DA DOVE VIENI

BY FRANCESCA FIERRO

There is a small rural village in Southern Italy called Maione. Time doesn’t play by the rules. When I visit, the past and the present collide like tectonic plates. I bring the volcano as a carry-on item, tucked into the overhead compartment until we land.

You see, everyone in Maione is related, which means that as you walk along its narrow, cobbled streets, you feel like you’re following the map of a family tree. You start to realize there are certain features that crop up— smiles that unfold like sentences, from left to right. The same head tilt when they ask you where you are from.

I am the only person in Maione who has ever been asked this question. Da dove vieni?

“My grandmother lived here,” I want to tell them. “She was born in the house up on the hill that still stands today. My mother’s mother.”

But I never do because my face contradicts my words before they’re even formed. I am Chinese. When they point me out to their neighbors, their fingers land on my eyes first. The mark of a foreigner but also evidence of my blindness. I will never see things the way they do. I will never be one of them.

That is where my mother chimes in, explaining away the confusion with her reassuring Mediterranean complexion and Italian that rolls off her tongue. She explains the adoption, the trip to China, and there is a rumble in the earth. I can feel the different countries and eras and histories converging noisily as they come together beneath my feet.

I sulk over my glaring “Chineseness,” weary of the stares and the whispers. As my mother comes more alive with each passing day, joyfully meeting cousins she never knew she had and poring over old photos albums with them, I feel like I am slowly disappearing. Where do I belong in this strange place, with my Chinese face and American clothes and Italian name?

Francesca (third from the left) with her Italian cousins in Italy.

One evening, I venture into the piazza, the central hub of the night. A group of teenagers sit in a circle, smoking cigarettes and laughing loudly at a video on someone’s phone. I observe them quietly, thinking, ‘These are my grandmother’s people. Her blood runs through their veins.’

As if they can hear my thoughts, one of the girls spots me and raises a lazy hand in greeting. “Finalmente arriva l’americana!” she crows. The American comes at last!

Thus begins my interrogation. Am I enjoying my time in Maione so far? Do I have a boyfriend? Did I bring any American snacks with me? Do I want a cigarette? The words come faster to me as I try to answer everything quickly, desperate for validation, terrified that I will bore them and they will discard me to the side.

“Why you hide from us?” someone finally blurts out. He is my age, lanky, and his hand casually cradles a beer with the kind of confidence I could never pull off.

Silence.

They all gaze at me, again regarding my eyes. The mark of a foreigner.

“Because I am not from here,” I tell him. Below me, the earth rumbles.

He regards me coolly. “Let’s play nascondino,” he says.

I blink. “Cosa?”

“How you say hide-and-seek!”

Out of all possible responses, I do not see this coming. Hide-and-seek at midnight in a town of cramped alleys and steep hills and no street lights?

“Perfetto,” I hear myself say. They cheer wildly.

Crouching behind a decaying gardening shed, a girl presses up against me, her cigarette dangerously close to my hair. It’s then I realize that my grandmother must have played this same game at some point. I eye the shed more carefully, noting the vegetation that completely swallows the roof. She could have easily tucked herself away exactly where I am now. I suddenly know she is here, with me now. For the first time, our timelines overlap and I stifle a laugh at the absurdity. It is during a game of nascondino that I feel the most seen.

I am found that night. I am found when they discover us behind the shed, but I am also found as I tear through the streets chasing someone who had taken off with my phone. Laughing, I picture another image: my grandmother running down these very streets chasing someone, breathless and annoyed and maybe even secretly pleased all at once.

The moon hangs fat and yellow in the sky when we finish. It is well past midnight by now, and we lay on

Francesca’s grandmother, Ernestina Alessia Fierro, in Maione, the place where she was born and lived her whole life.

the grass together to gaze at the sky. My grandmother’s children and me. No, I correct myself. My grandmother’s children, period.

For the second time that evening, somebody hears my thoughts. The girl who hid with me, who almost lit my hair on fire, jumps up and pulls me to my feet.

