Il Postino Winter 2011.2012.pub

Il Postino
Volume: Winter 2011/2012
California State University, Long Beach
Message from Dr. Clorinda Donato
Benvenuti to the Italian and Italian American Communities who work in partnership with
us at the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies to enhance and expand the
presence of our language, literature and culture in Southern California. Let me begin by
reminding everyone how grateful we are for your support. Thanks to our combined efforts,
we have succeeded in revitalizing the Center with numerous events, not to mention our
presence at important venues for Italian Americans in Southern California, such as the
annual San Gennaro Festival held in Hollywood every year. Last Fall, Club Italia, the
student organization of the Graziadio Center, set up a booth under the auspices of the
Comissione Giovani di Los Angeles. Spearheaded by Sara Scorcia, this commission
coordinates activities for young adults in the Community. Hundreds of people stopped by
over the San Gennaro weekend 22-25 September 2012 to inquire about our academic
programs, lectures, and the activities of the student club. Our students also had the honor
of helping as ushers at the kick-off event of the weekend, Prima Notte. One of our
students, Vincenzo Amalfitano, received a $1,000 scholarship from the Marisa Antonini
Foundation. Several students demonstrated their talent for analyzing and critiquing
translations through formal presentations at the Claudia Gosselin Memorial. Violetta
Pasquarelli-Gascon, Alessandro Russo, and Elizabeth Sievers presented papers on the
translation of Giuseppe Parini’s Il Giorno, Erri De Luca’s Montedidio and Dacia Mariani’s
Dialogo di una prostituta con un suo cliente. Tiziana Gibillisco, a professor in translation
studies from the University of Milan was the featured speaker on translation. Her paper
and workshop, "Translating Difference: Humor, Teenage Slang, and Other Challenges"
engaged the audience in issues of translation between English, Italian and Spanish.
The craft of language has been a major focus of the Graziadio Center this year, as reflected
in a lecture by Simona Montanari on November 4, 2011, “Language Transfer in the Case
of Cognate Languages: The Evidence from Developing Trilingual Children.” Her talk on
the linguistic abilities of children learning Italian, Spanish and English together very much
reflects current scholarly and applied work being conducted at the Graziadio Center and in
the French and Francophone Studies section of the Romance Languages, Literatures and
Linguistics Department. This work has been awarded with a $100,000 National
Endowment for the Humanities Grant, an achievement of which we are very proud. You
can read more about this grant and our future plans on page 5 of Il Postino.
In closing, let me mention a course on Italian Americans that will be taught the Spring
semester, “The Italian American Experience.” Community members are invited to attend
these lectures, especially those offered by experts in the field, including Robert Buranello,
Chapman University and Luisa Del Giudice, Independent Scholar known to many of you
for her work on the Italian Hall and the Italian legacy of the Watts Towers.
I wish you all, Buon anno, and hope to see you at the George L. Graziadio Center for one
of our events, especially the Frank J. De Santis Annual Lecture, to be held on March 15,
2012 at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Please see the article on page 8 about this event
on Italian Americans and Italian Auto Design and don’t forget to save the date!
Clorinda
Clorinda Donato, Ph.D.
The George L. Graziadio Chair of Italian Studies
California State University, Long Beach
Inside this issue:
Where is Italian in
the West? The crisis
of Italian in
California high
schools and
universities.
2
Roberto Rossellini
film retrospective
3
“Quando la notte” –
The Difficulty of
Being a Mother
4
National
Endowment for the
Humanities Grant
funds Accelerated
Italian Acquisition
5
Poetry Without
Borders - Thirteen
languages to
celebrate love
6
Faculty Spotlight
7
Frank J. De Santis
Annual Lecture &
Upcoming Events
8
Page 2
Where is Italian in the West? The crisis of Italian in California high
schools and universities. by: Dr. Clorinda Donato
It is November 20, 2011, and I have just returned from Denver where I attended the American Council on Foreign Language
Teaching, (ACTFL), the annual meeting where teachers of language gather once a year to share best practices in teaching and
publishers assemble to promote text books.
