L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 O ur holiday on J une 2nd calls for a precious occasion to reflect upon our identity, as we celebrate 70 years this year. Just like any birthday, this is a moment of analysis of our own lives which allows us to blow out the candles with all our might for a w is h to come true; like an anniversary which makes us reflect on the road we want to continue on, w ith the pers on w e have chosen to have next to us; like New Years which inevitably ends up as a divide betw een an evaluation of what was and the good resolutions for the new year. This is how we are to understand the Festa della Repubblica or the Feast of the Republic. For Italians abroad, every occasion should be a good opportunity to come to terms with our cultural baggage, which we presume to be full and ready to leave and return, or just to travel. Since it is an experience in the making, which changes with new experiences and with time, is filled with memories, photographs, souvenirs, but at the same time, one that is always ready for new adventures. That is why we should take advantage of this holiday as a way to remind us of where we came from and just how deep these cultural and familiar roots go, to reflect on ourselves and ask what it is that makes us feel Italian, and in which ways we continue to be so: if speaking the language, which in reality is a summary of the culture of a country with all of its history and its people, if eating the dishes that encase the flavors of the land of our first immigrants, if following on TV or on the internet the events that mark the daily history of the peninsula a dozen hours flight away. We must also take this opportunity to understand what we do or should do to continue to be Italians and maybe bring up our children and grandchildren in the wake of our tricolor root. Celebrating our National Identity by Blowing Out Together the 70 Candles of Our Republic From the director We must ask ourselves what Italy is to us or what we think it means to be Italian. It seems to be an easy question because of all the meanings and responses one could give, but as the years go by slowly and we become further and further away from the people, the places, and experiences that we have left behind in Italy, they enliven a series of thoughts about what we have become or how we perceive ourselves. It is even a more complicated response to find if we were not born in Italy, if we know Italy only from the memories and stories of our parents, our grandparents or aunts and uncles, if we know we are linked to Italy only because of a last name that we pronounce with an American accent and the language that we understand but we do not use anymore or perhaps one we do not know at all. Even just hesitating in giving an answer, is already an answer in the sense that it tells us that the mere definition of being Italian that we give of ourselves is not taken for granted. Or it talks about all the memories, all the emotions, or the feelings that suddenly emerge in the heart or head, to which we give an order that is not far from trivial. Each of us can gather from the June 2nd date, not just a simple date marked on the Italian calendar, but the occasion of a personal "holiday", a moment to stop our turbulent daily life of things to do, allowing us to go back in time to when we were there in Italy, maybe with our loved ones, or to look to the future with the hope of returning home or going for the first time to discover the land, the people, and the monuments we have heard so much about. In our own small way, like L'Italo-Americano, we want to participate in "our" holiday, inviting you to participate in our "2016 Summer "Ferragosto" Raffle" and above all, actually gifting you this trip. Given the great success of the winter lottery, we present you with a roundtrip airline tickets (for 2) to visit Italy, a 10-day vacation on Lake Como and an Italian language course in Montepulciano. In the upcoming editions and on www.italoamericano.org, you will find all the details to participate along with our wishes of good luck to win this opportunity and be able to experience Italy firsthand. Simone Schiavinato, Director NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS

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