Many people, when thinking about Italian-Americans, often overlook Louisiana as a hotspot for Italians. However, there are so many of our ancestors that came through the Port of New Orleans between 1880-1920, with many of these families staying in the area. Throughout the subsequent decades, Italians of Louisiana have contributed in so many ways to the success, not only of our state, but also to this great country.

 

Our primary mission in the organizations that I represent is to preserve that heritage, which is slowly fading away with each decade as people become more and more removed from their Italian roots. In doing this, the organizations that I am a part of focus heavily on engaging the younger generations of Italian/Sicilian-Americans in a way that motivates them to proudly display their heritage on a daily basis. We achieve this through many avenues, but our main focuses have been through the use of social media, as well as hosting monthly events centered around our culture.

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Now more than ever it is essential that ALL of our organizations, local/regional/national, start to utilize the network effect of social media and technology as a whole. Growing up in my small town of White Castle, Louisiana, I never knew that there were other Poggiorealese in America until a few years ago when I found the Poggioreale in America group and attended their reunion.

 

In 2023, I was fortunate enough to travel with so many wonderful Poggiorealese from my own country BACK to Poggioreale and even got to meet my cousins back over there whom I never thought I would meet! This is just one example of how amazing our effects and reach can be when we effectively utilize the tools available to us. To that effect, not only can we connect with people from “the old country," but we can also promote, both internally and externally, the revitalization in being PROUD to call yourself Italian, Sicilian and Poggiorealese.