Consulates and Embassies also rent space to set up stands and promote their language and culture. While Italian was fairly visible in
the program, the Italian presence on the vendor and promotional floor among the consular, publisher, and study abroad stands in the
exhibition hall was small and anything but centrally placed. Let me describe what a visitor to the exhibition hall saw upon walking
through the three principal corridors. Mexico, Germany, Taiwan, Spain, Switzerland, China, Korea, the Goethe Institute, France, the
Alliance Francaise, and Brazil, but where was Italy?
I discovered, on the second day, a few austere and lackluster stands for AATI (American Association Teachers of Italian), Dante
Alighieri, and the Consulate General of Chicago, with no decoration, color or style, not even flags. Instead, drab black and white
signs, a stark contrast to the color, banners, ribbons, lanterns, promotional gifts, raffles and excitement generated by the others. The
Italian Embassy was conspicuously absent.
As I thought about my participation in the conference, I realized that I had been contacted directly by the French Embassy and
invited to their luncheon; I was also invited to meetings with the French Embassy language consultant about California State
University, Long Beach’s French for Spanish Speakers program, as well as being approached by the Consular representatives of
Switzerland about projects with us on our campus for both Italian and French. And though at CSU Long Beach we teach Italian for
Spanish speakers, and I actually presented on this topic at the conference, a very important one for the California and Florida
markets, there appears to be little interest by Italian government organizations in pursuing it and supporting it further.
I registered the lack of official Italian presence at ACTFL with a great deal of sadness and thought, as well, that it is a reflection of
the incredibly difficult times that Italy is currently undergoing. But mainly, I saw it as the confirmation of a situation that risks
becoming a reality. Does the US Speak Italian, as the new publicity from the Italian Embassy states? My response is, no, at least, not
in the West. The study of Italian is dying in the West and this is in part due to the lack of Italian government funds for the promotion
of Italian in California high schools, colleges and universities. While there are funds to teach elementary school children Italian,
there are no funds available to encourage a high school to add Italian to its curriculum.
We know from numerous studies that high school language study provides a gateway for the study of that same language and culture
at the university level. If we have trouble finding enough AP students for Italian, there is only one reason—lack of a sufficient
number of high school students in four-year programs. If the Embassy is pushing the AP, why not put the money where it might
matter the most by investing in incentive programs for high schools to offer Italian? For many years, the lack of university programs
that could offer the credential in Italian appeared to be preventing the growth of Italian in high schools. We worked for many years
at California State University, Long Beach, to create a credential program. Now, in California, ours is the only credential program in
California, as recognized on the Embassy site.
After years of administrative work and curricular development, we now offer the credential at CSULB and we credential teachers in
California. Sadly, however, there are no new high schools that offer Italian, so there is nowhere for these teachers to find jobs;
instead, we continue to lose Italian high school programs. Consider these statistics.
In 2007 a memorandum of understanding was signed between Jack O’Connell and the Consuls general of Los Angeles and San
Francisco. Its purpose was to strengthen the teaching of Italian in California. In the Memorandum of Understanding, 32 schools are
listed as teaching Italian in the State of California. Unfortunately, of the 32 school teaching Italian in 2007, only four years later, it
appears from the school websites that 14 of those schools have since dropped Italian since the program is not mentioned, nor is an
Italian teacher indicated. It has been a tough four years.
We need to face the fact that without serious intervention and strategizing, even more schools that presently teach Italian will drop it,
especially in light of the harsh fiscal and budget condition of the California state. At this juncture, in the entire State of California,
we are talking about possibly fewer than 20 high schools that teach Italian; some of them are private and some teach only two or
three courses of Italian, meaning that a teacher must also be credentialed for another subject in order to have a full-time schedule.
I say these things as someone who has been in the trenches trying to promote and preserve Italian for over thirty-five years in
Southern California. Despite the desire American high school students have expressed in any number of surveys and polls to study
Italian, we have not succeeded in providing them with opportunities to do so. The lack of high school programs is felt on the
university level as well.
When universities look at their course offerings, they examine the ability students will have to segue from high school into university. For Italian, there are few opportunities to begin in high school and continue in college. Every semester we lose thousands of prospective Italian majors in colleges because Italian isn’t offered in the high schools from which they come.
I wish I had a dime for every person I have met in the course of my career who has told me that they would have studied Italian if
their high school, college, or university had offered it. Instead, they studied Spanish, French, German, or Japanese, the available
languages etc. At the ACTFL convention in Denver, my colleagues from other languages asked me, “Where is Italy? Where is
Italian?” I am left asking the same question.
