In Rome, a grand celebration at Cinecittà marked Sophia Loren’s 90th birthday. Her son, director Edoardo Ponti, who directed her three times on set in Between Strangers, Voce umana, and the intense The Life Ahead, addressed her with heartfelt words. It was Edoardo who, for a moment, set aside her status as a screen legend—the diva, recipient of two Oscars, five Golden Globes, a Golden Lion, a Volpi Cup at Venice, a Grammy Award, a Cannes Prix, a Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement at Berlin, and numerous David di Donatello awards. He did not recount her accolades. Instead, he highlighted the personal connection, momentarily setting aside the fact that the American Film Institute ranked her 21st among the greatest American film actresses of all time, and that she has a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. In November, Hollywood will honor her with a major retrospective at the Academy of Motion Pictures, alongside a concert in Santa Monica conducted by Maestro Carlo Ponti, her eldest son, with producer Carlo Ponti.
In front of all the guests, at a celebration where she was presented with the first-ever Keys to Cinecittà, her son Edoardo looked her in the eyes and spoke to her as a mother, expressing not only his filial love but also a quintessentially Italian sense of family: “Mom,” he said, “you are our light, and light has no time or age. You are a light that this country carries like a torch around the world, and that we all carry in our hearts and in the deepest parts of our lives. The light you project is the light of your beauty, which helps us appreciate the beauty within all of us. It’s the light of your humanity, which helps us understand each other a little better. It’s the light of your wisdom, which encourages us to believe in ourselves even when it’s not so easy. It’s the light of dignity and courage that shines through your example of never denying or forgetting your roots and never allowing another light—that of the spotlight—to steal your identity. You are a star, not for your success, but for your simplicity.”
He reminded everyone that Sophia Loren, synonymous with Italian cinema and a respected American star, is an ambassador of Italian culture worldwide, an icon of La Dolce Vita, embodying beauty, authenticity, and humanity. He acknowledged the deep importance of her connection to her roots, highlighting how her success has not erased but elevated her past.
October is Italian-American Heritage Month, a time to recognize the contributions of the Italian community to the development and progress of American society. It is a celebration of the achievements and successes of Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans, who today represent the fifth-largest ethnic group in the United States.
Perhaps there was no better introduction to explain the significance of a celebration like this, which seeks to emphasize the lasting impact of Italian immigration on American culture. It’s not just about people who, proud of their tricolored roots, have contributed to and continue to shape American culture, economy, or science. It’s about people who have made, and continue to make, a cultural impact, leaving a profound imprint on society and customs.
Take Amedeo Peter Giannini, who wasn’t just an American banker. Born in 1870 to Genoese immigrants, he was one of the founders of the Bank of America alongside Venetian Lionello Perera. He was also the first to use advertising, the first to finance installment car sales, and the first to conceive of banking as a public service, not just for the wealthy. He’s considered the inventor of modern banking practices, the first to offer financial services to the middle class, and even to lend money to women—revolutionary for the time.
Today, a documentary by director Davide Fiore, who himself arrived in the Bay Area from Turin, traces Giannini’s career and legacy, which was not only financial. For example, with great foresight, he financed what would become the symbol of San Francisco: the Golden Gate Bridge.
Staying in the world of architecture and just steps from Loren’s cinema, we can’t overlook the mark left in the heart of Hollywood by Renzo Piano, who designed the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the most important cinema museum in the world. Located in the famous Miracle Mile, the museum revitalized the 1939 May Company building and created a modern spherical structure, the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theatre, and the Dolby Family Terrace. “The Academy Museum,” said Piano, also from Genoa, “gives us the opportunity to honor the past while creating a building for the future—or rather, for many futures.” During the inauguration, the director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles, Emanuele Amendola, stated: “Architecture plays a crucial role in building community; it’s not just about creating physical spaces but about designing environments where people can connect and find a sense of belonging.” This reflection holds true for Giannini, for Loren, and for all those who have helped build the Italian-American community.
Although Italy as a nation didn’t exist until 1861, it sent millions of its people to North American shores. The first immigrants—Neapolitans, Sicilians, Calabrians, Ligurians, and Venetians—often struggled to understand each other due to vastly different dialects. Once in the United States, they rolled up their sleeves and became Italian-Americans. At the beginning of the 20th century, they profoundly changed the continent with hard work, ingenuity, perseverance, intelligence, and a generous emotional charge—and they continue to enrich society today.
This ongoing contribution is evidenced not only by the steady arrival of researchers, technologists, scientists, innovators, creatives, and entrepreneurs in California but also by the constant dedication that each of these modern immigrants puts into their work. Vito M. Campese, a passionate supporter of research from Puglia, is now Professor Emeritus of Medicine and co-director of the Kidney Research Center in Los Angeles, to which he has dedicated his entire life. “I’ve been here for 50 years, and today we celebrate,” he said, visibly moved. “Here, I built my career, starting as a fellow, then becoming assistant, associate, and full professor in 1985. I’ve always worked on kidney diseases and hypertension. It’s the recognition of a life dedicated to work, to patients, to study and research, but also to educating new generations of doctors.”
It’s this lifelong dedication that makes the difference and explains the importance of Italian-American Heritage Month, where the Italian and Italian-American cultural heritage intrinsic to individuals becomes an added value to their professional qualities. Edoardo Ponti’s tribute touches on exactly these themes and represents the light that has guided millions of Italian immigrants who landed in America.
From cinema to finance, from architecture to medicine, from technology to sports, from fashion to design, and art in all its forms—Italy is a multicolored world reflected in all its protagonists and interpreters, who have built a piece of America by valuing their Italian origins. In this context lies the significance of L’Italo-Americano, a bastion of Italian culture since 1908. In our pages, there have always been stories, emotions, places, and achievements of these Italians and Italian-Americans. Knowing them, engaging with them, and being part of this ever-evolving cultural dimension is a fundamental identity experience. Together, we build a sense of belonging to “our” cultural community.
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