Mission
October Italian Heritage Month
Mission Statement
The primary purposes of October as Italian American Heritage Month are educational and celebratory. Our goal is to inform the public of the contributions made by Italians and Italian Americans to our civilization, especially in the arts, the humanities and the sciences; and to celebrate the impact that Italian culture and language have had, and continue to have, on our lives as Italian Americans.
Our History
Education and celebration are achieved by the encouragement and support of events and activities throughout the year, principally during the month of October, that bring people of goodwill together to gain a greater appreciation for the roles played by Italians and Italian Americans in shaping our civilization.
We view culture in its broadest sense to include an appreciation of the significance and value of the Italian and Latin languages, Italian and Italian American history, art, architecture, agriculture, cuisine, fashion, film, government, industry, literature, music, religion, science, sport, and all those other aspects of life we view as part of culture. We also will endeavor to bring new perspectives to the lives and times of notable persons of Italian ancestry throughout the ages.
Our Purpose
Our Pride
We are committed to being fair and accurate in our portrayals of peoples and events. We take great pride in the knowledge that without the contributions of Italians and Italian Americans, the world as we know it might not exist, and our cultural life would be immeasurably poorer.
In view of our purposes, we have a special obligation to encourage young people to participate in these events and activities because an awareness of cultural differences is an integral part of the educational process, and vital to an understanding that respect for the differences between individuals and groups is that bond that holds our society together. Thus, we believe that the observance of Italian American Heritage Month must be inclusive of all members of the community, and that the celebration of our cultural identity will serve to reaffirm the importance of celebrating the cultural identities of all other people.