Page 3
Roberto Rossellini film retrospective presented by
The George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies & Club Italia
By: Alessandro Russo
On October 10th and 17th, The George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies at California State University
Long Beach held a Roberto Rossellini film retrospective on the famed Italian director’s late and
post-neorealist works, Il Generale della Rovere (1959) and Viaggio in Italia (1954). These films were shown
during the popular course on Italian Films which is offered every semester at CSULB and is currently being
taught by Dr. Enrico Vettore.
Il Generale della Rovere stars Vittorio De Sica as a con-man during World War II in Nazi-occupied Genoa
who presumes the identity of famed resistance fighter and partisan, General Giovanni Fortebraccio Della
Rovere, in order to save himself from execution by assisting the Nazis in locating another partisan operative.
Rossellini’s use of
authentic footage in
his earlier films had
given him
international
acclaim and he had
since been referred
to as ‘The Father of
Neo-Realism’, a title
which he would
later repudiate.
Viaggio in Italia stars Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders as a married couple visiting the Naples area to
dispose of a deceased uncle’s estate and realize their marriage is in shambles. The event was well received by
students, faculty and members of the community alike as they were entertained and educated by Rossellini’s
films along with the lectures and discussions that were given by Dr. Thomas Harrison of UCLA and Dr.
Enrico Vettore of CSULB.
For the October 10th screening of Il Generale della Rovere, The Graziadio Center was happy to welcome as
their guest, Dr. Thomas Harrison of UCLA, specialist in Italian film, who provided an in-depth analysis of the
film. Dr. Harrison emphasized how the film departed from Rossellini’s other well-known neo-realistic works
such as Rome, Open City and Paisà due to the artificial appearance of the scenery. Many of the scenes were
actually filmed within the sound studios of Cinecittà in Rome which was clearly evident in the synthetic
quality of several backgrounds used in Il Generale della Rovere.
Rossellini’s use of authentic footage in his earlier films had given him international acclaim and he had since
been referred to as ‘The Father of Neo-Realism’, a title which he would later repudiate. What lacked in
realistic scenery was made up for by the superb acting of Vittorio De Sica, a famed director himself. De Sica
captures the essence of the title character with such conviction and credibility that the viewer is transported
into his character’s psychological torment.
De Sica’s poignant acting displays the turmoil of a man caught between his initial solitary struggle for survival
and the unity and camaraderie he develops with his fellow Italians. In the end, Rossellini’s Il Generale della
Rovere conveys the significance and values of human morality, righteousness and the meaning of
self-sacrifice in the face of evil.
The October 17th screening of Viaggio in Italia and back-ground lecture was provided by CSULB’s own Dr.
Enrico Vettore, a Rossellini enthusiast and scholar. Viaggio in Italia more closely resembled Rossellini’s
earlier neo-realistic works as it was filmed on location in and around Naples, Italy. Dr. Vettore informed those
in attendance that Rossellini filmed Viaggio in Italia without a completed script, thus allowing the actors to
write and improvise it with him as the filming took place. Rossellini further shot scenes on the spur of the
moment and captured real footage of the locals as they conducted their everyday lives.
Actor George Sanders, frustrated by this free-wheeling approach, isolated himself from the rest of the cast and
crew. His irritation gave his portrayal of the British curmudgeon in Naples a rare veracity and depth against
the backdrop of natural scenery. The use of authentic footage is reminiscent of Rossellini’s earlier films of
Neo-realism, German, Year Zero and Rome, Open City. What deviates from the conventions of Neo-Realism
is the use of actors, Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders, who seemed to be invaders and out of place in the
genuine atmosphere of Naples.
Club Italia
is on
Facebook!
They seemed to be encapsulated in their own world for the entire film as for most of their scenes; Bergman
and Sanders interacted solely with the locals who entered their space. Even during their ventures into Naples
by car, never leaving the protective enclosure of it and appearing as spectators of Neapolitan life, Bergman
and Sanders lives ultimately merge with the local residents in the final scene as they exit their vehicle and
become lost in the crowd. Viaggio in Italia demonstrates Rossellini’s vision of film making in which reality
and idealism converge in a filmatic work of art. The George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies offers a
course on Italian cinema every semester.
