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# 68 • SEPTEMBER 21 , 2015
got to have an endowment like colleges
or university so that you’re sure that the
artifacts and the memory will be preserved in the years coming, so the future
generations can learn about the immigrants experience, what took place. This
is a great concern now because I am not
getting any younger and I want to make
sure that this museum survives.
There is an Irish Museum in Albany, it is
called the Irish Heritage Museum, and
they get support from the Irish government. I wish the Italian government
would do the same: the Italian government spends a lot more time and money in New York City, and it is understandable, because it is the city with the
highest number of Italian Americans in
the country. However, they seem to have
forgot the Italian American population
beyond New York City.
I am third generation, my grandparents were born in Italy, my parents were
born here and I was born here. There
are 155,000 Italian Americans only in the
five counties in the metropolitan area of
Albany, which is just a portion of Upstate New York, where many other Italian
Americans live. This museum is great,
considering what we are up against, but
it is not at his full potential, because we
have to raise 145,000 $ a year, just to
survive.
Which activities do the association and I think most of Italian Americans have
lost their heritage. They are only Italian
the museum organize during the year?
in their name, but they know very little
We are more than a museum. We do a about it. Our food survives, yes, but our
special exhibit every two months. We culture is much more than our food. Sohave cultural, language and cooking metimes a few third generation Italians
classes, we have the book club, we have find their roots and they are very intean Italian card group, we have book or rested in their heritage. Those from the
documentary presentations, we play first generation, of course they were very
bocce, we have many different events Italian, they had big adjustment. Their
across the year: we do many things to children wanted to become American,
keep the cultural heritage alive. We have so they often tried to adjust their cultua big Italian Christmas market every year. re. Now, we have Italians who say they
There is people here who used to go to are Italian but they do not really know
Italy, who want to stay in touch with their
roots and with Italy, and they come to us.
WE THE ITALIANS | 9
www.wetheitalians.com