Eager to connect more deeply with the local community, IALA’s schedule has been particularly rich in engaging events during the last week.
On Thursday, January 23, the Italian American Lawyers Association hosted the “NIABA Night” at Casa Italiana, while on Saturday 25, members and their guests gathered at the USC California Science Center on the occasion of the annual “Installation Ball”.
Founded in 1983, NIABA – National Italian American Bar Association – is committed to “advancing the interests of the Italian American legal community, and to improving the administration of justice.” Its members are judges, attorneys, law professors and students who share a common cultural heritage, as well as the interest in preserving it over time.
During the festive dinner to honor the NIABA delegation, IALA President Damian D. Capozzola introduced keynote speakers NIABA President Dino Mazzone and NIABA West Region Vice President Joseph Sena, who presented NIABA’s role and mission to serve the Italian American community.
They also discussed the meaning of “italianità” – the Italian spirit –, and discrimination issues through an overview of the history of the Italian immigration to the U.S. Finally, NIAF Florida Area Coordinator Paul Finizio provided the law students in the audience with some useful information about NIAF scholarship program.
In his speech, NIABA President Dino Mazzone underlined that NIABA’s main strength is the enduring personal relationship between the members, as well as a strong connection to the Italian background to be preserved against negative stereotypes and prejudices today like yesterday.
As Joseph Sena recalled, in fact, the history of many Italian immigrants who moved to the United States since the late 19th century was often marked by discrimination. He mentioned the famous case of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, as well as similar episodes of social injustice perpetrated against immigrants in different fields, from firearms and drug trafficking to domestic violence, to deportation as a consequence of criminal conviction.
Also, he compared U.S. immigration and naturalization policies in the early 1900s to the current regulation. As he reminded us, by looking at today’s immigrants from Latin America we can understand how our Italian ancestors must have felt, making sacrifices and working hard to escape poverty and start a new life for themselves and their children.
The NIABA meeting ended with IALA’s thanks to members and guests, and the invitation to join the Association again two days later for the annual Installation Ball celebrating the new leadership officially taking office.
This year, the gala was held at the Samuel Oschin Pavilion, USC California Science Center in Exposition Park, and it was attended by many leading figures of the local Italian American community, including the Consul General Giuseppe Perrone and LA City Councilman Joe Buscaino.
Guest of honor was Umberto Guidoni, astrophysicist, science writer, former member of the European Parliament and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut. In his keynote speech, Guidoni addressed the fascinated audience with his exciting personal experience in space with the STS-100 mission, screening also a video of the launch.
He was one of only two Italians astronauts who ever flew Endeavour, the NASA space shuttle orbited from 1992 to 2011, which is now on view at the USC California Science Center.
Donate