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# 57 • APRIL 5 , 2015
# 57 •APRIL 5
6 | WE THE ITALIANS
www.wetheitalians.com
2015
to be of Italian heritage: the
important is to be in love with
Italy. It’s a social club, nothing
political, and we organize several events regarding Italy
and the Italian culture in all its
different aspects: food, wine,
cinema, language, arts, travel,
history. We also edit a seasonal
information instrument called
“Il Gazzettino”.
places in the Islands, people
go there. It’s like the White
House of Hawaii.
Fast forward to the XX century:
in 1913 an Italian-American
engineering genius, Henry
Ginaca, invented the pineapple peeler and coring machine. You may think that this is
nothing, but in reality this piece of ingenuity gave birth to
the Hawaiian Pineapple export
of a Gastaldi map among industry that brought econoThomas, what’s the story of his many sea charts when he mic wealth to the islands while
the Italians and the Hawaii?
made his trip to the islands.
introducing the Pineapple to
the world.
Well, Umberto, it’s a long story, Going beyond that, and this
even if not many people are has already being certified, we A Sicilian, Domenico Moro, led
aware of that. I’ll just throw a have Paolo Botta (1802-1870), the Royal Hawaiian Band from
few names.
a traveler and writer from Tu- 1941-1955. His leadership was
rin. He landed on our shores renown throughout the islands
In 1542 an Italian navigator, during his epic trip around the and his wonderful music helGiovanni Gaetano, sailing for world. He stayed for 2 months ped to lift the people’s spirits
the Spanish spotted the Hawai- and recounted in a book, pu- during the early war years, whiian Islands while on his way to blished in Italian, of his Hawai- ch were very very hard, as you
the Far East. It took 230 years ian experiences. It was one can imagine. His leadership
before the next European, the of the first publications in the and his talent helped many pefamous captain Cook, saw our world that detailed Hawaii.
ople, it was very touching.
islands. We are sure about this,
but the historians say that this We move along to another A very interesting guy, one of
has still to be certified before it factor, in 1862: John Owen my favorite is Frank Fasi. The
becomes official.
Dominis, whose father was longest serving mayor of Hofrom Trieste, married Princess nolulu (22 years, from the end
Another story to be certifies is Lili’uokalani and was appoin- of the sixties on) he was an Itathe one about Giacomo Ga- ted as Governor of Oahu. lian-American born of Sicilian
staldi, a gifted Genovese car- When his wife became Que- parents in 1920 who had an
tographer who in 1561 con- en of Hawaii, he became the extraordinary ability in getting
ceived and produced the first Prince Consort and thus part things done. If ever you traworld map to be distributed of Hawaiian royalty. He is the vel over Oahu by The Bus you
widely. On it, printed clearly only non-Hawaiian buried in should thank Frank. He was a
was the Los Bolcanos and La the Royal Mausoleum located kind guy who came from the
Farfania islands as Hawaii was in Nu’oanu Valley. They lived in East Coast, and as a mayor
called in the 1500’s. This too, a house built by John’s father, he simply revolutionized tranhappened more than 200 ye- called Washington Place: the sportation for the common
ars before the Englishman official residence of the pre- man: I believe that today it’s
Captain Cook discovered the sent Governor of Hawaii was one of the best bus systems in
islands. Some oral traditions built by an Italian! Washington the country. I worked directly
indicate that Cook had a copy place is one the most visited
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with him: he was the one who
helped to start the very beginning of mass travel to Hawaii
from Italy. Up to that point it
was limited to very rich people
that knew the world.
tain they built in Fort Shafter,
it’s just lovely. They built statues throughout the Islands,
they also built a church which
unfortunately was destroyed
when it was decided to build a
highway.
We have some Italians studying here, and of course we
are really happy and proud of
them. As for the Italians who
live here, one of the most
charming family here is Prince and Princess Vittorio Alliata
di Montereale. They’re both
lovely people, very appreciated. Vittorio’s title dates back
to the Holy Roman Empire.
He’s been living here with his
wife for 15, maybe 20 years.
They could live anywhere in
the world, having no financial problems, and they chose
Hawaii. When I asked “Why are
you living in Hawaii, Vittorio?”
he answered me “It’s because
it’s such a lovely place, such a
healthy lifestyle”. The Princess,
his wife Dialta, is from Firenze: she used to be in the movie business and she misses it.
So they bring here every year
films from Italy and they organize a big gala, like in Cannes,
with many famous actors and
actresses who come here and
celebrate cinema. We have
numbers of people doing
good films in Hawaii.
An important issue is with no
doubt the one regarding the Then in 1943 Italy switched
Italian POWs. Please tell us so- side and was no longer an
mething more about it
enemy to the United States.
Italians and Americans were
During World War II 5,000 not at war against each other
Italians prisoners arrived to anymore, and so it was deciHawaii: it’s an enormous num- ded to bury the four Italian
ber. They were captured by the soldiers. Many of us Friends of
Americans and the British in Italy go and honor these tomNorth Africa in 1943 and brou- bs and bring flowers. They are
ght to the US, the majority was not forgot.
send to mainland, but 5,000 of
them were brought to Hawaii, Let’s talk about today. Are theto a place called Sand Island.
re many Italians in Hawaii? Organizations? Maybe people
They were all sent back to Italy who recently have come theafter the end of the war: but re?
I found out that four of them
passed away while they were Well, I am the Vice President of In Hawaii, you’re the furthest
here. During the time the Ita- the “ g&