 26, 2005

To the painter Fra Angelico, said a French historian, was reserved “the glory of fixing, in a series of imperishable visions, the religious ideal of the middle ages – just at the moment it was about to disappear forever.” Now, for the first time ever in America, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is exhibiting a nearly complete collection of the portable works of this painter.

At a time when artistic craftsmanship has so often been devalued, and when negative, shocking, and even anti-Christian content has been regularly elevated by the popular media and even our art museums, we have this exhibit, one we need to attend. We need to take a closer look, remind ourselves again, reconsider, the wonderful roots of Western art.

See the way the areas receiving the gold leaf have been burnished to shine, embossed or scribed into ever-varying patterns. Pay attention to the way the frames of the altarpieces are incorporated into the design. And, more than that, behold the way Angelico not only embellishes with gold but fully incorporates it into the color scheme. And the way the colors set each other off as beautifully as Giotto’s.

Notice the attention to detail in costume after costume, wing after marvelous angel wing, always changing in color and in pattern. Look at Angelico’s sense of composition, which according to a great American muralist, Edwin Blashfield, is “large and noble…. Some of his door panels like the ‘Flight into Egypt,’ enlarged to colossal size, might worthily decorate a church wall.”

Become aware of the logical way the artist is handling the new element called perspective. And the articulation of the details of the architecture and landscape, the amazing variety of handling he applies to landscape – from tapestry-like botanical studies that would do William Morris proud; to fine, classically rendered trees; and even to occasional essays into blotchy impressionism.

Look at the subtle modeling of the faces, look at the faces themselves, full, for the first time in the Renaissance, of not only expression but personality. Surely, said Michelangelo, “the good monk visited paradise and was allowed to choose his models there.”

Look to the larger expressions of the individuals Angelico portrays. “Friar Angelico paints with perhaps the Flemish hope, to give us the Virgin of Virgins: clothed in a mantle of stars, with the beauty and gesture of the young girl, expressive of the white soul within. A wide space separates the other worshippers of beauty--Botticelli and Lippi, and their companions--from the blessed monk, Angelico, whose wish and whose expression is single. Theirs are not the Madonnas of the people, nor of the monk nor the devotee,” remarks the American muralist of the Church of the Ascension in New York, John LaFarge.

Feet the gentleness of spirit, the quiet, that seems to pervade everything. His Renaissance biographer, Vasari, said, “He was never seen to display anger among the brethren of his order—if he admonished his friends it was with gentleness and a quiet smile…. In fine, this never sufficiently lauded father was most humble, modest, and excellent in all his words and works.” Interestingly, he recommended the study of painting as “elevating to the soul seeking heavenly things.”

We become aware that Angelico’s subject was always religious. He chose to devote himself wholly to the sacred. He always prayed before picking up a brush and is said to have wept when painting the Crucifixion. But he was not weak. If you could see his “Last Judgement,” you would immediately note the unintimidated rectitude of his judgment and courage. He included kings and soldiers and popes in the population of both heaven and hell.

Fra Angelico had clear artistic opportunities in both the craft guilds of his town and the Dominican Order in which he was likely educated. However, to him it was always a choice between the sacred and the profane, between the world and the church, between self aggrandizement and self abnegation, between work essentially for charity and working for large commissions, between temperance and self indulgence, between being ultimately his own boss and always being under another. Apparently for Angelico it was a simple choice. Later he would even refuse major positions in the Dominican Order, recommending others as better suited.

Saint Thomas à Kempis, in his Imitation of Christ, said, Study therefore to wean your heart of visible things and to attend rather to the invisible. It is vanity to love what quickly passes away, and not be hastening thither where abides everlastingly joy.” Now, after 550 years we have an opportunity—with the help of the Metropolitan Museum—to review the works and celebrate the life of an artist who shared that vision: the medieval painter known as Fra Angelico. Here, in a show that includes no less than 75 of this painter’s works—and a number of his contemporaries—is an important opportunity to rethink, to reevaluate, to reconsider where we are artistically, culturally, and even personally today.

