L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 P hotography has the u n i q u e a b i l i t y t o reveal details that often go unnoticed in everyday life. It helps us remember and offers a glimpse into our recent past. I t c a p t u r e s e m o t i o n s a n d t h o u g h t s , s h o w i n g w h a t attracted the photographer, and why a particular frame, s u b j e c t , o r m o m e n t w a s c h o s e n a m o n g c o u n t l e s s o p t i o n s . T h a t m o m e n t becomes sublime because, right then, the photographer saw, felt, and sensed something special. Joe Vitone first came to Puglia to give a seminar about an exhibition of his, back home in Akron, Ohio—a place vastly different from what he found in southern Italy, the place his The photographic journey of Joe Vitone, and roots tourism as a way to reconnect memory with identity From the Editor paternal grandparents had emigrated from in the early 1900s. Once in Puglia, he embarked on a journey to find his family's roots, describing it as a "pilgrimage:" he did, in other words, what a classic "roots tourist" does. He sought out a past that had significantly changed over time, only to realize that these places still held many traces of what they once were. Puglia lacks many photographs from its past, which Vitone couldn't find in his family's album of memories. Surprisingly, he discovered these images in photos taken in recent years. Remarkably, the images of the past are identical to those he took, not because he traveled back in time or because Puglia is frozen in time, quite the opposite! M u c h t o h i s d i s m a y , V i t o n e f o u n d t o o m a n y m o d e r n influences in the rural landscape his grandparents left behind in the early 20th century. New additions have intrusively altered what must have once been truly beautiful. However, with the keen eye of a photographer, he realized that some things may shine with today's fiery colors but mirror moments from the past. Take tomato sauce, for instance, which is still made at home in the countryside today, as it was in the past. The rich red bubbling in the pots before being poured into jars is the same as it was back then. The grueling farm work that his grandfather eventually gave up on because it wasn't enough to feed his wife and children is still the same today. Just like the green expanses of wheat swaying in the wind, today just like yesterday: endless fields the color of gold that already hint at the scent of freshly baked bread. The sunflowers, livestock, the smells of the stable, and the woolly sheep—everything is still here. Yet the old world his grandfather left behind vanished, amid farm machinery and wind turbines. Curiously, in the very moment we look at them, Vitone's photographs become memories of both yesterday and today, and tomorrow will become another past. His experience of these places becomes a testament in its own right. His roots tourism brings forth a renewed awareness of time, culture, and identity. If we could shift our focus away from the present and the images we scroll through on our smartphones, and instead adopt a broader perspective that remembers what we used to be, we would realize how much of the past is still around us. We would notice traces and similarities to events that have already happened. We'd see that we're more like the past than we realize, often thinking of ourselves as more modern, smarter, or more sophisticated than those who came before us. A photography exhibition says this, too: we need to rediscover the importance of personal, familial, and social memory. If we lose the memory of what we once were, we lose a part of our identity and our role in the continuity of time. Yet it's curious that, to grasp the essence of today's Puglia, or any part of Italy, we often need to see it through the eyes of someone from outside. Vitone, with his Italian- A m e r i c a n c u l t u r e , i n t e r n a t i o n a l e x p e r i e n c e , a n d a background very different from that of the locals, still manages to see "where we come from" with greater clarity: he captures the memory of the present, which becomes a tool to understand our roots and the past from which we come. Sunlit fields, the lively colors and fruits of the earth, the rhythm of daily work, horses, lambs, cattle, pastures, almond trees, olive trees, and tomatoes. In his photos, we see what we don't typically prioritize, what often goes unnoticed in our perception of today. Yet that "ancient" farming world, made of soil, sun, and hard work, has always been there, and continues to be the foundation of our identity. Simone Schiavinato, Editor Simone Schiavinato NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Member of FUSIE (Federazione Unitaria Stampa Italianaall'Estero), COGITO L'Italo-Americano 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 news- paper 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 EDITOR IN CHIEF Simone Schiavinato ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Patrick Abbate EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Barbara Minafra COPY EDITOR Francesca Bezzone LOS ANGELES CONTRIBUTOR Silvia Nittoli SAN FRANCISCO CONTRIBUTOR Serena Perfetto SEATTLE CONTRIBUTOR Rita Cipalla CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mariella Radaelli, Matt Walker, Francesca Bezzone, Luca Ferrari, Stefano Carnevali, Paula Reynolds, Teresa Di Fresco Nicoletta Curradi, Generoso D'Agnese, Jessica S. Levy, Fabrizio Del Bimbo, Maria Gloria, Chuck Pecoraro, Anthony Di Renzo Serena Perfetto, Kenneth Scambray, Chiara D'Alessio, Luca Signorini, Giulia Franceschini © 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 W e'd like to send our greetings to Irma Sericati who, at the beautiful age of 102, continues to inspire us all. Your dedication to L'Italo Americano reflects your spirit and love for the community. May your days be filled with joy, good health, and the warmth of family and friends. Keep shining, Irma! P.O.BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 P.O.BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 Selling Homes Throughout The Bay Area Adele Della Santina "The Right Realtor makes all the di昀erence." 650.400.4747 Adele.DellaSantina@compass.com www.AdeleDS.com DRE# 00911740 Expert in preparation, promotion, and negotiation!

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