“Francesca, vieni,” she commands.

Ears still ringing with the sound of my name on her lips, I follow her to the ancient drinking fountain in the middle of the piazza. She thrusts her hands into the gushing stream. I stare at her, then follow suit. The water is shockingly cold and I cry out.

“Direttamente dalle montagne!” she exclaims and laughs. Straight from the mountains!

Her face glowing in the moonlight, she asks me, “Vedi questa fontana? Questa è vecchia come Maione.” A pause. “La tua nonna ha bevuto quest’acqua.”

Francesca (fourth from the left) with some of her Italian cousins and new amici. The mountain views of Maione.

Do you see this fountain? It’s as old as Maione itself. Your grandmother drank this water.

So I cup my hands in it again, and I don’t know who I am talking to when I say, “Poi bevo anche io.” Then I drink, too.

The water tastes of airplanes and oceans and steamboats. It tastes of the thousands of miles between Maione and Ellis Island, between China and New Jersey, between the womb I was pushed out of and the arms of another woman. I drink hungrily, each sip a prayer that my Italian will roll off my tongue, that my smile will unfold like a sentence, that when I am asked da dove vieni, I finally have an answer. Francesca Fierro (faf2128@barnard.edu) is a first-year student at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is thinking about studying English, and when not writing she can be found browsing flea markets or daydreaming on Pinterest.

From the President’s Desk

By Nancy DiFiore Quinn

Finally, there is “light at the end of the tunnel” … and what a “tunnel” it has been! 365 days with most states around the country closed down to everyone and everything we love on a daily basis. It is not easy for Italian Americans to cope with the COVID shutdown because by nature, we are a warm and loving people. We miss kissing and hugging, shaking hands, and just being close to one another. With help from our vaccine program and a lot of prayers, we will be together again soon.

Our National Office staff in Washington, D.C., is still mostly working from home. They are working diligently on our upcoming virtual NELA Gala, which will be held on Friday, May 28, 2021. I am hoping that all the Grand Lodges will support this event as they have done in the past. Since you save money on travel, maybe you could even “up” your generosity this year.

Also, we are so proud of our OSDIA Facebook Live Interview Series which just completed Season 3! Thanks to National First Vice President Robert Bianchi and his team, we have interviewed over 25 prominent Italian Americans. Be sure to check out all past interviews on the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America’s Facebook page.

On March 6, we convened a Zoom Special Supreme Convention consisting of all National Officers, State Presidents, and delegates from our 2019 National Convention. It was a successful meeting that led to changing our by-laws with regard to At-Large Members.

Membership retention and the search for new members is at a very fragile time right now. We all need to reach out to our members to make sure that they stay with us and do whatever we can to entice new members to join us. Without that personal one-to-one connection, many local lodges are having a difficult time keeping their membership numbers up. I truly believe that if everyone makes an effort to assist in this task, we can come out of the pandemic with some stable membership numbers. Our National CSJ and its President, Robert Ferrito, continue to face the daily issue of trying to save Columbus Day all across the country. States, towns, school districts, etc., are determined to rid us of our beloved Columbus Day and Christopher Columbus statues. The National CSJ Committee does a great job fighting bias and bigotry of Italian Americans and we certainly appreciate their efforts.

We are looking forward to our Zoom National Convention on Saturday, August 14, 2021, to elect our National Officers. Then we will have an “in-person” continuation of the National Convention the week of October 11 at the Grand Hyatt in Tampa Bay, Florida. Those are the plans right now, but please know that according to the world crisis, things could change at any time. We will be sure to keep you informed.

Please get vaccinated, wear your masks (where required), and stay safe. We are hoping to be able to come together again in the near future.

