Wednesday, October 03

Italian Heritage in October - "Thirty-One Days of Italians 2007"

The ANNOTICO Report

 

Salvatore Buttaci, a academic and activist gives due credit to  Janice Therese Mancuso's, "Thirty-One Days of Italians 2007"    http://home.earthlink.net/~31italians. Mancuso is an author, educator and researcher.

 

Enjoy it. Spread the Word, and Send your comments and or appreciation to her at: 31italians@earthlink.net;

 

Italian Heritage in October Spotlight

Salvatore Buttaci

Princeton, NJ

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Bluefield,WV,USA

October 02, 2007  

It is almost common knowledge that October in America is Hispanic Heritage Month, but few are aware that October also celebrates Italian Heritage.

As an Italian American I have always taken a dim view of the media’s portrayal of my ethnicity. Shows like "The Sopranos" and countless Godfather-type films present Italian Americans as ruthless, crude-mouthed, ignorant, Mafia strongmen who love their families (and their Families), and many of whom actually attend Mass on Sunday because it’s the respectful thing to do.

It is refreshing that Janice Therese Mancuso has done something positive to offset the media’s barrage of Italian discrimination. An author, educator and researcher, she has initiated "Thirty-One Days of Italians 2007," to celebrate Italian Heritage.

If you visit her Internet site at http://home.earthlink.net/~31italians  you will see a list of 31 Italians, each of whom has contributed in some way to making America the greatest nation in the world.

The first day of October celebrates all those immigrants who came to our shores from Italy. October  2 honors Amadeo Giannini who established the banking industry in America. On the next day we remember Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the radio. And so it goes, day by day, another famous person of Italian heritage is remembered and respected and, of course, thanked.

I am certain Mancuso struggled long and hard to select one person for each October day out of a name base of thousands. October, thanks to her, is filled with sports figures, scientists, educators, singers, authors, and even one saint: Frances Cabrini, the first American citizen to become a saint!

Remember: You don’t have to have Italian roots to celebrate October’s Italian Heritage. After all, everyone in America should be proud of Mancuso’s list of 31 because all of us, Italian or otherwise, have benefited from their contributions.

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Salvatore Amico M. Buttaci ia a well recognized poet, a Writer, Teacher, and Professor

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http://www.bdtonline.com/letters/local_story_275174336.html

The ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (and are Archived) on:

Italia USA: http://www.ItaliaUSA.com [Formerly Italy at St Louis] (7 years)

Italia Mia: http://www.ItaliaMia.com (3 years)

Annotico Email: annotico@earthlink.net