Page 4
“Quando la notte” – The Difficulty of Being a Mother
by: Daniela Zappador-Guerra
The latest edition of Cinema Italian Style brought to the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica a difficult and
controversial film, “Quando la Notte” by Cristina Comencini, which was presented a few months prior
in Italy and at the Cannes Movie Festival, until it arrived in Los Angeles in November 2011.
The story is of Marina (Claudia Pandolfi) and was written by a woman (Comencini) for women. In a
day of depression and solitude, during a vacation in the mountains with her son, Marina commits an
act of violence that highlights the dark side of her maternal instincts, those rarely shared and hidden in
the exhaustion of her responsibilities. A victim of her unsustainable devotion, Marina would like to go
back to her work, to her previous life, to her past energy and passion for dancing.
There’s a mountain dweller, Manfredi (Filippo Timi), an unfriendly landlord of the apartment she’s
renting on Monte Rosa, who is able to detect the symptoms of the non-maternal mother in Marina,
leading her to a harsh realization in them.
Marina’s story compares with other women in this film; Manfredi’s mother, who could not stand the
hard life in the mountains, having left her husband, and pursuing an American man, and Manfredi’s
sister-in-law, who instead finds in her husband the helpful love and support to sustain her through her
difficulties (so moving is the scene in which her husband sucks the milk from her breast, to soothe the
pain of her mastitis). And on the other side of the story there are unsecure men, who carry with them
wounds of abandonment for all their lives.
But around the theme
But around the theme of a failure of maternal instincts, lies a theme of the crossing of destinies that
change lives, like the gondolas crossing for a moment and then separating, the “sliding doors” of this
film. In Comencini’s novel, the source of the screenplay, that scene had already a cinematic
significance; when you read it, you imagine it on the screen, and when you finally see it, and you think
that it was meant to look exactly as it was filmed. “Half a way, the other gondola, perforated the fog in
the valley, comes up hit by gusts of snow. Small box identical to mine, it climbs up with fatigue to
make me descend. One on the top and the other one down. They are never in the same point, except in
the instant when they cross each other” (quoted from the novel “Quando la Notte”).
that change lives, like
of a failure of
maternal instincts,
lies a theme of the
crossing of destinies
the gondolas
crossing for a
moment and then
separating, the
“sliding doors” of this
film.
And also the actors chosen to represent the novel’s characters couldn’t be more appropriate than the
ones we see in the film; who better than Comencini could have selected them so precisely?
And finally there is the mountain, which is more than a simple background, not a bucolic mountain,
nor a place to ski during the holidays, but a harsh, freezing, exhausting, end-of-season mountain,
another existential metaphor. The soundtrack perfectly highlights the story as well; music with
occasional tragic tones, alternating with the cries of children, which pierce the ears and disturb certain
dormant motherly sensors.
The movie producer Marco Chimenz explained to me how beautiful and challenging it had been
shooting the film on the setting of Monte Rosa. He also told the audience at the Aero Theatre that the
audience had laughed during the screening of the film festival in Venice, Italy. That laughter indicated
a lack of identification. Who truly understands the effort of being a mother? Why even make an issue
of it? Let’s hope that the future will bring to theatres in Italy films in which a public is more sensible
and respectful towards deep stories like this one, in a country which last year had the highest grossing
movies be comedies about middle age crisis.
Cristina Comencini
Page 5
National Endowment for the Humanities Grant funds Accelerated
Italian Acquisition for Spanish Speakers at CSU Long Beach
Clorinda Donato, The George L. Graziadio Chair of Italian Studies at California State University,
Long Beach, celebrated the news of having received a $100,000 National Endowment for the
Humanities with Project Director and Professor of Spanish Claire Martin and Language Program
Coordinator and Project Content Specialist Markus Muller.
The grant process is highly competitive and represents the culmination of six years’ work. The
program began with a grant from the French government to offer French to the new audiences of
Spanish speakers six years ago at CSU Long Beach. The program was so successful, that Italian
was added last year. Having presented the program at conferences such as ACTFL (American
Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) the project co-directors thought it was time to
apply for national funding since so many teaching professionals had expressed interest in offering
similar programs.
