L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2016 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 5 LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY young people, whom, in these past months, I've been having the chance to meet both in the East and West Coast, I can tell they are very dynamic and with a great deal of initiative. Every single one of them is optimistic and confident about keeping not only an emotional tie with his or her home country, but also a professional one. In the future, they may serve as promot- ers of the US culture and values in our country, and even pass on that knowledge to the young peo- ple who live in Italy. In your opinion, in what areas can we reinforce the tie between Italy and US? After a ten-year lapse away from the United States, I'm now back and I can see some changes. During my previous appoint- ments here, I dealt with the eco- nomic exchanges between the two nations. Commercial trade between Italy and USA has tradi- tionally been strong, with a cur- rent $25 billion surplus value. What has been exponentially increasing over this decade, is the amount of investments from Italy to the US and vice versa. To invest means to spot the big potentials and to believe in future relations. I'm going to support and fos- ter these invaluable exchanges between the two countries. Media outlets, like L'Italo- Americano, work on building a sense of cultural identity among the subsequent genera- tions of immigrants and on promoting the Bel Paese. In what extent, do you think the Italian Foreign Press may be key to national politics, to the promotion of the "Made in Italy" excellences, and to the consolidation of Italy's image, away from the traditional defamatory one which, for decades, has been penalizing Italian immigrants? Italian Press and Media abroad play a vital role. Not only in aggregating communities, which, despite their geographical distance, can stay informed about one another, but also in promot- ing a detailed survey of Italy's identity today. In these last years, Italy has Continued from page 4 changed deeply. We need to stay current of the latest artistic, sci- entific and cultural tendencies, as well as the contemporary social debate. Italy is the country most known around the world. Even, I might say, the most loved one. Often, however, our country is seen through lenses, that fixate on certain old-fashioned clichés. Italy is not an "open-air muse- um," but rather a lively and dynamic society, that is ever- changing. The press along with all the other media are essential to drive people's curiosity towards our contemporary reali- ty. What do Italians abroad need and how the Italian- American community might help Italy to grow? Could that be, as one goes, an effective "ambassador" of the "Made in Italy" abroad? The Italian-American commu- nity is rich and diverse, but always a single one, with no sep- arations in terms of socio-cultur- al level. It is an extraordinary channel of promotion of our Italian identity. Wherever I go, I find Italians and Italian-Americans proud to fulfill this fundamental role of promotion. I deeply value and appreciate all that. I personally greet our vibrant community, also on behalf of the other Italian Institutions. Here in Los Angeles, our Consul General, Antonio Verde, is doing an excellent job being fully com- mitted to our community and very attentive and receptive towards its needs and requests. I welcome everyone to make use of the services provided by us representing Italy, in particu- lar by the Embassy in Washington D.C. along with the entire Consular network in the US. In conclusion, I wish a long and bright future to L'Italo- Americano, that for over a centu- ry has been providing an excep- tional service to our community. A special thank you to Valerio Viale for his assistance in coor- dinating the coverage of the Ambassador's visit to LA. Robert Barbera, L'Italo-Americano Publisher, Valeria Rumori, IIC Director, and Armando Varricchio, Ambassador of Italy to the US. Photo Courtesy of the IIC Armando Varricchio, Ambassador of Italy to the US with Simone Schiavinato, L'Italo-Americano Director

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