La Gazzetta Italiana 14 | 15 | 16 Italian Heritage 2016 | Page 4

A Message from the Publisher A Message from the Publisher It is that time of year again, Italian Heritage Month! It is the perfect time to celebrate all of the accomplishments of the Italian American community, not only today but in years past; and there are a lot! From the great traditions of food to the beautiful architecture that surrounds us - we have much to be proud of. I have been blessed to grow up in a time where it is “cool” to be Italian, but that was not the case for so many of our ancestors. My mom’s family told her they needed to speak English and become American to fit in. Plenty of the people I work for were not even allowed to join Country Clubs, which, today, are seeking all Italians to join. Times have changed, and it is important to never forget where you came from. Whether you are Sicilian or Calabrese, we are all Italians and this is our month to shine. I hope everyone takes the time to head down to the Columbus Day parade on Monday, October 10 in Little Italy. This is a great representation to all Italians of what we can do when we put our minds to something. The parade kicks off at noon in Little Italy. You won’t want to miss it! If you have a passion for writing and are looking to help support our newspaper, please contact me at aspitalieri@ lagazzettaitaliana.com. We are especially looking for writers in the Akron, Youngstown, Columbus, and Pittsburgh areas. We know many of our readers would love to see more localized news, so please