"Una Storia Segreta", as you all well know, is the sad story of how Italian Americans were treated by the US during World War II, [See << http://www.segreta.org/ >>]  and resulted in......... "The Wartime Violation of Italian American Civil Liberties Act", signed by the President into Public Law #106-451 on November 7, 2000.

The "Una Storia Segreta" Site contains: Preface, Intro, Prelude to War, Internment, Restrictions, Evacuation, Exclusion, Aftermath, Personal Stories, Legislation, Exhibit.

Di Stasi has also written a book on the subject, also titled "Una Storia Segreta", and can be ordered from the web site.

I knew about the rather absurd Enemy Alien Registrations, the Curfews, the Restrictions on Employment, Restrictions on Travel, Commuting, and Visiting, and Property, the Evacuations, the Confiscations, the Arrests, the Internments, etc...,
that then Attorney General Francis Biddle, declared "invalid", "dangerous", and "a
mistake".

I even knew about the Ex-Combattenti, the Federation of Italian War Veterans
(of World War I, when Italy and America were allies) in America. Ex-Combattenti
of San Francisco were apparently singled out, and interned, because the group was on the FBI list of "dangerous" organizations, even though, the veterans' main project had been collecting and distributing funds for war WIDOWS and ORPHANS in Italy.

I was aware that there were WHOLESALE "shuttering" of Italian American organizations in the entire US, with MOSTLY US CITIZENS, (and some LONG time resident, but non US citizen Italians), Many NOT to Reopen for MANY years/decades AFTER the war ended, Some NEVER to Reopen, although there was NEVER any proof of reasonable reason for concern.

However,  I didn't remember that PURELY CULTURAL Italian American Organizations were "shut down", until I received a copy (See below) of  Francesco R. Castellano's letter to Pearson Education [Thanks Francesco], in which he cites the Very troubling episode of  The Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts, a CULTURAL organization founded in 1911 to help promote Italian Culture and language abroad, that was deemed a subversive group during WWII and shut down!!!

It was not taken off the subversive list until 17 years later, and only on the intervention of the US Attorney General!!!!

Remember this episode, and the trials and tribulations of our immigrant ancestors, and the continuing defamation and discrimination of their progeny.

Those deserving of special thanks are historian LARRY DISTASI, whose project
"Una Storia Segreta", exposed this little-known chapter in U.S. history, and those who were successful in finally having the US Government admit to, and open it's archives were JOHN CALVELLI, chair of the Council of Presidents, who wrote the legislation while in Congressman Eliot Engel's office, and TONY LA PIANA, of Chicago's National Italian American Council (NIAC), who worked to move the powerful chairmen of both House and Senate Judiciary committees--Henry Hyde and Orrin Hatch--to support the Wartime Violations Act.
 

[ NOTE: Traveling Exhibit Available for "Una Storia Segreta".

Di Stasi and the Western chapter of the AIHA, put together the traveling exhibit,
"Una Storia Segreta", which is available to clubs and interested communities.

This Exhibit in it's initial National Tour, informed the heretofore unaware Italian American Community, and provided the impetus for the afore mentioned legislation. See the site for details.]

[Additional NOTE: For those who have not yet sent their letter to Pearson Education, their address is at the end]
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Restrictions on Persons of Italian Ancestry During World War II

To: Pearson Educational
From: Francesco R. Castellano

I am writing to join others like Larry DiStasi and members of the OSIA to help correct this historical error regarding the Restrictions on Persons of Italian Ancestry During World War II.

For information of the experience of Italian Americans, below is the URL to the:
Report to the Congress of the United States - A Review of Restrictions on Persons
of  Italian Ancestry During World War II. http://www.house.gov/judiciary/Italian.pdf

One can also obtain a printed copy from:
Joanne Chiedi, Civil Rights Division, US Department Of Justice

Our Cultural Society held the exhibit "Una Storia Segreta" on the Internment of Italian Americans during WWII at our headquarters in Cambridge Massachusetts in 2000.
It was picked up by the NBC affiliate Channel 7 for their Sunday Morning program "Boston Common."

They showed the piece during Memorial Day weekend 2001 to highlight the fact that not all was great at home for some of the ethnic groups.

The Massachusetts Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes saw the program and
asked to have this exhibit shown at the Massachusetts State House Capitol.

We held the exhibit on Italian Americans along with the German American Societies
of New England and the Japanese American Society in Boston with information and displays that also showed the experience of Japanese Americans and German Americans during WWII.

An additional historical note about the society.
The Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts, a cultural organization founded in 1911 to help promote Italian Culture and language abroad, was deemed a subversive group during WWII and shut down.

It was only reestablished in 1962 when we asked the then Attorney General Bobby Kennedy to remove the society from the list of subversive organizations. The request was honored immediately.

I trust this will be of value to you and your editors in correcting the long held misconceptions that "those of German and Italian ancestry" were not affected in any way during WWII.

Sincerely,
Francesco R. Castellano
Colonel, USA, Retired

President Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts
www.dantealighieri.net/cambridge
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CONTACT:

Email: Communications@pearsoned.com
Telephone: 201-236-7000
Mail: Peter Jovanovich, CEO
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One Lake Street
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Pearson Education - Live and Learn
http://www.pearsoned.com/

Steven Dowling, President