L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 T he end of 2019 is near and thinking about the new year, about all the things to come or the projects we'd like to develop, is inevitable. Yet, we'd like to begin 2020 with a simple word: grazie, thank you. First of all, thanks to you, beloved readers. You always stand by L'Italo-Americano, you sup- port us with your subscrip- tions, with your participation to the initiatives we periodi- cally launch, with your growing interest towards a paper that is about to celebra- te 112 enviable years of industrious and constructive presence within — and outside — the Italian-American community in the US. Every time you write or phone us, every time you tell us about events or ask worried why our last copy hasn't made it into your mail box yet, we know you care for your presidio di Italianità, your "stronghold of Italianness," for the work we do to find stories, people and experien- Thanks to our readers, adver tisers and to all those supporting L'Italo-Americano's future From the director ces able to properly represent our community on the West Coast and the best of Italy, and for the very personal relationship you have with a paper whose ultimate aim is to create a constant, continuous dialo- gue with you all. Thanks to our sponsors, who choose our pages to advertise their products and services to a targeted and careful audience. Focusing on the Italian-American community, today, means opening up to a much wider market that one may think. Loving Italy and its products is no longer a characteristic of those with an Italian sounding surname only: we're talking about an enormous number of people appreciating the craftsmanship, care, beauty and uniqueness of our Made in Italy and our artistic and touristic patrimony. Thanks to all those who donate, who choose to support our non for profit organization and believe in the importance of keeping the voice of the Italian-American community on the West Coast alive through our pages. You help us carry on the very mission our paper has been created for: serving this community, that so much has given throughout the decades to American culture. When it was founded, in 1908, L'Italo-Americano aimed to be just that, an instrument in the hands of those living in the West Coast's Little Italys. Today we live, of course, in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society, globalized and multi-lingual, where preserving, promoting and support cultural and linguistic specificity is essential, so that our own culture and heritage are not lost. Looking back at the year that is about to end, assessments come natural and we can only emphasize how far we've come thanks to your precious help. Without you all, the very reason to be of our paper wouldn't exist. Knowing, on the other hand, that we keep on reaching more than 35.000 readers every week and that our social medias are followed by more than 100.000 people every month, give us strength and motivate us to keep up our work, and to remain a leading support for Italian-Americans who want to connect with their culture and heritage, discover Italy and Italian or preserve culinary memories and sense of belonging. Every day of the year, we strive to keep our ties with the Belpaese alive, with the stories, profiles, news and memories we select: with them, we want to offer information that is precise and exhaustive, but also rich and curious. And every day, we also aim at doing our job while thinking about the future. We try, that is, to offer new, up to date content, mirror to a world in constant evolution, so that it isn't Italian stereotypes that make it to our pages, but an authentic picture of what Italy, with its amazing art and culture, is today. At the same time, we focus also on the way our lively, dynamic communities have been evolving on this side of the Atlantic: the personal , social, pro- fessional and cultural achievements of Italian-Americans are many and bear witness to the work of an industrious and courageous com- munity, who always offers its own talent and knowledge to the coun- try that has welcomed them. Offering engaging, rich content is not simply a duty, but has a very precise aim: we want to make every edition better than the previous, paying particular attention to the language. Our parallel-text transla- tion format makes of every subscription a language home course dedicated to topics and news you are unlikely to find in an Italian Grammar Book, and that our readers can follow whenever it suits them better. And to make sure our mission can continue in the years to come, we ask you periodically to support L'Italo-Americano with a tax- deductible donation or by participating in our funding campaigns. The current fundraising sweepstake will bring the lucky winner all the way to Sardinia for a 9 days stay: you still have 20 days to get your chance to win the first prize of The Sardinia Experience: a Paradise to Discover sweepstake. Gift this opportunity as a Happy 2020 pre- sent to the people you love: buy them a ticket that could offer them breathtaking landscapes, prehistorical mysteries and crystal clear sea. It will be, without a doubt, a great surprise and a unique occasion to discover a truly precious corner of Italy. Rest assured, our new year together will be filled with hundreds of new interesting, surprising articles. For now, let me with you, also on behalf of all our staff, an incredible, happy and serene 2020. Simone Schiavinato, Director NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS

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