Studying Italian Culture in The United States and in Italy

We have two speakers in the Speaker’s Corner this month. First, Dr. Gilda Baldassari writes about the successful attempts to introduce Italian culture into the curriculum of the New Jersey public schools. Secondly, Dr. Dawn Hayes describes a study-abroad program in Sicily for students at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Italian Americans are the largest ethnic group in New Jersey, and both speakers focus in particular on the importance of providing students opportunities to connect with the culture of their Italian ancestors.

Download Dr. Gilda Baldassari's article
Download Dr. Dawn Hayes' article

Growing Up in Fascist Italy (published Nov. 2007)
by Andrea Meloni

The Italian dictator Benito Mussolini took a keen interest in children because he saw them as future members of the Fascist Party. Andrea Meloni grew up in Italy and participated in the youth programs instituted by Mussolini’s government. In the interview that follows, Andrea shares his experience as a little Fascist in the making.

Teachers of Italian may want to use this interview in class to give their students more knowledge and understanding of Italian history and culture. Educators have permission to reproduce the interview for classroom use. In the Library of the Culture Club this month, you will find the review of The Cielo: A Novel of Wartime Tuscany. In this novel Paul Salsini recounts what life was like for a group of people living in Fascist Italy during World War II.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the interview.
Teachers may make copies to distribute in class for educational purposes. Please include the attribution to the Sons of Italy.

This article was reprinted courtesy of ITALIAN AMERICA Magazine, the most widely read publication in the United States for Italian Americans. ITALIAN AMERICA Magazine is published by the Sons of Italy. For subscription information, contact ITALIAN AMERICA MAGAZINE, 219 E Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. (tel: 202/547-2900. Web: www.osia.org)

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Natale in Italia tra ieri e oggi (Christmas in Italy, Then and Now)
Di Cetti Mangano

Natale in Italia tra ieri e oggi Gesù Bambino, le canzoni di Natale, la letterina con la promessa di essere più buoni, Santa Lucia, le luci e le decorazioni del centro cittadino, l’albero con le monete di cioccolata e ancora il presepe, gli zampognari, la tombola, la befana: tante immagini e tradizioni che accompagnano il Natale italiano..

Alcune di queste tradizioni, oggi, sono meno sentite, altre sono state dimenticate o cambiate: adattate ad un mondo che corre, va di fretta e compra tanti regali. Ci sono meno differenze tra un paese del nord, uno del centro o del sud ma a discapito di tante tradizioni che sono andate in disuso.

In Italia l’8 dicembre, apertura ufficiale delle feste natalizie, porta ancora in molte città il piacere di svegliarsi al suono delle zampogne (1), suonate da musicisti popolari che prendono il nome dallo strumento: zampognari. Questi indossano, ancora oggi, costumi molto pittoreschi e tipici dei pastori. Nei secoli XVII e XVIII erano gli unici ad avere il diritto di suonare nei giorni di festa. Oggi invece sono spesso pagati dai negozianti e fino al 25 dicembre svegliano i cittadini al suono delle loro zampogne.

Gli alberi di Natale, sono l’elemento comune delle case italiane, tutti oggi mettono i doni sotto l’albero e li scambiano il giorno di Natale. Qualche famiglia prepara un piccolo presepe vicino l’albero ma altre vi dedicano maggiore attenzione. A Napoli, capitale del presepe, è una tradizione a cui dedicare la massima attenzione. Via San Gregorio Armeno, strada piena di negozi dove tutto l’anno si preparano pastori e personaggi per ricreare le scene del presepe, diventa il punto più affollato della città dall’8 al 24 dicembre.

La famiglia Ferrigno, artisti di presepi in ceramica da generazioni, ha anche una stanza piena di pastori antichi con trine preziose e aperta al pubblico (2). Le chiese mettono in mostra i loro presepi e alcuni con vestiti originali del 1600. I bambini italiani, oggi scrivono a Babbo Natale ma fino a poco tempo fa il Natale era principalmente una festa religiosa e in alcune regioni era Gesù Bambino a portare un dono ai bimbi buoni la notte di Natale; molti bambini italiani dovevano aspettare il 6 gennaio. La Befana infatti portava i doni in ricordo di quelli offerti al Bambino Gesù dai Re Magi. E arrivava solo un regalo ma …. che felicità! Anche dopo anni si ricorda il piacere di quel regalo!