The NEH grant provides
funding to expand the program
locally. “French and Italian
for Spanish Speakers” brings
language-teaching faculty
together from four Southern
California institutions to
explore the philosophy,
The NEH grant provides funding to expand the program locally. “French and Italian for Spanish
Speakers” brings language-teaching faculty together from four Southern California institutions to
explore the philosophy, methods and application of Intercomprehension and plurilingualism to
teach French and Italian to Spanish speakers through humanities content. Nine faculty members
from high schools and community colleges located near California State University, Long Beach
(CSULB) will meet over the three-year grant period (2012-2014) with CSULB faculty who
currently teach French and Italian to Spanish Speakers. They will study Intercomprehension, a
method of multiple language learning that fosters humanities acquisition. Content and method
specialists will offer insight from the theory and practice of Intercomprehension in France, Italy,
Mexico and Spain during the grant cycle. Early access to humanities content among language
learners is the primary goal of Intercomprehension. Content and language are taught in tandem,
enabling students to read cultural texts of all kinds -- literature, art history, music, etc.-- from the
onset of language study. Intercomprehension utilizes the learner’s knowledge of one Romance
language, (in our case Spanish) to accelerate acquisition of a second or third Romance language,
(French and/or Italian).
methods and application of
Intercomprehension and
plurilingualism to teach
French and Italian to Spanish
speakers through humanities
content.
Pierre Escudé
Housed at California State University, Long Beach, a designated Hispanic Serving Institution, the
project allows Spanish-speaking faculty members who teach French or Italian at their respective
institutions to work in teams to develop similar programs. All participant institutions enroll high
percentages of Hispanic students and seek ways to harness their language aptitude for advanced
work in humanities content. Our collaboration will foster similar initiatives and may become a
model for Hispanic serving institutions throughout the nation. The project transcends the
traditional barriers separating the study of language from content courses in other disciplines by
offering a method that allows Spanish-speaking students to study a Romance language in
multilingual, content-rich courses that value and utilize their linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
San Pedro High School, Wilson High School, Long Beach City College, and Rio Hondo College
are the participating institutions in the three-year NEH project.
Increasing percentages of students in both French and Italian classes have Hispanic first and/or last
names, notes Donato. A very high percentage of these students are heritage speakers of Spanish,
while nearly all the rest have studied Spanish in high school. Even the non-Latino students come
with a background in high school Spanish, which, in many cases, puts them at a similar linguistic
advantage with respect to heritage speakers. Spanish increasingly provides for our students a
bridge to the acquisition of both French and Italian. We have had the good fortune of collaborating
with Professor Pierre Escudé, a linguist from the University of Toulouse, who is an expert in the
intercomprehension of the Neolatin languages. Professor Escudé has spearheaded a number of
projects funded by the European Union whose goals are to make Europe multilingual, especially
when it comes to having speakers of one Neolatin language learn others. Donato will join Escudé
at the University of Venice, Ca’ Foscari, in March 2012 to present the Long Beach program during
a weeklong seminar on the intercomprehension of the Romance languages.
For further information about the program see the December 31, 2011 article in the Los Angeles
Times, “Spanish unlocks doors to other languages in Cal State program.” The article can be found
at the following link: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-french-spanish20111231,0,3944823.story.
Page 6
Poetry without borders Thirteen languages to celebrate love
By: Alessandro Russo
The language of poetry knows no bounds and brings together the world as it did on the
campus of California State University Long Beach for Poetry Without Borders on
November 29th. Thirty-one faculty, staff and students read their favorite poems from
thirteen different languages and dialects on the theme of Love and Other Ailments.
Sponsored by The Department of Romance German Russian Languages and
Literatures (RGRLL) with the participation of the George L. Graziadio Center for
Italian Studies, Poetry Without Borders is a project of Dr. Enrico Vettore, Professor of
Italian, and Dr. Rita Palacios, Professor of Spanish, who have collaborated on this
successful event for a fourth time including the second student poetry writing contest.
Poetry Without Borders is held annually in The Karl W.E. Anatol Center to a capacity
crowd that reads the projected English translations as the poems are read in their
language of origin. “We had 140 people (conservati Liberal Arts. We (Rita Palacios
and I) are very happy about it,” said Dr. Enrico Vettore, Italian Professor.
