L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 L 'Italo-Americano is sincerely grateful to all of its supporters, who believe in its "social" value and role as the voice of the Italian A merican community of the Wes t Coast since 1908. We are grateful to the people who have listened and respond- ed to our call for help, aimed at ensuring the news- paper's very existence in the near future; to the donors who participated in our Ferragosto fundraiser; to new as well as longtime subscribers; to our advertis- ers and contributors for keeping alive the dialog within our Italian American community. All of you perpetuate a good practice of fellow countrymen from other times, which has allowed our community to grow stronger and larger: by supporting each other, in fact, the Italian immigrants have gradually incorporated into main- stream U.S. society and started to interact with it as co-protagonists. In this regard, we would like to invite you to share your greeting messages with the community through our upcoming Columbus Day edition. This is not mere advertising but rather a real contribution to promote and preserve the Italian identity. Have you ever considered that by purchasing L'Italo-Americano, attending to the many activities organized by our local societies, or choosing Italian products you are actually fighting against the "Italian sounding," which damages the Learning more about Italy to be prouder Italians From the director reputation of our native country? Such a plague doesn't affect only food and beverage, as consumers are deceived by misleading Italian labels while the quality is far from being Made in Italy, but it's also a fraud against your desire to keep your Italian identity. As you may know, October has been named the Italian Heritage Month and, besides the traditional celebrations, it should also become an occasion to meditate on the Italian contribution in the U.S., which we are eager to proudly commemorate with you all. Our daily effort and goal are to show you the true image of Italy, its landscapes, art, territory, and mostly its stories and leading figures. Because it is only by learning more about Italy as it is today that we can really under- stand our beloved country, despite the physical distance, and be proud of being Italian. We are also grateful to those of you who have replied to our cus- tomer satisfaction survey by suggesting improvements and updates to the newspaper, for it to keep its place in the life of so many readers. In consideration of your feedback, L'Italo-Americano will continue to focus on its digital version, not to the detriment of hardcopies but in order to move with the times and to meet your needs. The digital sub- scription is now offered at a discounted rate, also allowing you to browse through past editions in just one easy click. Yet to all the paper enthusiasts we guarantee the same quality of contents, with just a few changes in graphics to improve your reading experience, as well as an authentic portrait of the Italian and Italian American way of life. We can do this thanks not only to our large net- work of contributors in Italy but also to an increasing number of "eyes and ears," based in different cities of the West Coast and the entire U.S., who witness and relate on the life and proud culture of many fellow Italian Americans. Simone Schiavinato, Director

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