The month of the Italian American Heritage, October, has been spent for a few months. And Maby Palmisano, president of Comites Washington D.C. and coordinator of all 10 Comites present in the USA, on that occasion he met the ambassador, as usual he wants.
“Every year, in October, we meet not only with the ambassador, but among us presidents of the Comites – explains Maby, who is in the second term, or entered the second five-year of his commitment to those useful and wonderful institutions that are the committees of Italians abroad. And that today he is vice president of Italic-Us Foundation, an institution that aims to further strengthen this bridge, not only through communication but with events.
To feel its intellectual vivacity and the tireless energy with which it plays its role, it is understood that it has been elected by the representatives of the communities involved.
We are an institutional bridge, in a country where Italians have always migrated to waves. What we live in Washington, however, is different, intellectual: here often the so-called brains on the run. There is no Little Italy, nor the archetype of the migrant with the cardboard suitcase. But the Italian character continues to manifest itself. The flame of Italianity remains on.
The goal is not only to make institutional reference point for documents and updates of various nature, but it is strongly cultural. I wanted to discard the spaghetti-mandolino combination as the only icon of Italianity.
“The Lincoln statue inside the Lincoln Memorial was made by two brothers of Massa Carrara, the dome in the heart of Capitol Hill was painted by Constantine Brumidi. An Italian-American, Bozzuto, has practically built the city.”.
Therefore, the road is two ways: on the one hand to bring to the Italians and Italians the warmth of the motherland, on the other to inform the community that Italy is forge of beauty not always known in its polyform expression.
A small example? Comites Washington D.C. is interviewing third-generation Italian Americans to collect the history of their family.
There is a great sense of pride, the Italian-American community is powerful and the perception of belonging is very strong.
A beautiful story is that of two Italian Americans whose grandfather arrived from a village, Bagni di Lucca, and began to make chalk statuettes that today are at the Capitol, the White House.
“This gentleman has taught many other Italian emigrants this art and has created a vast community of chisels.”.
Tracing Italian Roots: Washington’s DNA has many Italian genes
The Tracing Italian Roots project is very close to Maby Palmisano:
we intend to create a website with the Washington map on which will be marked all the things done by Italians, through extraordinary funds of the MAECI. We presented it in recent months, in collaboration with a company in Mantova, the Global Media.
Here you go well beyond the classic Christmas, Easter, barbecue meetings at the end of the year. They trace their origins and take them to the community. And then there are the dozens of initiatives organized by the Comites that Maby presides over and has now 10,100 members of the AIRE.
In Washington for three years we have been organizing Pillole di Design, coordinating with an architect from Florence once a month. We have told reality such as Armchairs, Bitossi, Edra, Ronda Design and the Digital Museum of Tuscan Design.
Another important initiative was to see in the residence of the ambassador, Villa Firenze, on the occasion of the Contemporary Villa Firenze Exhibition, 30 works of the Accademia di Arte Moderna in Rome. Or call an artist from Abruzzo to read Dante.
“Often on the occasion of exhibitions, the Italian guides make us chaperon”.
Then, the mini Film Festival in spring and autumn, “I agreed with the production houses”.
In April, as every year, there is the international day of sport and peace. “Philadelphia has prepared shirts with our logos.”.
Listening to this fervour is beautiful. It means continuation of a bond, that between Italians and Americans, which has always been strong.
And it also means blushing false myths, breaking down barriers built on vetuste images.
At the Gala of Design, with Confindustria, there were many people. Companies like Fincantieri or Leonardo are here. That’s why I joyfully joined the Italic Us Foundation, the idea is to create a real bridge.
L’articolo Italy-USA: a bridge with endless spans proviene da IlNewyorkese.
