Adoptees seek answers from Catholic-run program that sent children of unwed moms to America
In the 1950s American Catholics were eager to adopt thousands of Italian children from an impoverished country. They thought they were saving orphans. They were wrong. Most of the children were not orphans. They were the children of unwed mothers who had been pressured into giving up their child by their families and a powerful church. Today, thous...
Remembering the Courage of Christopher Columbus
Today we remember the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who in October 1492 landed in the Bahamas and became the first Western European to discover what the Europeans would call the New World. When Columbus and his crew of approximately 200 sailors left Spain in three crowded ships – the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria – they set their sa...
Six Characters in Search of an Author in San Diego
Saturday October 19 2024, 14:00 (Local time). St. Joseph’s Cathedral (Auditorium) 1535 Third Ave, San Diego, CA. Tickets here. After premiering at the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles and Chapman University, Nick Gabriel‘s new adaptation of SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR (1921) by Nobel Prize winner Luigi Pirandello, is presented in...
Martin Scorsese's lesson in Polizzi Generosa in search of his roots to make a docufilm
Now an honorary citizen of Polizzi Generosa, already an Italian citizen since 2018, Martin Scorsese in the town of his Sicilian ancestors, looking out from the enchanting belvedere of the Holy Trinity, wonders what must have prompted the 19-year-old Francesco Paolo Scozzese (surname mispronounced in the U.S. as Scorsese), who would become his grand...
Columbus Day and Italian Festival in Dallas
The 10th anniversary of the Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival was celebrated in Dallas. Several groups participated in the parade, from the Civil Air Patrol to the Italian Air Force Representation from Sheppard Whicita Falls, the Knights of Columbus, the Skyline Band, with horses and riders from the Texas Horse Park and River Ranch, from For...
Giuseppe Verdi. Il Trovatore in Houston
From Friday October 18 2024 To November 03 2024. HOUSTON GRAN OPERA - 501 Texas Avenue, Houston, TX Place: Houston, TX. Tickets here. A new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s perennially popular tragedy, freshly envisioned by influential director Stephen Wadsworth for a stunning, old-meets-new-world experience. Opera Insights, a pre-show lecture series...
‘Frozen’ Animator Lino DiSalvo Taps Into ‘Awesome, Superstitious, Loving, Wonderful’ Italian Roots With Coming-of-Age Tale ‘Twisted’
“Frozen” head animator and longtime Disney veteran Lino DiSalvo is developing an animated feature that tells the coming-of-age story of an Italian teenager who teams up with a mythical beast to save her hometown from an evil curse. Written by Kissy Dugan and produced by Emmanuel Jacomet for Mediawan Kids & Family with Italy’s Palomar Animation, “Tw...
Westfield (NJ) Celebrates Columbus Day with Speakers, Music, Treats
Several dozen members of the community gathered in Mindowaskin Park Sunday, Oct. 13 for the annual Westfield Christopher Columbus Day ceremony, sponsored by the Westfield Italian-American Club and the Greater Westfield chapter of UNICO. Beyond discussions regarding the voyage Christopher Columbus sailed centuries ago, speakers praised the many achi...
The history of the Christopher Columbus memorial at the Minnesota State Capitol
Between 1880 and 1920, over 4 million Italian immigrants entered the United States. Few came to Minnesota, and the state’s Italian-born population peaked in 1910 at 9,688. When they arrived, they faced a racial ideology of Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, and Nordic superiority. Italian Americans were seen as “in between” white and non-white, enduring what s...
Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park now uncovered as legal battle drags on
Pittsburgh officials are allowing a controversial statue of Christopher Columbus to remain mostly uncovered as a lawsuit over the monument’s future stretches into its fifth year. The controversial monument that stands in Schenley Park was wrapped in plastic in October 2020 as it became the center of a legal battle over whether it should be removed....
Gno kidding! How gnocchi became like Chipotle as the hottest grab-and-go food in NYC
New York is a paradise of quick bites, from world-class pizza slices to hot dogs with all the trimmings, but a really good plate of pasta is typically reserved for a nice night out at an Italian restaurant. However, with the cost of dining out higher than ever, big eaters in the Big Apple no longer have to book a table. These days, you can find som...
Visit Sicily In Winter: Discover Its Off-Season Charms
Sicily may be one of the best destinations in Italy to visit in winter. With its mild climate, spectacular scenery, extraordinary cuisine, seasonal festivals and traditions, and rich cultural heritage, “off-season” Sicily offers a unique and unforgettable experience. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, just off the toe of mainland It...