L'America. For many people, this word represents a dream. Since the first emigration started from Italy, from 1880 to 1915, more than four million Italians arrived in America, the country identified by its freedom, its work and its opportunities. Emigration declined over the years, but even today Italians pursue the American Dream, and their stories continue to nourish writers and filmmakers. 

Joseph Orazi, a distinguished Italian-American author, chronicles the stories of three emigrating families in his new book, titled "L'America". In 1915, these three families sailed from Napoli and Palermo to the “promised land”. One family settled in New York, one in Cleveland, Ohio, and the third in Monterey, California.  Orazi describes their emotions, their suffering and their sacrifices in a realistic, compelling fashion.

Orazi is an eclectic man, whose impressive talent straddles the worlds of books, theatre, television and film.  At present, he is completing his second book about “l’America” --- dealing with the period from 1915 to 1927 --- upon which  his next television series is based.

Orazi received a Grand’ Jury Prize by the Indipendent Film Festival di New York for the documentary “Prisoners among us” written by him and directed by Michael Di Lauro. He received the Playwright Fellowship prize in Pensilvania for the play “the Lion and the Lamb”, and the American Song Writing  for the lyric “Rescue you rescue me”. 

He was recently invited to present his book by the Italian women's organization in Los Angeles called "Donne Italiane che Vivono all’Estero" --- D.I.V.E, founded in 2008 for preserving the Italian language and traditions, a testimonial of the new emigration. 

Today's Italian emigration, unlike what happened in the past, predominantly concerns people with a high level of education and professionalism. Consider the enormous contribution a great number of Italian successful entrepreneurs have made to Silicon Valley and throughout L' America.