THE RISKS AND STRUGGLES OF ITALIAN IMMIGRATION
By James Martino

          Beginning around the year 1890, a multitude of races came to America in search of freedom. They were as diverse as the nations from which they arrived. On the whole, a greater majority of men emigrated before the rest of their families. They would come by boat and land in America. After they were settled, the men would send word for the rest of the family to leave home and meet with them in their new homeland. One specific group of immigrants arrived from Italy. Italians came in a quest for golden opportunities because of previous economic difficulties in their own country. Most immigrants wanted to leave these hardships in order to begin a better life in a New World, a world far from their own. However, this decision to emigrate was not an easy one to come by. They realized there were many difficulties that would have to be endured to get to America. The Italians also knew that they would have to prepare themselves for changes from their old way of life to the new one, even though they really had no idea of what to expect when they got to America. . The native Italians had to weigh the reasons why they wanted to leave their home and immigrate, to the dangers of this huge risk they would soon undergo.
          There were a variety of reasons why Italians had decided to leave Italy for America. The main reason being to better oneself in the land of opportunity. The Italian immigrants basically wanted to increase their standard of living. They were also looking to better the lives of their children as well. However these reasons ranged from wars dealing with differences in agreement involving trade among foreign nations, to poverty in their own country. "In the 1880's and 1890's, conditions in southern Italy deteriorated as natural disasters, such as phylloxera(a disease attacking grape vines), spread, and the population suffered from the trade wars with European nations that cut off foreign markets for agricultural produce "(Scarpaci 25) In southern Italy especially, many Italians were farmers who made a living from their crops. This disease put a lot of pressure on farmers because agriculture was their only source of income. Farmers, like any other employees, must go where there is a steady flow of work. These changes in agriculture, forced these inhabitants to think about other alternatives, one's they were unfamiliar with. Also, if foreign markets were cut off, there were fewer nations to sell their agricultural products to. So, not only did the Italian farmers have to worry about diseases eating up their crops; they also had to be concerned with who they would sell their products to if they survived these diseases. These Italian farmers (contadini) were plagued with a very big obstacle. "Economic setbacks, combined with a serious cholera epidemic that claimed 55,000 lives by 1887, left the southern Italian peasants barely able to survive. As severe crop failure in 1897 led to riots in Sicily, Puglia and Calabria, raids on bakeries and grain elevators followed in Naples. The Contadini had had enough. They were ready to leave the villages where they had spent their entire lives"(DiFranco 14). These circumstances upset the families of these farmers a great deal. It made them very nervous because they did not have the answers to how they were going to survive. However it left them with only one choice which they didn't even want to think about. Italy was their homeland and the Italians did not want to leave, but due to the buildup of these obstacles that stood in their way; their only solution was to leave their beloved home.
          After many Italians had decided it was time to immigrate to America, they realized that they would face a multitude of difficulties in order to get there. First the Italians would have to have enough money for the boat and to get settled. This was very difficult since work had been scarce. The traveling conditions were another obstacle to be endured. The boats that held these immigrants were very overcrowded with people, which led to uncomfortable circumstances. Immigrants from many foreign lands were allowed on the boat. Furthermore, there were many diseases present on the boat due to the variety of immigrants that were dwelling in the boat. So not all the passengers, who set out, made it to America. The travelers on the boat also had to survive hunger because the variety and amount of food was very scarce. As a result, some immigrants starved in the long journey to America. The Italian immigrants had strong wills and much determination in order to survive this exhausting trip to the New World. In most families, the men were the first to travel, and then they sent for the rest of their family.
