L'Italo-Americano

italoamericano-digital-12-24-2020

Since 1908 the n.1 source of all things Italian featuring Italian news, culture, business and travel

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 2 020 has been a very difficult year. The pan- demic brought all our fragilities to the surface, p u t u s a l l t o t h e t e s t . Being forced into our homes, unable to have any sort of social contact has been, since the very beginning, an enormous task. First, we were diso- riented, then shocked by the millions o f p e o p l e i n t h e w o r l d w h o d i e d without even being able to say goodbye to their loved ones, and the millions more being infected. US and Italy shared, in spite of the distance, an equally exceptional, overwhelming wave of infec- tions that still cannot be stopped. Millions of people recove- red, but the memory of such a dramatic experience will remain with them forever; the relatives of those who didn't make it or got infected will remember the fear, the helples- sness and the pain of losing a loved one. Beside the pande- mic's disastrous effects on the economy, we realized the virus made us vulnerable, that it shattered all our securities and habits, our routines, our life schedule. In front of the many natural disasters of this year, we felt equally helpless: from the dreadful fires that destroyed our counties and almost reached California's metropolises, to the coastal erosion that threatens even Highway 1, iconic symbol of cinema, all the way to the floods that have been ravaging Italy from north to south, fillings streets, homes and fields with mud and water. In Venice, San Marco's precious mar- ble mosaic floors ended up once again under the corrosive sea water of the lagoon. Climate change is really just behind the corner. It's not time for end-of-the-year budgets, but for a new beginning. It's time to finally turn the page From the director We want to leave 2020 behind quickly and we can't wait for the new year to bring a radical change. Turning the page: this is what we all want. The incredible scientific race against time of vaccines give us hope. We've been holding on to it, because we want to go back to work, to go out with friends, to travel. There are many wounds that need to heal, inequalities to erase — racial, eco- nomic, social — cultural and ideological differences to resolve and many a bridge to build up anew. There is plenty of work to do out there, but we'd all love to get rid of the sense of insecu- rity around us. Too many things unknown to handle at every step we take, every bus we jump on, every person we meet. We need to look at the e future with a tad of serenity again, that is, we need to get rid of this continuous state of emergency. This is the wish we have for everyone: to be back to normality soon. To a better normality than before, if possible. The end of the year is when we look back at the months just passed and organize the future. L'Italo-Americano does it, too, just like every one of us. Because L'Italo-Americano may not be a person, but it does represent a community and it has done so for over 100 years, giving voice to thousands of rea- ders who, since 1908, bought it not only to read its articles but also to feel part of the Italian-American family, to maintain their connection with the Fatherland. For decades, they renewed their subscription to keep their past, a past made of migration, alive and to feel somehow closer to their parents and grandparents; they chose it to practice the language they had learned at home, to find their grandmother's recipes prin- ted on page and to discover the culture and the beauty of the Belpaese, to dream about visiting, one day, its wonderful cities filled with museums and works of art. It hasn't been an easy year for us. In such a difficult time for the economy, revenue from advertisement has been limited, but printing and distribution costs remained consistent. There isn't much margin left for profit, as a matter of fact. And this is upsetting, because living on the edge of survival means we can't do all we'd like and could do if we had a more powerful engine, a larger fuel tank. Yet, we never lowered the cultural and informative quality of this paper, which is the oldest community paper in the US; we never stopped investing in the quality of the services we offer. On the contrary. We inaugurated a new website: for those who haven't checked it out yet, italoamericano.org doe- sn't only have a new look, but also created a new meeting point for the community, the Market Place, a virtual town square to promote real Made in Italy, in 12 categories of products to choose from. The prefect place to shop while con- necting with the Belpaese. You'll be spoilt for choice: from jewelry to clothing, from toys to books, from Italian courses to real estate, from food to travel. Speaking of travels: we can announce that, in 2021, our traditional appointment with luck will return, with new opportunities to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy, something that, perhaps, no other paper offers to its readers. We give you more to show you that growing is possible. It's our way to ask you for an extra subscription, a donation, a small yet precious contribution to keep this jewel of the Italian-American community alive. Because this is what L'Italo-Americano is for us, a treasure of culture and history to safeguard beyond economic difficulties, and this is why we ask your help to keep its invaluable legacy alive. It's not time for budgets only, it's time for new beginnings. Turning the page, we said about 2020, and this is our wish to you all, dear readers: may 2021 be better and more prospe- rous than the year that is about to finish. Simone Schiavinato, Director NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Member of FUSIE (Federazione Unitaria Stampa Italiana all'Estero), COGITO L'Italo-Americano 610 West Foothill Blvd. Unit D, Monrovia, CA 91016 - Tel.: (626) 359-7715 PLEASE SEND CORRESPONDENCE TO P.O. BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano Newspaper (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization), www.italoamericano.org, is the largest and longest-running Italian newspaper in America, not to mention the cultural and news resource for all things Italian in the US. A bilingual newspaper which represents an historical landmark for the Italian American Communities in the West Coast and throughout the US. L'Italo-Americano benefits from subsidies by the Italian Government, Memberships and Donations intended to support and not interrupt a mission that began in 1908 to preserve and promote the Italian language and culture in the USA Periodicals postage paid at Monrovia, California 91016, and additional mailing offices. PUBLISHER Robert Barbera Grande Ufficiale DIRECTOR/EDITOR IN CHIEF Simone Schiavinato ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Patrick Abbate EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Barbara Minafra COPY EDITOR Francesca Bezzone LOS ANGELES CONTRIBUTOR Silvia Giudici SAN FRANCISCO CONTRIBUTORS Catherine Accardi Serena Perfetto SEATTLE CONTRIBUTOR Rita Cipalla CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mariella Radaelli, Francesca Bezzone, Luca Ferrari, Stefano Carnevali, Joel Mack, Paula Reynolds, Nicoletta Curradi, GenerosoD'Agnese, Fabrizio Del Bimbo, Maria Gloria, Alfonso Guerriero Jr., Anthony Di Renzo Serena Perfetto, Kenneth Scambray, Chiara D'Alessio © 2020 L'Italo-Americano Membership: One year $59 - Single copy $2.25 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to L'Italo Americano PO Box 6528 Altadena, CA 91003 Mail form and check to L'Italo-Americano, P.O.BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003

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