As I close this column, let us remember: “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” - Mother Teresa

OSDIA Live Interview Series

Completes Season 3 Last January, the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) returned with Season 3 of its popular OSDIA Live Interview Series. The third season featured several well-known guests, including Joe Piscopo, David Baldacci, Rocco Di Spirito, John Colinari, Lisa Scottoline, and Adriana Trigiani twice as a special guest host. It also featured experts who spoke on topics such as Italian Dual-Citizenship and Italy’s wine designations, or Denominazione di Origine. All past episodes of OSDIA Live Interview Series can be viewed on OSDIA’s Facebook page or through OSDIA’s YouTube channel. Be sure to stay tuned for Season 4, which expects to air toward the end of the summer!

(Clockwise) Guest Host Author Adriana Trigiani, Author David Baldacci, OSDIA Managing Director Justin Smith, OSDIA First Vice President Robert Bianchi, and Italian America Magazine Editor-in-Chief Miles Ryan Fisher.

The Foundation Focus

By Joseph Sciame, President

Good members of the OSDIA, friends, and supporters, I greet you in this issue of our famed magazine, Italian America, for several reasons. First and foremost is for the support, yes, the financial support rendered by so many in our Direct Mail Program. As some may recall, there were concerns related to the level of support that might be afforded by our members.

Well, over the years, and in the most recent year despite the travails of the pandemic, we have done incredibly well. These funds support the operation of the Sons of Italy Foundation and allows us a steady income, such as one might enjoy from investments. While we do have investments, they are heavily attributed to endowed scholarships, and as a result, those in leadership positions arrived at this acceptable solution of an active direct mail program, whereby we mail personalized address labels and notepads, a spellbinding calendar of Italy and a tote bag with a lovely scene from our beloved Italia, and even an ornament for your Christmas tree.

Please Note: In order to receive these items through the Direct Mail Program, you need to make an annual donation to the Sons of Italy Foundation. To get on the mail list and start receiving the gifts mentioned above, please make a donation using the donation slip below.

Please accept my tax-deductible donation for the Sons of Italy Foundation!

To donate online, visit www.osia.org/sif To donate by phone, call the National Office at (202) 547-2900

My check for the total amount of $ is enclosed.

(Please make check payable to the “Sons of Italy Foundation”)

Mail to:

Sons of Italy Foundation 219 E Street NE Washington, DC 20002

But what has surprised us more is that we have so many friends, many who aren’t Italian American but are Italophiles, in communities and cities across the country who like what we do and choose to support us. By broadening our already wide audience of such supporters, we have done better than we ever expected. To all of you, as we like to say: Blessings and keep it up!

We have also been blessed this year with Legacy Gifts, meaning that supporters, some whom we never knew or met, have remembered us in their estate planning. You have all read in the last issue of this magazine about the magnanimity of the Franzone Family, a humble husband and wife who were touched by what we have done since 1905 and wanted to support education for young Italian Americans. What a gift! It will last in perpetuity, as it has been well-invested for generations to come.

Also, we were surprised by two additional gifts from the estate of another individual, who resided in New Hampshire. Her funds were used to assist the Grand Lodge of Nebraska, whose building and home offices were destroyed in a terrible fire. Her legacy lives on!

And finally, among recent gifts is the donor who called and announced a legacy gift for the future, but then added a major five-figure gift to be used over the next ten years in an annual scholarship to a worthy candidate.

And so the question now remains: What will I do? How will I perpetuate this great story of the OSDIA and its Sons of Italy Foundation? What will I do to memorialize my family, my spouse, my loved ones?

Well, to respond to those needs, the SIF is reviewing its Legacy Program, and we will be announcing shortly a more active outreach to actualize your plans for the future. In the meantime, don’t wait! Call and let us discuss your legacy plans. Remember: It can and does make a difference!

The CSJ Perspective

By Robert M. Ferrito, President

Before I address the recently ramped-up assault on Columbus, I wanted to start out by focusing on another very vital mission of the Commission for Social Justice: fighting Italian stereotypes. While saving our Columbus Day and protecting our Columbus statues are at the forefront of our attention, we cannot neglect to address the ongoing stereotyping of Italians that is so pervasive in our culture.