          Once the men of the houses arrived in America, they knew that they had made it to the land of opportunity. They also knew that just because there was a lot of opportunity, didn't mean that it would be an easy road ahead from here on out. When I interviewed my grandmother, she said that her father left Italy and stayed with some family members that had been living in New York for a short period of time. He immediately obtained a job in the construction business because he was good with his hands, and he was a very hard worker. Work was tough but he never regretted coming to America. Whatever money he made at the time, my great grandfather saved a big portion of it. He would always send some money home to his family, even if it was only a few dollars. My great grandfather met my great grandmother in America where they got married after a couple of years. After they were married, money was basically saved in hopes of buying an apartment for themselves. But in general, the father of the house usually met with a relative who had immigrated at an earlier time. He would live in his house for as long as it took to save enough money where he could acquire his own little house. For those without relatives, they simply stayed with people from the old neighborhood in Italy.
          There were many fears for these immigrants once they arrived. Most of them came through Ellis Island. Once there, they underwent some physical examinations. If they passed, they were allowed all across the continent. After they gained admission, it was time for these immigrants to work. Most of the immigrants from Italy did not have much of an education, if any and the skills that they did have were limited. So, the Italians were forced to do what they knew how to do. "Many had been farmers in Italy, and some of these who could afford to buy or rent land became farmers in the United States, making major contributions to American culture"(DiFranco 15). Most of the immigrants coming over were illiterate and could not maintain high paying jobs, so they immediately came to the realization that there was a limited number of opportunities. But they saw that there was room for improvement, and room to move up in status, so that kept them motivated. The Italians took any job that they could find and they worked very hard to earn money. They also learned how to save their money by minimizing their costs, and buying only bare essentials needed to survive. "These immigrants, overwhelmingly male, fanned out across America, taking jobs on railroad construction gangs, as street cleaners, rag picker, miners, ditch draggers, brick makers, stone makers. Peddlers, street musicians and as workers in shops and factories. Many lived in boarding houses or in bachelor quarters where expenses were kept at a minimum"(Humbert 28).
          The Italians were willing to do whatever was necessary in order for themselves and their families to survive. When asking my grandmother about what jobs her parents had in America, she told me some very interesting pieces of information. My great grandparents worked very hard to get their first apartment which had but two rooms. They were very poor but more importantly they were very happy. My great-grandfather made shoes for everyone in the house. He was the person that fixed all the things that went wrong. My great-grandmother would make her own bread at home, along with her own pizza. She also worked at a clothes store making garments. She did all the chores around the house. She too was a very hard-worker. My great-grandmother had eleven children, however four died before they reached two years of age. The second apartment my great-grandparents moved into had four rooms for a house of nine people dwelling inside it. They lived in very uncomfortable conditions and worked almost any job thrown at them as long as they were getting paid. As time went on, the Italians saved their money and soon after, they sent for the rest of the family members.
          When the Italian immigrants arrived, hopefully passing the examinations, they too realized life would be different here in America. For those who did not pass certain tests, they would be held for hours or sometimes days to undergo more tests. This was extremely traumatic for the families because they did not know when that particular family member who failed would be able to come home with them. On the most part, the immigrants made it through safely. When the women finally arrived, they knew that life in America would he harder, and a little more demanding than it was back in Italy. Now being here in America, the role of Italian women would change from the traditional roles of their homeland. "In the old country, women's roles revolved entirely around their home and children. The fathers were the undisputed heads of the family, and no one made a decision without his approval. In America, Italian women, out of necessity, flooded the labor market. Giving up the traditional roles, these women entered the workplace, where they were encouraged to think independently and to Americanize quickly"(DiFranco 15). The women now had to adjust to a different lifestyle from never working before, to now having to worry about putting food on the table. This was a huge step for Italian women, one, which took a lot of will power and determination. Even more so, it was simply for the need of pure survival. The women knew that this is what had to be done to keep their family going, and they did it without hesitation.
