It has been an usual, unexpected Spring for the Italian-American community in the Bay Area. Since the beginning of March, when Covid-19 started spreading across the United States, demanding businesses to close down and people to shelter-in-place, life has changed for everyone. A lot.
In those same first weeks, all Italians and Italian-Americans living in the Bay Area looked at what happened on the other side of the ocean and the emergency their families and friends were facing. For many, it almost felt like being able to foretell what would or could have happened a few months later in America.
Hit by the quick change and up against uncertainty, the local community had to reorganize itself, while following unfamiliar rules and embracing new habits. The whole world turned-around: relationships, work, personal occasions, routines, and events were no longer possible in the way we were used to. Relationships would exist only over the phone or on the laptop screen; events became all-virtual with both guests and hosts joining from their own homes; eating at favorite restaurants became an old memory; many started spending time cooking (or learning how to) while leaving the delivery orders for special nights.
Besides all these changes, opportunities to learn new things, cultivate unexplored passions, and tour places as never done before became just endless. Almost every day, somewhere on the internet, we could attend a special talk, listen to our favorite artist performing live, or simply watch a movie. At the same time, many found themselves with extra time and decided to use it to help those in need and started to volunteer. Thanks to all these initiatives, the Italian-American community was able to build its own, unique resilience, by keeping it all together, where nobody would be left behind.
Business owners had to change their offerings and, while most Italian restaurants make the human connection one of the most important values to offer to diners, they had to reinvent themselves and use the internet and all its available channels to keep that relation strong.
That’s why, for instance, alongside the to-go or delivery orders, easily made through one of the most popular apps, many restaurant owners decided to offer full menus for families stuck at home or started selling the ingredients of their most popular dishes so that everyone could try to make that delicious Italian dish themselves.
When it comes to food, Italians are hard to beat. In April, for instance, Viola Buitoni presented five half hour lunchtime virtual classes on the everyday art of Italian cooking, all live on the Italian Cultural Institute’s Instagram channel. From weeknight pasta to Easter lunch, Viola called the series #StayHomeAndCookItalian and shared original and deeply personal dishes that cross the love for family and craft.
Again on Social Media, a Facebook group became a must-join for food-lovers during phase 1 of shelter-in-place: CIBA, Cucina Italiana nella Bay Area, has become the virtual place for the newest generation of Italian immigrants to share dishes and secrets, exchange advice, post photos, and much more. What started as a group to find connections around Italian food ultimately turned into a mobile app to download on your phone.
As for cultural activities, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura had to postpone almost all events planned for 2020. However, activities never really stopped. Director Annamaria Di Giorgio and her team kept delivering to the extent they expanded their programming. In April, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6pm to 7pm, children were able to call and listen live to the reading of fairy tales chosen for them from Gianni Rodari’s book Favole al Telefono (Fairy Tales Over the Phone), read by Director Annamaria Di Giorgio and Roberta Abussi.
As physical schools had to shut down and parents took the double burden of working from home and keeping their children busy, the Institute organized a series with Gaia Stella, an award-winning illustrator and author, specialized in picture books and novelty books for Italian and international publishers. “Making Stuff with Gaia Stella” featured four activities for which children could become creative by using a printer, scissors, and glue.
Design was and will also be at the center of the programming for the next months: Chiara Alessi, a journalist and curator in the field of design, conducts mini-lessons on design by sharing stories about some of the most iconic products of Italian design. The first one was dedicated to the FIAT 500, a symbol of the post-war economic recovery and the great start to the Italian mechanical industry.
Last but not least, viva il Cinema Italiano! CINEDAY is a series featuring ten Italian contemporary movies available to the first 300 to register. The program runs until August and more details can be found on the Istituto Italiano di Cultura website.
Another important piece of this strength and resilience building process is represented by volunteering: the Italian Community Services, the 1916-born organization providing Bay Area Italian-American individuals and families with trusted resources, had to drop all weekly socializing activities, presentations, concerts, cultural events and catered meals. Yet, they were able to provide telephonic wellness checks to hundreds of community members, as well as run urgent errands for seniors and a two-weeks care package delivery to bring fresh organic produce, informational materials on the pandemic, foods from Italy, and recipes.
Another important moment of generosity was represented by the donation campaign #ItalyStayStrong run by the Embassy of Italy and Issnaf – Italian Scientists and Scholars of North America Foundation. It surpassed the half-million dollar goal and will support three Italian medical/research centers at the forefront in the fight versus coronavirus.
While the community tries to keep a good, positive spirit, hoping the emergency will be over soon, Consul General Lorenzo Ortona and his team have been working around the clock for months, helping those willing to return to Italy and making sure everyone gets the support they need. In addition to that, the synergy with Italian Ambassador in Washington, Armando Varricchio, has grown stronger: the June 4th’s Italian Digital Town Hall, that hosted experts from the West Coast and Hawaii to discuss the progress made by scientists and doctors on the fight against Covid-19, was only one of the many webinars presented by the Embassy and the Consulate in the last weeks.
These are just a few of the many examples of resilience, teamwork, creativity Italians have been showing during this pandemic. That’s why, starting in two weeks, we will report the voices of the people who – day in, day out – are helping the community with small, yet meaningful actions. Do not miss this short series of articles in our next issues.
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