L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS spanning the places men- tioned, visited, or inhabited b y t h e S o m m o P o e t a throughout Italy. The initia- tive aimed to showcase the beauty and diversity of Ital- ian regions. Dante Alighieri is not only r e c o g n i z e d f o r h i s D i v i n e C o m e d y , u n i v e r s a l l y acknowledged as the greatest work written in Italian and one of the world's literary masterpieces, but he is also considered the father of the Italian language itself. He gave literary dignity to the vernacular Florentine lan- guage of the 14th century, a language that continues to resonate, with 90% of the words we use today already present in his works. Yet, the Dante Alighieri Society is not a self-referen- tial institution. On the con- trary, it actively works to promote the La Bella Lingua beyond Italy's borders. This mission is enshrined in Arti- cle 1 of its Charter: "To pro- tect and spread the Italian language and culture world- wide, rekindling the spiritual ties of Italians abroad with their homeland and fostering l o v e a n d a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r Italian civilization among foreigners." M o r e o v e r , t h e S o c i e t y nurtures and safeguards the sentiment of "Italsimpatia," the world's positive view of Italy, rooted in its identity, art, literature, and lifestyle. This sentiment consciously reflects an anthropological shift from the past feeling of "Italnostalgia," the melan- choly once experienced by "paisani" leaving Italy by ship. These immigrants, who left behind family, land, and language, naturally thought of Italy with a lump in their throats, a sense of sadness tied to their lost identity. Today, however, "Italsim- patia" prevails—a kind of extroverted attraction that draws in the many friends of Italian culture worldwide: Italophiles, Italian speakers, a n d t h o s e w h o s t u d y a n d t e a c h t h e l a n g u a g e . T h i s g r o u p a l s o i n c l u d e s "hyphenated Italians" (e.g., Italian-Americans), who live with dual cultural identities, and even individ- uals with no familial ties to Italy but who admire its cul- ture, style, and way of life, viewing Italian as a language of dialogue and culture. This phenomenon is seen not only in countries with a large Italian diaspora but also in nations with no his- torical connection to Italy, where there is nonetheless an interest in and affection for the Italian language. "I was recently in Brazil," Pres- ident Mattarella remarked, "and I was struck not only by the large number of Brazil- ians of Italian origin—over 30%—but also by how their connection to Italy comple- ments, rather than dimin- ishes, their pride in being Brazilian." T h i s u n d e r s c o r e s t h e notion of Italian as a "light in the world" and highlights the language's role as a tool o f c u l t u r a l d i p l o m a c y — a beacon, if you will. It is no coincidence that the consular network views Italian as an asset. Nor is it a coincidence that, every year d u r i n g t h e t h i r d w e e k o f October, the Week of the Italian Language in the World is celebrated. Orga- nized by the diplomatic-con- sular network and the Italian Cultural Institutes, in collab- oration with major partners i n l i n g u i s t i c p r o m o t i o n ( i n c l u d i n g t h e D a n t e Alighieri Society), this event has, since its inception in 2 0 0 1 , b e c o m e t h e m o s t important global initiative dedicated to promoting Ital- ian, and is a key part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' flagship programs. The congress also empha- s i z e d a n o t h e r i m p o r t a n t theme: the strong connec- tion between the Italian lan- g u a g e a n d t h e " M a d e i n Italy" brand. Italian is the s e c o n d m o s t w i d e l y u s e d language in global commer- cial signage, even in indus- tries unrelated to traditional I t a l i a n p r o d u c t s , d e m o n - strating the perception of Italian as a language that evokes quality, craftsman- ship, and culture. This con- nection highlights the need for Italian businesses operat- ing abroad to prioritize the use of Italian in their com- m u n i c a t i o n s . T o o o f t e n , companies resort to using m o r e w i d e l y s p o k e n l a n - guages like English. Howev- er, incorporating Italian into international business prac- t i c e s h e l p s p r o j e c t t h e h u m a n i s m , d i a l o g u e , a n d hospitality that are inherent in the language. Italian is a creative lan- g u a g e , c a p a b l e o f a d d i n g color to the world through its culture, drawing people in a n d n u r t u r i n g a s e n s e o f belonging. It is a "language of freedom," as explained by Edith Bruck, Vice Presi- dent of the Dante Alighieri Society, a writer, and Holo- c a u s t s u r v i v o r . H a v i n g rebuilt her life in Italy, she shared her story in Italian: "It feels like a language made f o r w r i t i n g , w h e r e i d e a s e m e r g e a n d f l o w f l u i d l y , musically, and sweetly. For m e , i t i s a f e r t i l e m o t h e r t o n g u e . I c o u l d n o t h a v e w r i t t e n i n a n y o t h e r l a n - guage." Celebrating one's language is not merely rhetorical; it is an affirmation of identity. It invites reflection on the essence of being Italian, as language acts as the vehicle for thought and much of Italy's "intangible cultural heritage" CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Dante holding the Divine Comedy; in the background, Florence and the Mountain of Purgatory (Photo: Conde/Dreamstime)

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