Italians and Italian-Americans
ITALIAN AND ITALIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES
•In the United States, the number of Italian citizens who are registered with AIRE (Register of Italians Resident Abroad) is 208,328 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs data, updated in February 2009). They are distributed in the eleven consular jurisdictions in the following percentages: 30,62% in New York, 11,47% in Philadelphia, 8,86 % in Miami, 8,11% in Los Angeles, 7,92% in Newark, 7,81% in Boston, 7,81% in Chicago, 6,64% in Detroit, 5,68% in San Francisco, 2,58% in Houston and 2,49% in Washington, D.C.
•Italian-Americans (to be more specific, Americans with Italian origins), whose census has been officially taken are about 15 and a half millions. They constitute the fourth ethnic group of European origin following Germans, Irish and Britons. However, the two main Italian-American organizations in the United States - NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) and OSIA (Order of Sons of Italy in America) - contest this data and say that a more realistic number reflecting Italian-Americans living in the United States is between 25-26 million people.
•There are about one thousand Italian and Italian American associations whose census is currently taken: most of these (about 700) are in the New York Consular Jurisdiction alone.
•The Italian Consular network is thus organized in the United States: 11 First Category Consular Offices (Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Newark and Washington) and 76 Second Category Consular Offices (Honorary Consulates and Vice Consulates, Consular Agencies and Consular Correspondents.)
•There are 11 Committees of Italians Residents Abroad in the United States (COMITES, elected in the consular jurisdictions with at least three thousand Italians registered with AIRE), five Councillors of the General Council of Italians Abroad (CGIE), one of the three representatives in the Italian Parliament for North America (The Honorable Amato Berardi in Philadelphia), and six Patronati (offices run by trade unions) with several offices in the United States (Inca-Cgil, Acli, Ital-Uil, Inas-Cisl, Epasa, and Encal-Cisal).
•The media targeting this community consist in two daily newspapers ("America Oggi" and "Gente d'Italia", both written in Italian), 12 monthlies and 9 publications issued with a varying recurrence, as well as some local radio stations. The information bodies targeting our collectivities receive funds from the Italian Government.
•“First generation” Italians who came to the States in the ‘50s and the first part of the ‘60s are side-by-side with younger, or who have immigrated to the United States more recently, generations, consisting of qualified people with university degrees. Young entrepreneurs, concentrated in the New York area and who invest in the United States, but who keep their main centers of interests in Italy, represent a specific category within this group. In addition there are Italian scientists-entrepreneurs, researchers who have applied their discoveries and inventions in industrial spheres, particularly in the Information Technology and Hi Tech fields. In the world of Research, many young Italian operators try to stay on in the United States after their initial period of study. In today’s global context, the presence of Italian researchers in America has significantly contributed to our Country’s success and, by abetting the exchange of researches and projects often at the highest level of scientific research, represents a veritable bridge between Italy and the United States, thus contributing to the development and the strengthening of bilateral relations, with mutual benefit for both Countries.
•These last few years have witnessed a renewed interest towards our Country from the Italian-American community. This is due to several factors, to include the great success of Italy and Italian products, especially in the realms of fashion, art and sport; more frequent tourist travels and a renewed interest in the Italian language, which often fourth generations are most interested by. This interest also increasingly affects other areas of the population who now look at the “Italian way of life”, well-defined by specific characteristics such as life style, well-being, and style, as a model to be followed on a daily basis.
•On a government level, the first Italian-American Governor was John Pastore, elected in Rhode Island in 1946 and re-elected in 1950. Before the war there had been some Italian-American mayors, the most famous of whom was Fiorello La Guardia. Currently the United States legislature is headed by an Italian-American, The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, democratic Speaker of the House. The Italian-American “caucus” in Congress today counts 30 Congressmen. Americans with Italian origins are present in all fields in the United States, from economics to art, from cinema to science.
•In the United States, the number of Italian citizens who are registered with AIRE (Register of Italians Resident Abroad) is 208,328 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs data, updated in February 2009). They are distributed in the eleven consular jurisdictions in the following percentages: 30,62% in New York, 11,47% in Philadelphia, 8,86 % in Miami, 8,11% in Los Angeles, 7,92% in Newark, 7,81% in Boston, 7,81% in Chicago, 6,64% in Detroit, 5,68% in San Francisco, 2,58% in Houston and 2,49% in Washington, D.C.
•Italian-Americans (to be more specific, Americans with Italian origins), whose census has been officially taken are about 15 and a half millions. They constitute the fourth ethnic group of European origin following Germans, Irish and Britons. However, the two main Italian-American organizations in the United States - NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) and OSIA (Order of Sons of Italy in America) - contest this data and say that a more realistic number reflecting Italian-Americans living in the United States is between 25-26 million people.
•There are about one thousand Italian and Italian American associations whose census is currently taken: most of these (about 700) are in the New York Consular Jurisdiction alone.
•The Italian Consular network is thus organized in the United States: 11 First Category Consular Offices (Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Newark and Washington) and 76 Second Category Consular Offices (Honorary Consulates and Vice Consulates, Consular Agencies and Consular Correspondents.)
•There are 11 Committees of Italians Residents Abroad in the United States (COMITES, elected in the consular jurisdictions with at least three thousand Italians registered with AIRE), five Councillors of the General Council of Italians Abroad (CGIE), one of the three representatives in the Italian Parliament for North America (The Honorable Amato Berardi in Philadelphia), and six Patronati (offices run by trade unions) with several offices in the United States (Inca-Cgil, Acli, Ital-Uil, Inas-Cisl, Epasa, and Encal-Cisal).
•The media targeting this community consist in two daily newspapers ("America Oggi" and "Gente d'Italia", both written in Italian), 12 monthlies and 9 publications issued with a varying recurrence, as well as some local radio stations. The information bodies targeting our collectivities receive funds from the Italian Government.
•“First generation” Italians who came to the States in the ‘50s and the first part of the ‘60s are side-by-side with younger, or who have immigrated to the United States more recently, generations, consisting of qualified people with university degrees. Young entrepreneurs, concentrated in the New York area and who invest in the United States, but who keep their main centers of interests in Italy, represent a specific category within this group. In addition there are Italian scientists-entrepreneurs, researchers who have applied their discoveries and inventions in industrial spheres, particularly in the Information Technology and Hi Tech fields. In the world of Research, many young Italian operators try to stay on in the United States after their initial period of study. In today’s global context, the presence of Italian researchers in America has significantly contributed to our Country’s success and, by abetting the exchange of researches and projects often at the highest level of scientific research, represents a veritable bridge between Italy and the United States, thus contributing to the development and the strengthening of bilateral relations, with mutual benefit for both Countries.
•These last few years have witnessed a renewed interest towards our Country from the Italian-American community. This is due to several factors, to include the great success of Italy and Italian products, especially in the realms of fashion, art and sport; more frequent tourist travels and a renewed interest in the Italian language, which often fourth generations are most interested by. This interest also increasingly affects other areas of the population who now look at the “Italian way of life”, well-defined by specific characteristics such as life style, well-being, and style, as a model to be followed on a daily basis.
•On a government level, the first Italian-American Governor was John Pastore, elected in Rhode Island in 1946 and re-elected in 1950. Before the war there had been some Italian-American mayors, the most famous of whom was Fiorello La Guardia. Currently the United States legislature is headed by an Italian-American, The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, democratic Speaker of the House. The Italian-American “caucus” in Congress today counts 30 Congressmen. Americans with Italian origins are present in all fields in the United States, from economics to art, from cinema to science.
