L'Italo-Americano

NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 3 Continued from page 2 ple around to your ideas when you are by far the youngest per- son in the room. This is even more evident in our Italian cul- ture, which in Italy and in the Italian American community has a clear and deep-seeded respect for the older generations. At the same time that makes for a lot of incredible opportunities because I am of an age that is still devel- oping habits and strategies, and I g e t t o l e a r n f r o m t h e m o s t a c c o m p l i s h e d a n d e n g a g e d m e m b e r s o f o u r c o m m u n i t y every day. And young people, who are obviously the future of our foundation and our commu- nity, might find it easier to par- ticipate when the face in front of them is someone from their own generation and not someone who might be a little out of touch with their everyday life. It's no coincidence that the median age o f N I A F ' s m e m b e r s h i p h a s dropped significantly in the last few years. You can see in Italy h o w d i f f i c u l t i t i s f o r t h e younger generation to break into real leadership, but I think those unspoken boundaries are starting to crack and I feel like as much as the Italian American commu- nity reflects our Italian cousins, perhaps I get to be part of that growing chorus of young voices who are stepping up and taking on the challenges of the future. What is the biggest lesson you have learned from NIAF Chairman Joseph Del Raso? He's taught me a lot of things and has been a big part of my growth as a professional and a l e a d e r , b u t I t h i n k t h e m o s t important thing I've learned from him is the idea that our Italian identity doesn't have to be based solely on nostalgia and warm, fuzzy memories, but can be based on new and dynamic relationships between Italy and h e r d i a s p o r a a r o u n d t h e world. Joe's done a great job of building our profile and our par- ticipation in Italy and he's made a conscious effort to make NIAF true participants and not just o b s e r v e r s t o o u r M o t h e r Country. And in a time where ethnic groups are assimilating at a rapid pace, that's been no easy task and I think he and NIAF's Board have done a great job in that evolution. He also taught me an incredible Abruzzese say- ing that translates, "Once the milk goes sour, it doesn't go sweet," and that was a great growth lesson for me and I quote him all the time. Sometimes things just don't work out to your designs, no matter how much you want them to, and you have to move on and be confi- dent that there are other ways to pursue your vision instead of wasting time trying to do it your way. What are the three biggest missions you want to achieve as NIAF President & Chief Operating Officer? I think first and foremost, I want to see our community's institutions grow stronger and closer together. We've got 26 million of us in this country and if we're going to ask them to maintain their culture and to par- ticipate with us, they deserve efficient, transparent, and self- less servant-leadership and I think we can give them that. I think the future is one where a lot of groups are going to have to work closely together and per- haps even begin to merge into one another and I think that's a very good thing. I think we've got all of the conditions to be an ethnic group that defies the odds and maintains a healthy yet inte- grated cultural uniqueness… but t h a t o n l y h a p p e n s together. Secondly, I think we n e e d t o f o c u s o n e d u c a t i n g Italian Americans about modern I t a l y a n d e d u c a t i n g m o d e r n I t a l i a n s a b o u t I t a l i a n Americans. There's this huge gap in our perceptions of one another and I think many people on both sides, and in Italian dias- pora communities throughout the world, don't recognize this great opportunity to work together in a new global context. Our diaspo- ra is 200 million incredibly suc- cessful people around the world and we can do a lot of business and cultural exchange if we are c o n s c i o u s o f l e a r n i n g m o r e about who one another are. And this is a recommitment to the younger generation of Italian Americans too, it says that insti- tutions like NIAF aren't just about memory, we are about the value that our Italian heritage ads to our modern lives. My third mission would be to find ways to reclaim the Italian lan- g u a g e i n o u r c o m m u n i t y . Because of our unique history here, we're a community that's lost its own ethnic tongue and I know there is passion and inter- est in younger generations to take it back because the above missions are much more likely and much more real if our dias- p o r a c a n s p e a k i n o n e l a n - guage. It takes us from being tourists to being truly Italians and it's something I believe is very achievable. T h e I t a l i a n l a n g u a g e i s almost dead among the Italian- American community because of former generations, who w e r e f o r c e d t o s p e a k i n English. What do you believe should be done to avoid this loss? Like I said above, I think the r e c l a m a t i o n o f l a n g u a g e i s imperative and certainly I think this loss of language is the result of a very unique and, in many ways, painful history for our community. I think our commu- nity needs, first and foremost, to talk about why it's so important to reclaim the language, not just for heritage and pride, but for the opportunities it provides in a globalized world for us to do b u s i n e s s a n d p a r t i c i p a t e i n Italy. For children and grand- children of Italy all over the world, Italy should be a center for opportunity and in many ways a doorway to the rest of Europe for us. In a world where everyone is increasingly seeking out ways to participate as "glob- al citizens", we have the oppor- tunity to do that through our Italianess, and the language is essential to that. I think we need to show people why it's valu- able, I think we need to provide resources for the teaching of Italian amongst our community, and I think we need to support the good works of those who are o u t t h e r e s p r e a d i n g t h e language. NIAF can't do that alone, so we need to have a con- centrated and efficient communi- ty plan that, I personally think, should prioritize the teaching of Italian to Italian Americans in particular, and not just trying to go out and spread the language however we can. We have a personal case and a personal his- tory with this language and I think it's our responsibility to be a little selfish on this. During a former interview with La Voce di New York, you say that Italian-Americans could serve as a role model for I t a l y . C a n y o u t e l l u s a b i t more about this thought? I suppose role model is too bumbling of a phrase. I guess what I mean is that I believe modern Italy and contemporary Italians can look at what their countrymen have done over the generations in the many places where we have built our lives. I think our community retains the best of Italian ingenuity, work ethic, dedication, and values… but we've had the chance to test t h o s e t o o l s i n t h e s o i l o f American meritocracy, in a place where opportunity really does come to those who put in the m o s t w o r k … a n d s o m e t i m e s that's simply not the case in Italy. Maybe we can be a mirror or a lens into the Italian soul and the Italian ability. Perhaps we provide a sample of an alterna- tive to Italian civic life. What do you believe are the biggest differences between Italians that were born in Italy and those who were born in America? I think the major difference between Italians born in Italy and those of us in the diaspora is that Italians abroad tend to have much more outward pride in our Italianess. I think when you take Italians, no matter what genera- tion, out of Italy, perhaps they realize how easy it is to take for granted the incredible culture a n d v a l u e s t h a t w e ' r e a l l s o lucky to be born into. I mean, politically it's easier to be so proud of your heritage in a coun- try where you are one of thou- sands of different ethnic groups, but I also think we, in this coun- try, have a history of ethnic pride that's just hard to replicate back in Italy. I often interact with I t a l i a n s w h o h a v e c o m e t o America and they tell me how proud of their Italianess they are when they participate with NIAF a n d a l l o f t h e s e I t a l i a n Americans. That makes me real- ly proud. W h a t d o e s " i t a l i a n i t à " mean for you? For me, "italianità" is some- thing that comes from different places for different people. For me personally, it's my roots, it's my blood, it's an undeniable set of personality traits, and values, and habits, and tendencies that I h a v e t o c h a l k u p t o m y ethnicity. It's the idea that when I interact with other people who are Italian, who feel Italian, who c a r e a b o u t I t a l y , I h a v e t h i s unspoken connection and I think in some people that doesn't even have to come from an actual Italian ethnicity as much as per- haps an Italophile. Our culture is so accessible and so human and I think there are countless ways for people to attach to it and to let it be a big part of who they are. NIAF President John M. Viola with Pope Francis

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