La Befana (3) è nell’ immaginario italiano una vecchietta che porta doni ai bambini la notte tra il 5 e il 6 gennaio. Le sue origini sono frutto di credenze popolari e tradizioni cristiane. La sua rappresentazione è ormai la stessa da tempo: un gonnellone scuro ed ampio, un grembiule con le tasche, uno scialle, un fazzoletto o un cappellaccio in testa, un paio di ciabatte consunte, il tutto assortito da coloratissime toppe. La Befana non porta piu’ regali ma dolcetti spesso accompagnati da un po’ di carbone (oggi di zucchero) per ricordare ai bimbi di essere più buoni.

Image taken from: www.musicanatalizia.org

Images taken from: http://www.arteferrigno.it

Image taken from: www.comune.grantorto.pd.it

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Who are the Milanesi of Milan? Understanding the People of a Target Culture
by Christine Foster Meloni

Stereotypes about people from other countries abound. What is the image that comes to your mind when you think of the Italians? Do you see someone with black hair and dark eyes? Someone who is extroverted and noisy? Someone who is very emotional, quick to anger but quick to tears as well? Do you see a man who adores his pasta and savors his cup of espresso coffee? A woman who is very conscious of the latest fashions? Can we make generalizations about Italians? Are the Romans the same as the people from Naples? from Turin? from Palermo? And what about the Milanesi that most Italians write off as "too German" or even "too American"?

Let's take a look at these Milanesi who are disowned by the rest of the Italian population. I have discovered a book that is a goldmine of wisdom about the Milanesi, Come Difendersi Dai Milanesi (Defending Yourself from the Milanesi) by Elena Pigozzi. While this book is meant to make the reader laugh by creating caricatures of the inhabitants of the fashion capital of Europe, it does contain seeds of truth (or so I've been told by natives of Milan). This little book gives us foreign language teachers a possible structure for analyzing people from other countries and cities. Let's look at a few of the categories featured in this book.

Attitude toward Weather: According to Pigozzi, the Milanesi love the rain. They have this in common with the Londoners. While the sun makes them feel stressed and irritable, the rain exerts a calming influence. It washes and cleans. The sound of the rain on the roofs and umbrellas is music to their ears. They also love the fog although, they say, it is not what it used to be. You can no longer slice the fog with a knife. The city, therefore, has lost some of its romantic, mysterious air.

Speed of Speaking: The Milanesi like rapid speech. If a Milanese asks you a question, don't pause. Say whatever comes into your mind. Have plenty of monosyllabic words ready. The important thing is to respond immediately.

Coffee: The Americans invented the concept of fast food, the Milanesi that of fast coffee. They don't sip their coffee; they consume it in a second without breathing. They drink it standing up, after filling their lungs with air. Of course, there are more cases of burns reported in the hospitals of Milan than in other places but fast coffee means that employees spend less time away from their desks.

Traffic: The Milanesi love their traffic system. The engineers have planned the roads so well that motorists are never alone; they are always in the midst of other motorists. Unlike the ancient Romans who built their roads in straight lines, the modern Milanesi use the form of the perfect circle: every road begins and ends in the same place. To fully appreciate this clever design, observe the traffic on week-days between 5:30 and 6:30 pm.

Panettone: The traditional Italian Christmas cake, il panettone, is becoming quite popular in the US. This is a contribution from the Milanesi who are convinced that it is the finest dessert ever invented. Not only does the panettone taste good, it is also esthetically beautiful. In fact, it has become the symbol of the city. You will find cement panettoni all over the city. The Milanesi are delighted to see these artistic reproductions, these postmodern sculptures on almost every street corner.

After reading this book, you will have quite a clear idea of who the Milanesi are. And you will realize that they don't have much in common with many other Italians who love the sun, grumble about the traffic, and are not always anxious to rush back to their office.

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