Why be proud? It’s a question that deserves serious thought and reflection. To begin with, every ethnic, racial and religious group that emigrated to America brought with them a unique set of traditions, customs, values and beliefs that they contributed to America’s collective culture. And for those contributions each group can be justly proud.

We, as descendants of Italian immigrants, have been blessed with a heritage that is arguably second to none in the history of the world. From the time of the Roman Empire, through the Renaissance, to the present day, Italy has produced many of the greatest, most creative and dynamic individuals who have significantly impacted world history: Caesar Augustus, Virgil, Constantine, Galileo, Columbus, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Dante, St. Thomas Aquinas, Machiavelli, Marconi, Fermi, Caruso, and Maria Montessori, to name but a few.