We The Italians | What's up with WTI: Editorial # 133

What's up with WTI: Editorial # 133

Dear friends, here in Italy we are in the middle of the second wave of covid, and the situation is not easy at all, as I explain every two days in the videos of We the ItaliaNews. Not all Italians have understood or accepted that it is not a 100 meters race, but a marathon, indeed a marathon hurdles: a discipline that does not exist in athletics because it would be too hard, and yet this is what we are all called to face. My advice is always the same: stay safe, stay healthy, take care of yourselves and your families.

We had been thinking about it for some time: many of you often asked us if there were gadgets with the We the Italians brand. Today, finally, we have a virtual store! You will find more than 20 items with our beautiful logo, the heart with the two Italian and American flags: different kinds of t-shirts and hoodies, mugs and pillows, laptop and smartphone cases, onesies and pins, magnets and masks, stickers and tapestries, totes and tank tops. It will be a beautiful way to support what we do, show your Italian pride and give Christmas presents to families and friends, respecting the distance and in absolute safety. We have spent a lot of time evaluating all the sites that allow this type of store, and we have chosen the one that combines the best quality and respect for the environment in the realization of its products, low prices (you can't find lower ones online, at the same quality) and ease of shipping in the United States. So come on, buy We the Italians, help us with a few bucks, decorate your home with something Italian, stay safe without the risk of catching the virus in some physical place to buy gifts and make happy relatives and friends for Christmas. Two Flags, One Heart, and now finally a virtual store!

This month you will find only one interview, because given the importance of the interviewee, we thought not to include another one. We have the great pleasure and honor to host the only living member of the Supreme Court of the United States of Italian origin, Justice Samuel Alito. It is a privilege to welcome him on We the Italians, and for this opportunity I must thank my dear friend Gilda Rorro Baldassari. Justice Alito really represents our motto Two Flags One Heart at its best, and I must admit I am proud that We the Italians is the first and only Italian newspaper based in Italy to have interviewed him.

I want to remind you of the great initiative that sees us as protagonists together with our partner College Life Italia. Together with them we created a scholarship fund that can give young Italian American or American children who love Italy the opportunity to study and play sports in Italy. Both the students who apply for our Master Program and the students interested in the Study Abroad program will be eligible to obtain a scholarship. A dedicated commission will take care of evaluating all the applications. We invite all those interested to write an email to [email protected].

Once again, our family is expanding and we are very happy about it! Today there are four new entrances which we welcome with great pleasure. The first two will represent us in two States of the American South, and they are two great Italian Americans and two wonderful friends of mine.

Charles Geno Marsala will represent us in Louisiana, the Pelican State. Charles is a fourth generation Sicilian American, whose eight great-grandparents migrated to New Orleans from separate villages of Sicily. He is motivated by their legacy of involvement in honoring and maintaining the culture, values, work ethic, and integrity of the Sicilian family. He is the President of the American Italian Federation of the Southeast and a Divisional Vice-President of the Order Italian Sons and Daughters of America. A few years ago he began producing documentaries on Louisiana Culture and the Sicilian Migration to Louisiana. He was awarded a Russo Brothers Grant through the National Italian American Foundation to produce a film on the 1891 Lynching of eleven Sicilians in New Orleans.

Patrick Presley will represent us in Arkansas, the Natural State. Patrick has over 20 years experience in non-profit public relations and development. He is also the Co-Founder of the Arkansas Italian food and culture festival in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is a passionate proponent for Italian American causes with a special focus on the American South. He believes the rich Italian American history of the South in the United States is often overlooked or forgotten and sat about the formation of the Italian food and culture festival as a way to highlight the history of Italians across Arkansas and other southern states.

In addition, our design column welcomes not one but two great writers, who will be part of this magazine of ours giving further prestige to our editorial staff: Antonella Maia and Mario Gerosa.

Expert in communication, with a past at KPMG, for over 20 years Antonella has transformed information into news, dealing with the visibility and notoriety of brands in the fields of art, design, lifestyle and food, alongside international fairs (such as Mercanteinfiera and Cibus) but also companies and museums.

Professional journalist, graduated in Architecture, Mario worked for more than twenty years in Condé Nast, where he was editor-in-chief of AD and Traveller. He founded a travel agency for tours in virtual worlds, created exhibitions on Proust's sites, interviewed rock stars, archistars, web celebrities and avatars. He has written about twenty essays and an art thriller.

Well my friends, once again it’s all for now. Remember to keep being updated about Italy through We the ItaliaNews, our video and audio podcast. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday there is a video pill that tells you what happens in Italy at the time of the coronavirus: a way for all of you to stay close to Italy now that it is difficult if not impossible for you to come and visit it, waiting to host you again in this magnificent, complicated and beautiful country.

Please stay safe, please stay healthy. I won’t gonna stop saying this: the future’s so bright, we gotta wear shades! But please, protect yourselves and wear the mask, too. Ciao from Rome