It’s said about 50 percent of students in the United States know little of European history and even less of Italian history. When we celebrate Columbus Day, most of us know little of the background of Columbus’ discovery of America in 1492.

As a second generation Italian-American, I was taught about Italy and its interesting history by my father, Vincenzo Fiorito, who passed away in 2000 at age 99. I had no choice. My father was injured in a construction accident in 1935, leaving him blind. I was then instructed to read and write in Italian to communicate with our family and relatives in Italy.