L'Italo-Americano

IALA's new leadership takes office and hosts the National Italian American Bar Association Eager to connect more deeply with the local community, IALA's schedule has been partic- ularly rich in engaging events during the last week. On Thursday, January 23, the Italian American Lawyers Association hosted the "NIABA Night" at Casa Italiana, while on Saturday 25, members and their guests gathered at the USC California Science Center on the occasion of the annual "Installation Ball". Founded in 1983, NIABA - National Italian American Bar Association - is committed to "advancing the interests of the Italian American legal communi- ty, and to improving the adminis- tration of justice." Its members are judges, attorneys, law profes- sors and students who share a common cultural heritage, as well as the interest in preserving it over time. During the festive dinner to honor the NIABA delegation, IALA President Damian D. Capozzola introduced keynote speakers NIABA President Dino Mazzone and NIABA West Region Vice President Joseph Sena, who presented NIABA's role and mission to serve the Italian American community. They also discussed the meaning of "italianità" - the Italian spirit –, and discrimination issues through an overview of the histo- ry of the Italian immigration to the U.S. Finally, NIAF Florida Area Coordinator Paul Finizio provided the law students in the audience with some useful infor- mation about NIAF scholarship program. In his speech, NIABA President Dino Mazzone under- lined that NIABA's main strength is the enduring personal relationship between the mem- bers, as well as a strong connec- L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014 www.italoamericano.com 16 tion to the Italian background to be preserved against negative stereotypes and prejudices today like yesterday. As Joseph Sena recalled, in fact, the history of many Italian immigrants who moved to the United States since the late 19 th century was often marked by discrimination. He mentioned the famous case of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, as well Hallucination: a Jacaranda concert with the participation of Voxnova The Italian ensemble Voxnova, directed by Nicholas Isherwood, will join Jacaranda for a unique performance of Karlheinz Stockhausen's "Stimmung" on January 25, 8:00 pm, at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica. Jacaranda's concerts are always an exciting experi- ence, exploring the music of the past next to modern music played by brilliant artists. Voxnova celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, and this will represent its debut in the U.S. after a successful career across Europe and Asia. The event is organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, the Goethe Institute, and Villa Aurora. A day to remember In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed January 27 - the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz- Birkenau concentration camp - International Holocaust Remembrance Day honoring all the victims of the Holocaust. Five years before, Italy had des- ignated that date as a Day of Remembrance to commemorate Italian Jewish victims and heroes. Last Monday, the Consulate General of Italy, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the American Jewish Committee in Los Angeles gave a public read- ing of 8000 Italian Jewish names with the intent to personalize the victims and survivors of the Nazism and to promote toler- ance. The taste of NASA for Italian wine The Italian language center Lingua Viva, in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles and the North American Sommelier Association, presented a very peculiar wine class and tasting on January 29 at the IIC, cele- brating the Mediterranean sea and its moderate climate that gives birth to a great variety of excellent wines. Led by Gold-Pin Sommelier Diego Meraviglia, the class "Mediterranean Island Escape - The jewel wines of the Italian islands" was meant to be a virtu- al journey into a fascinating land and ancient tastes. Luca Casarin's Violin recital Tomorrow night, Friday, January 31, the Colburn School Mayman Hall will host the Los Angeles debut of virtuoso vio- linist and composer Luca Casarin, just a few months after his performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. The free admission recital will feature his major works, including the world premiere of his new "Intermezzo con introduzione" and his famous "Sonata a violino solo", played on a violin with only two strings. as similar episodes of social injustice perpetrated against immigrants in different fields, from firearms and drug traffick- ing to domestic violence, to deportation as a consequence of criminal conviction. Also, he compared U.S. immigration and naturalization policies in the early 1900s to the current regula- tion. As he reminded us, by look- ing at today's immigrants from Latin America we can under- stand how our Italian ancestors must have felt, making sacrifices and working hard to escape poverty and start a new life for themselves and their children. The NIABA meeting ended with IALA's thanks to members and guests, and the invitation to join the Association again two days later for the annual Installation Ball celebrating the new leadership officially taking office. This year, the gala was held at the Samuel Oschin Pavilion, USC California Science Center in Exposition Park, and it was attended by many leading figures of the local Italian American community, including the Consul General Giuseppe Perrone and LA City Councilman Joe Buscaino. Guest of honor was Umberto Guidoni, astrophysicist, science writer, former member of the European Parliament and ESA (European Space Agency) astro- naut. In his keynote speech, Guidoni addressed the fascinated audience with his exciting per- sonal experience in space with the STS-100 mission, screening also a video of the launch. He was one of only two Italians astronauts who ever flew Endeavour, the NASA space shuttle orbited from 1992 to 2011, which is now on view at the USC California Science Center. Paul Finizio, Margherita Underhill, Carl A. Tony Capozzola, and Tommy Gatto, VP of Sons of Italy Hollywood Lodge SIlvIA SIMONETTI Community Highlights

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