          Even the children of these families had to work. Back in Italy, the children would stay home all day, or if their parents had the money, they would go to school. Here in America, they would soon learn a different way of life. “At the turn of the century, many industries operated in homes. Immigrant families, including young children, worked long hours for low pay. Italian Americans worked in the small, crowded rooms where they lived- transforming their kitchens into workshops”(Scarpaci 5). They would turn their houses into workplaces so that they could work all day at home. They rarely had time for themselves, for leisure activities, or hobbies that people had taken for granted. They struggled day in and day out to survive. Their only time to relax or take a break was during family meals and sleep hours. My grandmother told me that when she was growing up, her family was very happy. They were always laughing at the dinner table, and when her mother would be ironing clothes. Their family was always cheerful through the good times and the bad. My grandmother started to work at a very early age where she learned the value of the dollar. She would work for about forty hours a week for approximately five dollars. She would give her mother four dollars. Fifty cents was for transportation for the week, and the other fifty cents was for food for the week.
          Even though these times were rough, the Italian immigrants were thankful that they had been giving this opportunity to come to America. For they realized that if not giving this opportunity, they might be dead from poverty stricken conditions, hunger, diseases, etc. Also, the Italians were happy because they kept close ties with their life long friends from Italy. My great-grandmother was sent to Buffalo after she went through Ellis Island because that is where her family was. My great-grandfather however, stayed in New York because that is where his family members were located at the time. At this point in time they did not know each other. They met later on in New York. But the majority of Italian immigration was sent to the same location in America, which allowed for people to keep in touch one another. This is one reason why the Italians kept moving in their struggle for opportunity and ability to survive. The simple pleasure and assurance that they weren't going through this alone; that others were striving towards the same goal as they were, made them feel a little more at ease. “The little Italies of America recreated the paese or town atmosphere of the Old World”(Scarpaci 5).
          Ninety five percent of the Italian immigrants who migrated were living in the Lower East Side of New York. In reality, it was like they were living in Italy all over again. They had basically preserved their whole town with them in this New World, which provided a tremendous amount of support and confidence in this move for a better life. Whether it was from Northern, or Southern Italy, newcomers settled along the same streets and in the same tenements. They sought jobs where others from their town or province of origin came from. This allowed for close knit neighborhoods to be established. This made the Italian immigrants feel very much at home, and allowed the effect of the drastic change to be subdued a little.
          When my grandmother told me about how it used to be in the old neighborhood, I was inspired. My grandmother grew up in Harlem on one hundred and Seventh Street and First Avenue. She told me that it was a completely different time than it is today. Back then, racism was nonexistent because everyone got along with each other. The neighborhood my grandmother grew up in was mostly Italian, but there were also Irish immigrants, and Jewish people as well. Nobody knew about black or white because everyone was friends. She said that people in the neighborhood looked out for one another. If children were playing outside, there was always someone outside that was watching them, even if it was not there children. If someone was carrying groceries, you would give them a hand. There were feasts all the time, and people were always sitting out in front of their house. You were allowed to leave your doors open without worrying about anything. Also, you could ride any train, and come home at any time during the night, without the worry of someone robbing you. And that was a different feeling unto itself. It was a type of Utopia that will probably never be seen again.
          During the late eighteen hundreds to the early nineteen hundreds, was the period in which the bulk of Italian immigration had taken place. There were many reasons behind why the Italians had left their homeland for a foreign one. These factors ranged from famines, which led to hunger, diseases, poverty and wars. The Italians had no other choice but to start their lives somewhere elsewhere they could survive and live happily. These immigrants had no idea of what to expect in this New World, but it was the only chance of survival they would have. The immigration of the Italians was not an easy task to overcome. It would probably be the hardest struggle they would ever face. By moving to America, the Italians would be subjected to many obstacles and many new difficulties that they had never encountered such as prejudice new cultures, and language. The struggle that this group of people undertook, was a true definition of the determination, and strength that this group had when being faced with diversity and overwhelming hurdles.

