ISDA, one of the country’s largest and most influential Italian American organizations, is holding its National Convention in Cleveland from Aug. 7-11 at the Downtown Hilton hotel. Hundreds of ISDA delegates from around the country are attending. 

U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi, of New York, will be the keynote speaker at the Convention’s opening luncheon this Sunday. He will discuss legislation he recently introduced that would require our government to apologize for the injustice imposed on 600,000 Italian residents of our country — including some in Northeast Ohio — who were designated as “Enemy Aliens” and suppressed during WWII. The legislation also seeks to establish grants to fund the introduction of comprehensive Italian American history curricula in U.S. schools, which would shed light on major achievements and tribulations that have largely been forgotten.