Poetry reveals the
universal aspects of
all languages and
cultures and gives
students the
exposure to the
beauty of language.
The readers thoroughly engaged those in attendance by displaying the depth of feeling
embodied by the poetry through intonation and expressive reading. The audience
showed its appreciation through resounding applause following each reading. "Poetry
without Borders always reminds me that poetry is the music of the soul, its cadence,
flow, and rhythms being the essence of human life.”, said Dr. Clorinda Donato (Chair
of The George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies).
Poetry reveals the universal aspects of all languages and cultures and gives students the
exposure to the beauty of language. “I love this event because it’s fascinating to hear
how all the languages are different, yet reflect on similar human values, in the end
making us all one.” said Vincenzo Amalfitano, President of Club Italia (The student
organization of Italian Studies students on campus). Poetry transcends national, racial,
social and ethnic boundaries and gives the students an avenue for self- expression.
“Students seem to enjoy reciting their favorite poems” explains Dr. Vettore, “and you
can feel as if poetry is being channeled during the evening in so many languages and
from so many different eras. Poetry speaks to us as effectively as it did centuries ago to
different audiences in different places. Its universality is astonishing."
Exposure to poetic language heightens student interest in majoring or minoring in
languages other than English. As they hear universal values expressed in the rhythm
and musicality of languages they recognize, such as French, Italian, German, Spanish,
Russian and Chinese, but also Bosnian, Thai, Turkish, Nahuatl, Farsi and the Italian
dialects of Umbrian, Roman and Neapolitan, they are drawn to language. This year’s
theme, love, further underscored the commonalities of human emotion no matter what
the culture. “It is for this reason that we all come together and understand when poetry
is read, no matter what the language,” concluded Dr. Donato who took part in the
event with a reading of “The Canticle of the Sun” by Saint Francis of Assisi.
The night ended with a reception where “Love and Other Ailments” moved from the
poetic to the prosaic in conversations throughout the Anatol Center where personal
reflection mixed with outright awe over the language and languages of poetry and their
power in our lives.
Page 7
Faculty Spotlight on
Professor Daniela Zappador-Guerra
Daniela Zappador-Guerra has been teaching Italian at CSULB since 2005. A specialist in Classics,
Daniela received her laurea degree from the University of Torino in 1987. Daniela is a tireless advocate
for the value of studying Italian language, literature and culture, at CSULB as well as in her community
of Palos Verdes, where she teaches Italian language and literature in the Adult Education Program.
She’s known on campus for her love of opera and the annual outings to LA Opera that she organizes
every year. We asked Daniela to reflect on her career teaching Italian and we are happy to share her
thoughts with you in the “Spotlight” column of this issue of “Il Postino.”
Daniela
Zappador-Guerra
“Students come to class to learn not only a subject matter, but also to learn how to learn, how to
communicate, and how to work as part of a team. They learn how to behave in a cooperative
environment.
I found inspiration in an issue of National Geographic called “The Mind,” where one of the articles
was dedicated to minds that learn languages. In that article scientists demonstrate how second language
learners develop a new area of the brain for the second language that is different from the one
dedicated to the first language. I always tell my students that language learning results in the cognitive
improvement of their brains. I compare it to the development of real estate. It is as if they are building
a new neighborhood in their brains, from the basement up to the roof. This process helps students to
think differently. It develops their critical thinking skills and their ability to compare and tolerate
differences. Ultimately it transforms them into better citizens of the world.
Many of my students are artists, singers, musicians, and linguists. They are creative and motivated. It is
always gratifying for me to attend their music recitals, or to have them play instruments, sing, or to
show their artistic talent to the class.. I once had an autistic student who asked if he could advertise his
recital as a singer. Discovering in that moment that he was a singer, I asked him if he knew an Italian
aria. He unexpectedly volunteered to perform it in class. It gave us goose bumps!
Daniela is a tireless
advocate for the value
of studying Italian
language, literature
and culture, at CSULB
as well as in her
community of Palos
Verdes, where she
teaches Italian
language and
literature in the Adult
Education Program. .
All students are protagonists in my classes and I create activities that bring them into each other’s lives.