Census 2000:

The 2000 United State Census lists 15,725,555 persons of Italian heritage. States with the largest Italian-American communities include: 1. New York- 2,737,146 2. New Jersey- 1,503,637 3. California- 1,450,884 4. Pennsylvania- 1,418,465 5. Florida- 1,003,977

http://www.iona.edu/faculty/dwilliams/130/martino.html

 ARTS GUIDE: EXHIBITIONS IN ITALY

Following is a city-by-city calendar of some of Italy’s top art exhibitions.
ANCONA - Mole Vanvitelliana: Leonardo, Genius and Vision in the Marche; until January 15; illustrates Leonardo's work at the Ducal Palace in Urbino as part of Cesare Borgia’s visiting retinue in 1502, his major engineering and port designs at Pesaro. The centerpiece of the show will be the Virgin of the Rocks from a private Swiss collection.
BERGAMO - Galleria Nazionale: War is Over, 1945-2005; the show collects some 100 anti-war works by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Otto Dix, Paul Klee, Jasper Johns and Giacomo Balla; until February 15.
BRESCIA - Museo di Santa Giulia; Gauguin Van Gogh – L’Avventura del Colore Nuovo (Gauguin Van Gogh - The New Color Adventure) runs until March 19; compares the art of Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Some 150 works by the two post-Impressionist giants - 100 paintings and 50 drawings, sketches and other pieces on paper - have been borrowed from top international museums.
FLORENCE - Palazzo Pitti: Mythologica et Erotica (Mythology and Eroticism) at the Museo degli Argenti (Silver Museum) until May 15, 2006. The show features 213 works from Italian and foreign museums. The range of works on display is remarkably wide with paintings, murals, sculptures, ceramics, prints, jewellery, coins and various other precious items - all depicting erotic stories from ancient mythology.
- Archivio di Stato: Leonardo da Vinci: The True Image; the life of Leonardo is recounted in a series of documents and letters collected for the first time in this new show. One of the highlights is the only record of his birth on April 15, 1452; until January 28 .
- Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo): Arnolfo, The Origins of the Florentine Renaissance, 100 works charting the career of great architect Arnolfo di Cambio and his influence; until April 21 .
MILAN - Triennale: Keith Haring Retrospective; the exhibition devoted to American street artist Keith Haring brings together 100 paintings, 40 drawings and a multitude of sculptures and works in other forms. The exhibition includes his biggest painting, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Visitors can also see a documentary on the making of Haring’s mural on the outside wall of Pisa’s Sant’Antonio church - the last major work he completed before dying of an Aids-related illness in 1990 at the age of 31; until January 29.
- Palazzo Reale: Caravaggio e l’Europa (Caravaggio And Europe), runs until February 6. The exhibit charts the adoption of the Italian artist’s famous chiaroscuro techniques and his fascination with “real life” through works by a number of different artists. Although boasting around 200 paintings, only 16 are by Caravaggio himself. Among the pieces to make the final line-up are Boy Bitten By A Lizard and Salome With The Head Of St John The Baptist, both on loan from the National Gallery.
NAPLES - Renaissance Naples Hotel: Quel Gran Genio di Leonardo, January 20 to February 26; war machines, musical instruments and drawings.
ROME - Colosseum: The Secret Rite: Mysteries in Greek and Rome, runs until January 8; more than 70 works including statues, frescoes, ritualistic objects and private altars bear testimony to the increasing popularity of Dionysian, Eleusine, oracular, Orphic and Mithraic rites as adepts reached for meaning and salvation outside organized religion.

- Complesso del Vittoriano: Eduard Manet: the show brings together 150 paintings, drawings and etchings from top museums around the world; until February 15 .
- Chiostro del Bramante: Federico Zandomeneghi; runs until March 5, 2006. The show explores a turn-of-the-century vision of Paris, through the eyes of a Venetian impressionist. As well as 130 pieces by Zandomeneghi, there are paintings by Monet, Renoir, Degas and drawings by Toulouse-Lautrec.
- Scuderie Papali: ‘Burri. Gli artisti e la materia 1945-2004’ (Burri. Artists And Material 1945-2004); runs until February 16. The show uses Burri as a springboard to explore a variety of 20^th-century talents that he helped influence. Includes works by Antoni Tapies, Jean Fautrier, Jean Dubuffet, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly and Franz Kline.
SIENA - Museo di Santa Maria della Scala: Childbirth in Siena, From The Middle Ages to Modern Times; the show takes a ‘multidisciplinary approach’ and is divided into eight sections, running from medical instruments used in childbirth to beds and baby cots from midwives as well as paintings on the subject; until February 19.
TURIN - Palazzo Bricherasio: Il Papiro di Artemidoro (The Papyrus of Artemidoros), world’s oldest map; February 8-May 7.

Source: http://ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2006-01-09_2306332.html

BOOK REVIEWS

La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American Experience

From Publishers Weekly

The core of this gripping, panoramic chronicle is the mass emigration of Italians to the U.S. between 1880 and 1924. Their road to assimilation was marked by hard work, family solidarity, tradition-laden weddings and joyous festivals, but also by poverty, miserable housing, dangerous working conditions and marriages that “often seethed with tensions” despite a public image of unity and warmth. Mangione (Mussolini’s March on Rome) and Morreale (A Few Virtuous Men) trace discrimination against Italian Americans, arguing that politicians and the media fanned prejudice after WW II by resurrecting the Mafia image of the 1890s. They discuss Italian Americans’ awareness or denial of their heritage, providing cameos of Sacco and Vanzetti, Fiorello LaGuardia, Frank Sinatra, Don DeLillo, John Ciardi, Francis Coppola and dozens more. Early chapters discuss Italian adventurers (such as Columbus) and Italians who fought in the American Revolution and the Civil War; a later one touches on intermarriage and divorce, which have contributed to the decline of immigrant culture. A magnificent saga that illuminates a century of accomplishment and struggle. Photos. Publisher: Harper Perennial, ISBN: 0060924411