Recently, Jimmy John’s aired a commercial that drew on the stereotypical mafioso theme. Meanwhile, GoNoodle posted an educational video on YouTube that features a character called Fabio the Moose speaking in broken English and chasing a meatball. Both instances are examples of how our society says that it’s okay to stereotype Italians. Just imagine if either of these were replaced with stereotypes of another ethnicity. Do you believe either instance would be deemed acceptable in our culture? Absolutely not! Then why is it acceptable for it to be done to Italians?

This is the reason why we cannot stay silent. Voicing our opposition does not make us complainers. Rather, our silence makes us complicit. I encourage all of you to follow our “Commission for Social Justice” Facebook page so that you receive updates every time we confront an issue so that you can lend your voice as well.

The main issue, of course, continues to be Columbus Day. The new year has brought renewed assault on our holiday, and the CSJ and its State Chairs have been working hard to alert and organize opposition to this attack. In addition to this, I have been serving as Chair of the Save Columbus Committee for the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, which has united all Italian American organizations across the country. I am proud to be part of this collective effort, which hasn’t happened for a long time.

While much of our communication involves addressing public officials who are trying to take our holiday away from us, it is just as vital that we recognize and thank public officials who stand up and support our heritage. This was the case with Minnesota State Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen, who was very vocal in repairing and restoring the Columbus Statue that was vandalized outside of their State Capitol building. We commended his efforts and made sure the other Minnesota State Senators were aware that we’d done so. We made it clear to those who opposed returning the statue to its rightful spot that, in doing so, they are disparaging an ethnic group and its ancestors who were so proud to erect the statue.

Lastly, I’d like to thank the continual support that Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America members and Italian America Magazine readers have shown. Every issue spurs a new influx of donations that helps us continue our work to combat Italian-American stereotypes and preserve our Columbus Day.

Grazie e Sempre Avanti!

YES! I would like to help Save Columbus Day and Fight Italian-American Stereotypes.

Please accept my tax-deductible donation to support the Commission for Social Justice’s mission.

To donate online, visit www.osia.org/csj To donate by phone, call the National Office at (202) 547-2900

$10 $25 $50 $100 $

My check for the total amount of $ is enclosed.

(Please make check payable to the “Commission for Social Justice”)

Mail to: Commission for Social Justice 219 E Street NE Washington, DC 20002

The Perfect Gift Please give this gift subscription to: Looking for a unique present for family or friends? Give the gift of Italian-American heritage with a oneyear subscription to Italian America magazine, the most widely read publication in the U.S. for people of Italian descent. We will contact your gift recipient to tell him/her of your present and also send them a complimentary copy of the most recent issue. NAME:

[Please print]

Address:

City

Please say it is from:

NAME:

[Please print]

Address: State Zip Code

City

E-Mail: State Zip Code

Telephone: ( )

Is there a special occasion for the gift? Send your check for $20.00 payable to Italian America Magazine to: GIFT SUBSCRIPTION Italian America Magazine 219 E Street NE Washington, DC 20002

Letters to the Editor

I loved your piece on Fisherman’s Wharf. My father would talk about stopping there on his way home after the Second World War. He ordered a bowl of stoccafisso (stockfish) and was eating with such gusto after almost three years of eating army in the South Pacific that the restaurant owner did not charge him. I have always regretted not stopping there myself on my way home from Southeast Asia 50 years ago. Maybe I will get to the West Coast again someday.

Edward Albanetti Amerigo Vespucci Lodge #160 Danbury, Connecticut

Just finished reading the Winter 2021 issue of Italian America magazine. Can’t tell you how much I enjoy reading it. Once I start reading it, I can’t put it down until the last page is turned. It is so informative and gives different aspects of Italians that most people are not aware of and how greatly they have influenced America. I feel so proud to be an Italian American and look forward to future issues.

