We the Italians July 18, 2016 - 81 | Page 10

th # 81 JULY 18 , 2016 space and time, and which has changed or the blood, but it rather refers to a senthe concept set during the Peace of We- timent, a feeling of belonging. stphalia (1648), concerning the notion of what is national and international. It is a concept which goes much beyond the Italian Republic (only united 150 We should be aware we live in a world in years ago) and which is linked to other which the concepts of “global” and “lo- grandiose historical moments, such as cal” have changed. For instance, in Italy the Roman Empire, (the) Renaissance… the idea of “local” exclusively refers to This whole idea lies on a common senwhat happens and lives within the bor- se of belonging to a series of values and ders of the country: Italy. On the con- characteristics we consider typical of the trary, we think that the community of the “italicità”. potential "italici" is wider, and includes not only those living in Italy, but it goes In “Svegliamoci italici! Manifesto per much over, beyond. un futuro glocal” I affirm that the idea beyond “italicità” consists of: “sharing In fact, as I state in my book, the “italici” values, manners, behaviors but also a are not only Italian citizens or Italians li- way of moving, do business, eat, feel, ving abroad; “italici” are also those living live art, fashion, design, taste, beauty, in the Ticino (Switzerland), in Dalmatia, and pleasure: a unique way of being a the Republic of San Marino, the Italian “community”, which has shown the capaAmericans and those living in North and bility of being “Italian” and “Italic” in difSouth America, Australia; and, to go on, ferent circumstances, and, especially, on also the Italian-speakers, those having or a global scale”. not having any Italian descendant, but who decided to have an Italian lifestyle It is for this reason that I insist there are which shares the way of being Italian. We several ways of being Italic. are talking about more than 250 million people: a community that transcends For instance, the Italian Americans are from the mere concept of italianness basically Americans with Italian origins, and goes beyond. some of whom also have the Italian pasThis is my idea: according to the way the sport. But there are also some other caworld has changed, we should try to find ses in which for example a wife of an some political strategies (like the idea of Italian-American – who usually speaks “civilization” by Huntington) in order to English – has a son who is half Italian and aggregate all the 250 million people be- half American, and that now, as a third longing to this new idea of “italicità”. generation, may supposedly speak Italian. Then we can also have the friend of The aggregation I am talking about does an Italic family who has discovered abronot refer to the passport, the language, ad an Italian way of eating (which is not tH # 81 juLY 18 , 2016 the way we cook in Italy, because New an American invention, and that, mayYork spaghetti are different than Naples be, he did not even know it came from spaghetti). another country: Italy. In his mind, ‘pizza’ sounded “American”. Well, it is true that All these examples are described in my pizzas are made in many different ways, book. For instance, the Italian cuisine but a pizza is a pizza. This reminds me of is not necessarily the same around the a day in Naples. I found some pizza maworld: there is the Venezuelan pizza, the kers to whom I asked: “what do you think Indian pizza, the Italian pizza… They are about the pizzas made in Venezuela, whiall different, but they are all pizzas. In my ch are clearly very different from yours?” book there is a story of a pizza, which is “It’s fine,” they replied “in this way,” they important for me. explained, “when the Venezuelans come here, to Naples, they realize the NeapoliI was returning from an experience at the tan pizza is better!” Cornell University, and on board of the Vulcania, I was sitting with two “paisà”, You launched the www.italicos.com two Italian Americans. website, which is dedicated to the italics speaking Spanish. How should it be When they found out I was Italian, one of translated for the English speakers? the two shyly asked me: “how do you say ‘pizza’ in Italian?” It took me a while be- This is a little problem, as ‘italics’ in Enfore I realized that in his mind ‘pizza’ was glish can recall the font, the writing sty- 10 | WE THE ITALIANS WE THE ITALIANS | 11 www.wetheitalians.com www.wetheitalians.com