Dear friends,

As August begins here in Italy, everything pretty much slows down. For an entire month, it's as if the country runs at a quarter of its usual pace—especially in the big cities. But We the Italians never stops. In fact, we're hard at work planning several new initiatives for this fall and even into next year.

As mentioned earlier, our first big event in September will be in Vicenza, in the Veneto region. With 14,000 American residents, Vicenza is the Italian city with the largest American population. The Italy-America Friendship Festival, for which We the Italians is a media partner, is already underway, but its main events are scheduled for September. On Saturday, September 13^th at 4:30 p.m., I’ll have the honor and pleasure of speaking at the magnificent and historic Basilica Palladiana. The talk is titled “Italian Style vs. All’Italiana: Incredible Stories of Italian American Ingenuity.” And our journey in Vicenza doesn’t stop there—something special is coming in October to celebrate a very round-numbered milestone… stay tuned!

We’re also collaborating with our tireless Illinois Ambassador, Ron Onesti, to organize the We the Italians American Ambassadors reunion, which will take place in Chicago from September 19 to 21. It will be a great opportunity to connect, network, and discuss the future of Italy’s relationship with the Italian American community. And yes—there’s another surprise in the works for that event. It’s a tough one to pull off, but we’re doing our best to make it happen.

On September 21^st , I’ll be flying from Chicago to Atlanta to attend the Gala of the Made in Italy Expo—an outstanding event where We the Italians is also a proud partner. The expo is organized by our Georgia Ambassador, Nicola Vidali. The following day, I’ll be part of a panel discussion on trade and industrial relations in this new world we’re navigating.

September will also mark the launch of our brand-new website. We’ve had to deal with some unexpected technical issues, but everything is finally ready. We decided not to launch it in August, as many people in Italy are away on vacation, but now it’s full steam ahead. Starting in September, our U.S. regional divisions will be reorganized from nine areas to six—this also applies to our newsletters.

There is more. A new collaboration kicks off between ITS Journal and We the Italians. Two independent but aligned platforms, united by the desire to highlight what connects Italy to the world — especially to the Italian American community. This partnership is about shared content, visions, and opportunities, while fully respecting the unique identity of each. New stories, new voices, new bridges ahead. ITS Journal is part of the network of ITS Italy, a wonderful project. Stay tuned for this too!

And just to prove we never stop, we’re thrilled to welcome five new Ambassadors to the We the Italians team this month!

Bryce Ciccaglione is our Ambassador in North Dakota. Bryce is a fourth-generation Italian American living in Fargo, North Dakota. He was raised in southwestern Connecticut in a large Italian family. During college, he studied abroad at John Cabot University in Rome and later worked for the Italian Trade Agency in New York, promoting U.S.-Italy investment. In 2024, Bryce became a dual citizen by descent. He deeply values his Italian heritage and is proud to represent and promote Italy and Italian culture throughout North Dakota. 

Martin Novak is our Ambassador in Virginia. Martin is President of the Italian Heritage and Cultural Society in Burke, Virginia, and his maternal grandparents immigrated from San Cataldo, Sicily at the turn of the 20th century. He has a passion for genealogy and is the author of three books – Spanish Influenza in the Wyoming Valley; Anthracite, the Birth and Death of an Industry; and United Americans, Mobilizing the Homefront in World War II. He is a graduate of the University of Baltimore and George Mason University.

Jody Valet is our Ambassador in Kansas. Jody is a local author and researcher with a particular focus on the Italian American community in Kansas City. She is building an archive of Italian items from KC hoping that an Italian American historical society or museum will be established in the area one day. She is producing a documentary about the evolution of Kansas City’s Little Italy neighborhood. She is also working on a new book about Fairyland Park in KC, which shares thestory of her family's immigration from Sicily and the life they built in America.

Anna Manunza is our Ambassador in San Pedro (California). Anna is manager and Cultural Ambassador of the Little Italy of Los Angeles Association in San Pedro (CA), She was born in Sardinia, and in May 2025 she was honored as Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy (Cavaliere). Key achievements include securing Luciano Pavarotti’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, helping organize the first Italian-themed 5K in L.A., expanding the Festa Italiana in San Pedro to over 30,000 visitors, and coordinating the “Villaggio Italia” during the Amerigo Vespucci ship’s Los Angeles visit.

Fabiana Pagani is our Ambassador in Dallas (Texas). Fabiana was born and raised in Italy, now is proudly living in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. She is a licensed Realtor® helping families buy, sell, and relocate, especially those new to the U.S. or seeking a fresh start. She actively supports and promotes all things Italian in DFW, she is the creator of the "ITALIANI A DALLAS" Facebook page, and board member of the "ITALIAN CLUB OF DALLAS". From cultural events to local Italian businesses, she brings passion, community, and a touch of Italy to everything she does.

As mentioned last month, part of the new direction for We the Italians, we want to include our audience more than ever. We’re launching a new video project aimed at giving a voice and face to Italian stories, emotions, and places across the United States. With your help, we’re creating a series of short videos that tell the story of Italian America—through your eyes, from your community.

These videos will be featured on our Facebook page, which gets 5.5 million views each month, and the best ones will be selected for our exclusive Meta Subscription program. They’ll also be posted on our Instagram and TikTok channels, helping us build a more authentic and engaging social media presence while giving visibility to you and your content.

Want to make a video? Here are a few quick tips:

• Use your phone in vertical (Reel) format
• Aim for 30 to 60 seconds
• Make sure your face is well-lit with natural light (no backlighting)
• Choose a quiet place and avoid loud background noise
• Be yourself, smile, and have fun!

You can focus on one (or more!) of the following topics:

1. Italian festivals or events
2. Local Italian landmarks or businesses
3. “Sauce or Gravy?”

This will be a playful look at the heart of Italian American culture. Once your video is ready, you can send it to us via email or Messenger.

And it doesn’t stop there! That’s why we ask you to subscribe to We the Italians.

It’s all for now. Please stay safe and take care, and enjoy our magazine and our contents on our website. Stay safe and take care: the future’s so bright, we gotta wear tricolor shades! A big Italian hug from Rome.