UPCOMING EVENTS

• January 19, 2006 – Coalitions of Italian American Associations presents Walfredo Toscanini, grandson of Arturo Toscanini who will speak on “Arturo Toscanini in America.” 8 East 69 St., NYC, 6:30 PM. $75 per person. Contact: (212) 541-1021.
• January 27, 2006 — 13th Annual Winter Charity Ball, honoring OSIA National President Vincent Sarno, Dr. Lois Pontillo Mignone and Dr. Mario Mignone at the Chateau Briand, Carle Place. 7:30 PM. Contact: Annette Lankewish at (516) 933-7393 or Madeline Matteucci at (631) 654-2578.
• January 28, 2006 — Winter Plenary Session – Hosted by the John Michael Marino Lodge #1389, Port Washington. More information to follow.
• January 28, 2006 - Have Broom, Still Flying - La Befana, the Italian Christmas Witch, Continues Visits in January. Sponsored by Bella Italia Mia, 1 - 5:30 pm. Christ the King High School, 68-02 Metropolitan in Middle Village Queens, NY. Come with a kitchen apron, a kerchief, a wooden spoon and be a befana. Singalong; Dancealong.  Admission: members $5, Non-members $7. For further information contact Diego A. Lodico, Bella Italia Mia, 718 426 1240; bellaitaliamia@aol.com.
• February 2, 2006 - The National Organization of Italian American Women
  in collaboration with The Italian Cultural Institute presents Italian American Women Writers. Hear the authors read from their novels.  Stay for a discussion, book sale & signing. Enjoy a wine & cheese reception. 6pm, 686 Park Avenue, NYC. Please RSVP by Friday, January 27th to 212-237-8574 or NOIAW@aol.com.
• February 26, 2006 — CSJ 26^th Annual Dinner Dance honoring CSJ Past President Santina Haemmerle and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi at Russo’s on the Bay, Howard Beach. 12:30 PM. Contact: Josephine Morici Cohen at (631) 345-6586.
• March 4, 2006 — Garibaldi Meucci Museum Carnevale Masquerade Party at Villa Russo’s, Ozone Park. 7 PM. Masks and/or costumes required. Contact: John Dabbene at (718) 984-5404.
• March 26, 2006 – Gino DiNapoli Luncheon – Bavarian Inn, Ronkonkoma. This show will be videotaped for cable channel 20. Contact: (631) 242-5808.
• April 3, 2006 — Cooley’s Anemia Annual Culinary Classico Dine Around at Leonard’s of Great Neck. Contact: Janice Sibilia at (631) 361-9157.
• April 29, 2006 — Spring Plenary Session – Hosted by Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge #321, Schenectady. More information to follow.
• May 4, 2006 — 24^th Annual Golden Lion Awards Dinner at the Garden City Hotel. More information to follow.
• May 6, 2006 — Tentative date for the Annual Grand Lodge Foundation Walk-A-Thon. More information to follow. Contact: Dan Colantone at (516) 799-6804.
• May 7, 2006 — CSJ/B’rith Solidarity Breakfast, LI Marriott, Uniondale. 9:30 PM. Contact: Marge Moschella at (516) 249-2879.
• June 8-11, 2006 — 100^th Annual NYOSIA State Convention at the Nevele Grande Resort & Country Club. More information to follow. Contact: Rae Lanzilotta at (516) 334-0830.

Respectfully submitted:
Robert Necci, Chair
Italian Heritage & Culture Committee
2101 Bellmore Avenue
Bellmore, NY 11710-5605
HeritageandCultureReport@nysosia.org

 STATE PRESIDENT CARLO MATTEUCCI

Goals & Objectives: 2005-2007 Administration

ITALIAN CULTURE, HERITAGE and EDUCATION

To promote, preserve, and support our Italian culture, heritage, and language by implementing this element of the Order in our parades, functions, meetings, and conventions.