Concetta Sanzone Brentwood, New York

I just finished reading the Winter 2021 edition of Italian America. In one word: Outstanding! A great sense of pride came over me reading about our founder, Vincenzo Sellaro, and the Italians of Fisherman’s Wharf. The article “Roses for Lena” is a story of how many Italian Americans suffer in silence but carry on. One article touched me in a way words cannot describe because growing up in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, I personally knew Louis and Rose Franzone. They were truly great people. Lastly, I will be making a donation to support the Commission for Social Justice and will be passing the information along to my Italian-American community. Columbus Day should not be assaulted. It is an important symbol of our Italian heritage. Many people forget what Italians did for this country!

Salvatore Calise Brooklyn, New York

Italian America Magazine is produced by the national headquarters of the Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America® , 219 E Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 202/547-2900. Email: nationaloffice@osia.org

Chief Operating Officer Joseph J. DiTrapani Editor-in-Chief Miles Ryan Fisher Director of Finance Adam Jacobs Program Director Emily Knoche Managing Director Justin Smith

Italian America® is the official publication of the Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America® (OSDIA), the largest and longest-established organization of American men and women of Italian heritage. Italian America provides timely information about OSDIA, while reporting on individuals, institutions, issues, and events of current or historical significance in the Italian-American community nationwide. Italian America (ISSN: 1089-5043, USPS: 015-735) is published quarterly in the winter, spring, summer and fall by OSDIA, 219 E Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. ©2015 Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America. All rights reserved. Reproduction by any method without permission of the editor is prohibited. Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily imply an opinion on the part of the officers, employees, or members of OSDIA. Mention of a product or service in advertisements or text does not mean that it has been tested, approved or endorsed by OSDIA, the Commission for Social Justice, or the Sons of Italy Foundation. Italian America accepts query letters and letters to the editor. Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts. Italian America assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Annual subscriptions are $20, which are included in dues for OSDIA members. Single copies are $4.95 each.OSDIA MEMBERS: Please send

address changes to your local lodge. Do not contact the OSDIA National Office.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Italian America, 219 E Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Subscriptions are available through the OSDIA National Office, 219 E Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. OSDIA membership information is available at (800) 552-OSDIA or at www. OSDIA.org. Archives are maintained at the Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. Printing by Printing Solutions Inc., Sterling, Va. To advertise: Contact ItalianAmerica@osia.org

(202) 547-2900. Also see www.osia.org for advertising rates, specs, demographics, etc.

BY MILES RYAN FISHER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ITALIAN AMERICA MAGAZINE

A few years ago, when I was back home in Horsham, Pennsylvania, my parents wanted me to go through some old U.S. Savings Bonds, ones that were given to me for various occasions in my life—my birth, my first communion, my high school graduation. They were old paper bonds stuffed in a purple money-holder envelope that said “A Gift For You … A Share in America.”

As I opened the flap of the envelope, I saw written on the inside “A United States Savings Bond for Miles Ryan Fisher from Albert Cicchetti .” The second name took me a moment to recognize because it wasn’t a name I expected to see.

My great-grandfather.

I removed the bonds from the envelope and examined each one. Sure enough, there was a bond with Dwight D. Eisenhower’s picture on it dated August 11, 1981, from Tompkins County Trust Co. in Ithaca, New York.

My great-grandfather must have given me this bond when I was born, I thought.

While I’d always known that Albert, or “Papa with the Hat” as he was called, was the only great-grandparent who met me—he passed when I was one—I didn’t know that something like this existed. Now, here in my hand, was a U.S. Savings Bond that he’d given me when I was born. And it being several decades later, the bond had long surpassed its maturity date and no longer earned interest.

I thought about how my great-grandfather had handed my parents the bond for me, knowing that he’d never see the day of that bond’s maturity. Yet, he knew that one day, it would be a hand that helped me in the future. His hand.

Then it occurred to me: Redeeming it would mean surrendering the paper bond, handing it over to a bank that would honor it on behalf of the U.S. Treasury and give me the amount it was now worth.