They interview each other in Italian, discover each other’s likes and dislikes, as well as their
backgrounds and worldview. In the language classroom, they must be active participants. Students
need to express themselves, talk about their lives, families, and issues, including past and future
experiences. I try as much as I can to involve them in discussions, hoping that they will become so
involved in the topic that they won’t worry anymore about being grammatically correct. In this way,
they overcome their fear of making mistakes and find the motivation to participate more.
It is also important to connect cultural events with the learning that takes place in the classroom. Since
2007, I have had contact with people at the Los Angeles Opera. I have organized nights at the Opera
for groups of students. The Opera is one of the most significant products of Italian culture and it is
available in our area. It’s a unique and enriching experience for students, most of whom have never set
foot in an opera house or formal theater. They were intimidated at the beginning, and I had to
encourage them to explore the theater, take pictures, bring binoculars, and take a copy of the free
magazine. Sometimes they come to the Opera with classmates from other courses, or with relatives, or
they bring their boyfriend or girlfriend. In this way the Italian class becomes a cultural experience that
they extend to the people they love.”
Page 8
2nd Frank J. De Santis Annual Lecture, at the Petersen Automotive Museum
To be held March 15th during The Italian Styling & Design Exhibit
The George L. Graziadio
Center for Italian Studies
CSULB
1250 Bellflower Blvd., AS-306
Long Beach, CA 90840
The George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies is proud to announce that the 2nd
Annual Frank J. De Santis Lecture on Italian Americans will be held on March 15, 2012 at
The Petersen Automotive Museum on The Miracle Mile in Los Angeles during their
exhibit “Italian Styling & Design”. Guest speaker will be renowned Industrial Designer,
Miguel Angel Galluzzi.
This exhibit will include vehicles from the grand classics of the 1930s to modern supercars
of today, Italian designers have influenced the look of automobiles on a global scale. The
Petersen Automotive Museum exhibition on Italian design will explore the many ways in
which Italian coachbuilders and manufacturers have contributed to the evolution of the
automobile from a collection of disorganized parts to a single, visually appealing unit.
This event will be co-sponsored with The Petersen Automotive Museum and The Italian
Consulate of Los Angeles.
MISSION STATEMENT
The George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies at California State University, Long Beach is
committed to offering outstanding programs in Italian language, literature and culture to prepare
students for careers in the global arena where strong skills in Italian Studies are an asset for
professional success. Founded through an Italian American Community and University
partnership, the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies is equally committed to serving the
cultural goals of these communities through events that present and interpret Italian and Italian
American culture.
Contacts:
Dr. Clorinda Donato
The Graziadio Chair of
Italian Studies
Phone: 562-985-4621
E-mail: clorinda.donato@csulb.edu
Alessandro Russo
Administrative Assistant
The George L. Graziadio Chair of
Italian Studies
Phone: 562-985-1396
E-mail:
alessandro.russo@csulb.edu
Upcoming Events:

Wed., Feb 15, 2012 (2pm) - Lecture: “Moose on the Loose: A Theatrical Representation of the
Italian Canadian Experience in Los Angeles” by Dr. Robert Buranello. CSULB, Room LA2-106

Sat., Feb 18, 2012 (3pm) - Club Italia Tour of Getty Museum led Dr. Dominic A. Cretara.

Wed., Feb. 22, 2012 (2pm) - Lecture: “Collecting and Connecting: Oral History, Oral Culture
and Local History of Italian Americans” by Dr. Luisa Del Giudice. CSULB, Room LA2-106

Thurs., March 15, 2012 (6pm) - The 2nd Annual Frank J. De Santis Lecture on Italian American Topics at The Petersen Automotive Museum of Los Angeles (Miracle Mile) with special
guest speaker, Miguel Galluzzi of Piaggio Group.

Thurs., March 22, 2012 (5pm) - Club Italia Film Series

April (Tentative, Date TBA) - “Naples - Past & Present” with guest lecture by Dr. Stanislao
Pugliese of Hofstrau University of New York and author of new to be released “Dancing on a
Volcano: A Cultural History of Naples”.

April (Tentative, Date TBA) - Feng Shui application to architecture in an Italian (European)
setting. Lecture and presentation by Simona Mainini, PhD in Architecture, Feng Shui Master
and owner of Feng Shui for Architecture of Beverly Hills.