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October 12 2020 Roma, Italy / The United States

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Columbus Day in Chicago will look different this year as the fight for the return of the Columbus statues weighs heavy on the Italian American community. One of the Columbus statues removed this summer sat at Arrigo Park. It was relocated because of violent protests, but not destroyed. Italian Americans say enough is enough and to put the statues b...

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On Friday, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans hand delivered a letter to Chicago’s mayor, asking her to return the statues to their “rightful locations.” The letter cites Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s statement regarding the fate of the statues over the summer, calling the removal of the statues “temporary.” “We understood the mayor’s stance w...

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My parents brought me to America when I was 8 years old. Like all other Italian immigrants, they were incredibly proud to become American citizens. They learned English along with the history of this great country as they looked forward to the opportunities that lay ahead. Still, they never forgot where they came from and always made our Italian he...

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For 7 years I have been dealing with everything that is Italian American on a daily basis, and by now I have learned to recognize when a name comes back often, involved in many things: that is a leader of the community in which he/she lives and works. This is what happens in the Italian American community in Chicago: if there is music or the celebr...

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Did Chicago sleep better Thursday night after the Christopher Columbus statues were taken down? One group of Chicagoans did not. In fact, one very close-knit community has been hurt — badly. The Italian American community, which, along with Chicago, had a symbol of its resilience removed. More correctly, dismantled and hauled away. Upon comin...

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At a moment in our history when conflict is rampant and emotions are running high, Chicago-area Italian Americans are charting a decidedly different course. They’re building coalitions, employing quiet diplomacy and reaching out across the divide to build support for their causes. The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans has been at the foref...

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A group of aldermen and several Italian American groups have filed a complaint calling the Chicago Board of Education's decision to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day illegal. Every October, the city's Italian American community celebrates Columbus Day with a large, vibrant parade downtown. While that celebration won't change anytime...

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The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations brought its message of unity to Chicago recently. Conference Chair Dr. Aileen Sirey, and Vice Chair Basil Russo met with representatives of 20 member organizations of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. The meeting was hosted by JCCIA President Sergio Giangrande. The m...

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Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas has commissioned Jo Ann Serpico as an Honorary Cook County Deputy Treasurer in recognition of her longtime activism in the Italian community. “Without Jo Ann’s contributions over many years, the Italian community would not be as vibrant as it is today,” Pappas said when presenting Serpico with her commission at a...

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