But, I thought, what if the paper bond itself is worth more to me than the money I’d receive for it?

It was certainly something that wouldn’t have crossed the mind of a man who’d left L’Aquila, Abruzzo, with nothing more than a suitcase and crossed the Atlantic never to see his family again. Every penny would matter to a man who’d experienced that, and he certainly wouldn’t have left a matured bond sit unredeemed.

Then I considered that maybe there was an even greater meaning that he may not have imagined. Maybe his wish for my future would be realized if I’m fortunate enough to never have to redeem the bond. Maybe his wish should continue into a future that outlives me as well. Maybe the bond can pass from generation to generation, with the hope that it never has to be redeemed.

Don McLean

INTERVIEW BY FELICIA MARIANNA NAOUM

Don McLean is known for his groundbreaking song “American Pie” (1971). The release of the song marked a pivotal time in his career, turning him into an international success. Subsequently, McLean reached additional success with his (1972) chart-topper “Vincent.” The legendary singer and songwriter is a college graduate who gave up attending graduate school to pursue musical endeavors. The veteran performer was rejected 72 times before signing with a record label and releasing his debut album Tapestry (1970). With the 50th anniversary of “American Pie” approaching, he is still creating music and performing with his latest album Still Playin’ Favorites.

The timeless singer may also surprise fans with this interesting fact: he’s Italiano. McLean’s mother, Elizabeth Bucci, is from Italy’s Abruzzo region.

Italian America’s readers will certainly be surprised to know that you have Italian roots. Your mother, Elizabeth, was from the Abruzzo region. Tell us about what town she came from and what brought her to the United States.

Well, my grandparents had an arranged marriage, and they settled in Port Chester, New York. We went there every Sunday to be with my mother’s family. We had Italian food and the whole bit.

Have you ever visited your mother’s hometown? Are you in touch with any relatives from there?

No. I have not, and I am not in touch. I did go to Italy a few years ago and had the best time. I would love to go back.

How has your Italian background played a role in your music?

Pete Seeger, a friend of mine for a while, he said some of the most beautiful Italian melodies come from Abruzzo. Seeger thought my talent was partly a function of genetics. I hear real melodies; it’s just something that is in me. You can’t teach anybody how to do that. I studied Belafonte Singing—the Italian style of singing—and I took some voice lessons from an opera teacher when I was 12 years old who taught me breath control and tone support, not screaming like most do.

It is hard to believe that “American Pie” turns 50 years old this year. How does it feel to receive your Hollywood Star on the anniversary of your biggest hit?

Well, I mean can you beat this? I mean, come on this is great! Here I am, 75 years old, and I am just hitting my stride for God sakes. Such a lucky guy.

Tell us about what your music career has taught you about perseverance.

I was pretty sick as a child. I had asthma and it would turn into pneumonia. It would knock me out of school for months. It was a very uncomfortable feeling. My father got me on a swimming team, and I did that for five or six years. There was a tremendous amount of effort involved doing the workouts, so when I started my career, I had the ability to push myself. You have more energy in your body than you realize. You have to be an athlete of some sort to make it in show business.

Circling back to your Italian roots, what Italian dishes do you think of when you think of mom?

I’m out here in Palm Desert, California, and there are a lot of Italians out here. Yesterday, I made spaghetti and meatballs myself. I did a great job, really tasted great. I like mussels and marinara. I like all kinds of things that aren’t down the middle.

Leave us with some words to live by.

Well, the best thing I can say is to find something that you like doing and work very hard at it all the time. It’s a hard thing to do. Most people can’t find what they like to do, and they drift around. Find something and stay with it. Don’t let anything deter you. One of the reasons I’m somewhat successful is I’ve done the same thing for fifty years, but I still keep going in the same direction. You waste a lot of time when you go in different directions. Find what you want to do and pursue it.

Felicia Marianna Naoum is a celebrity feature writer from Parma, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland). Her maternal greatgrandparents are from Calabria, Italy.