The ANNOTICO Report

As most of us are well aware, there were few countries that were not impacted by the Italian Diaspora. USA is most often referred to. But Australia, Brazil, Argentina have a Significant number of residents of Italian Ancestry.

Therefore as Italy progresses through the World Cup Soccer competition, it will as it did with the USA be competing with countries with large numbers of those with Italian Ancestry.

Australia, is the next opponent in this friendly "Divided Loyalty", Below is an article about that.

But first, a little about the Italian Presence in Australia.

Sydney author David Dale offers in his entertaining and highly perceptive book "The 100 Things Everyone Needs to Know about Italy", some whimsical comments.........

"Without firing a shot, the Italians took just forty years to conquer Australia. We are now Italy's most successful colony.

Our national dish is spaghetti bolognese, our national drink cappuccino, our national lifestyle is Mediterranean."

Dale refers to the Immigration from Italy to Australia that occurred since WWII, but the historical links between Italy and Australia began during Captain Cook's epic voyage to New Holland in 1770.

A Corsican, James Mario Matra, midshipman on the Endeavour, was with Cook's landing party at Botany Bay. Matra is the real father of the Australian nation, having drafted a proposal of settlement for New South Wales in 1783 - five years before Captain Phillip's First Fleet. It was a truly enlightened document for his time and was, at least partially, implemented by successive colonial governments.

Matra's vision of a free and independent Australian nation was the inspiration, three quarters of a century later, of the Eureka Stockade revolt, where another Italian immigrant, Raffaello Carboni, together with Irishman Peter Lalor, led the gold diggers' uprising against the oppressive colonial government. In the late 19th century, and the period between the World Wars, scores of Italian engineers, administrators, surveyors, builders and artists played significant roles in Australian public life.

But it was only with the large post-war immigration influx that the Italian presence became pervasive in every field. People of Italian origin today is numerically second only to that of the British Isles, and Italian is the second most spoken language in Australia. Italians have become exemplary Australian citizens in a singularly undramatic way while retaining a strong bond of affection with their Italian ancestry.

DIVIDED LOYALTIES FOR AUSTRALIA vs ITALY

ABC Australia

Alison Caldwell!

Saturday, 24 June, 2006

ELIZABETH JACKSON: The blue and white colours of Italy's soccer champions hang alongside the gold and green in the major Italian districts of Australia, as soccer fans prepare for the next battle in Germany early Tuesday morning.

But loyalties are split for many of the people who'll gather in these districts in Sydney and Melbourne to watch the sudden death play-off between Italy and Australia, as Alison Caldwell reports.

ALISON CALDWELL: Thousands of fans are expected to watch Tuesday's clash on big screens around Melbourne and Sydney.

The focus will be on the Italian districts of Norton Street in Sydney's Leichhardt, and Lygon Street in Carlton, in Melbourne's inner north.

Lygon Street barista, Mario, predicts it'll be a huge night.

MARIO ARENA: Either way, it's going to be a big party. So if Italy wins it's going to be a party. If Australia wins it'll still be a party. Chaos, it'll be total chaos, good cha! os of course.

ALISON CALDWELL: And for many Italian Australians, their loyalties will be divided.

Lygon Street local and a recently elected member of the Italian Parliament, Marco Fedi.

MARCO FEDI: Not only me, I'll be divided obviously. I'll be supporting Australia, and Italy as well, which is going to be interesting. It's probably the first time for me, so I have to check my reaction (laughs).

ALISON CALDWELL: Police are expecting up to 30,000 people to watch the game in and around the centre of Melbourne. And likewise in Sydney, where tens of thousands are expected to gather around the city and in Leichhardt's Norton Street.

NICK DYER: If the last World Cup is anything to go by, when Italy played - thousands.

ALISON CALDWELL: Leichhardt Mayor Nick Dyer.

NICK DYER: Most restaurants, cafes and bars all have extended trading hours, we've got all those approvals through, and they've all got big screens inside the restaurants, an! d we're in the process of arranging a large TV screen for the street.

ALISON CALDWELL: The Azzuris, as the Italian team is known, have a long and impressive football history, winning three World Cups, their last in 1982.

But the Socceroos Manager, Guus Hiddink, knows how to beat them. At the last World Cup in 2002, Italy was bundled out of the tournament in round 16 by Hiddink's South Korea, 2-1.

The star Australian defender, Lucas Neill, has said the Socceroos will show "respect but no fear" to the Italian side on Tuesday.

But Italy does have its weaknesses. For one thing, it's never won a penalty shoot-out. And from round two, any draws will be determined by penalty shoot-outs.

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1670936.htm

The ANNOTICO Reports are Archived at:

Italia USA: http://www.ItaliaUSA.com (Formerly Italy at St Louis)

Italia Mia: http://www.ItaliaMia.com

Annotico Email: annotico@earthlink.net