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Welcome to our group The Italifornian Group! A space for us to connect and share with each other. Start by posting your thoughts, sharing media, or creating a poll.

About Columbus Day

A Day for Columbus

The news reached the Sielis through the San Francisco Chronicle:“President Benjamin Harrison Declares National Holiday to Honor Columbus.”

It was 1892, and America was still young enough to crave its heroes—and frightened enough to look for scapegoats.

My blog "The Soil Remembers: The Saga of the Sieli Family" continued: The Sieli Chronicles: The Soil Remembers: The Saga of the Sieli Family

Community (and the Lack of It)

The town took note of them as one takes note of a fencepost: useful if it holds, in the way if it does not. Some Anglos waved. Many did not. A man named Ezekiel Crowe—tall, tight, with a beard like a brush dipped in bitterness—set himself up as the voice of the valley’s conscience and told anyone who would listen that papists were building a secret kingdom one rosary at a time.

“They worship statues,” he said on a corner one afternoon as the Sieli wagon went by with barrels for water. “They will bring the Pope’s law over the mountains on their beads.”

Ciao amici! 🇮🇹🍷

I’ve started writing a serialized blog about an Italian American family that owns a vineyard in California. Through their story, you’ll follow them across the decades and generations, experiencing California’s history from 1850 to the present day — from the Gold Rush to the modern era.

Below is a brief summary and the opening chapter of the saga. You can read the rest here: The Sieli Chronicles: The Soil Remembers: The Saga of the Sieli Family

In “The Soil Remembers,” the first chapter of The Sieli Chronicles, the author introduces a fictional Italian-American family whose vineyard in California’s San Joaquin Valley becomes a living archive of migration, prejudice, and memory. The story opens in 2025 with brothers Michael and Dominic standing among the vines with their niece Sofia, clashing over identity and how history should be remembered. Then the narrative sweeps back to the 1850s, when brothers Giuseppe and Antonio Sieli leave Liguria…

After viewing the YouTube video posted on OAHIC this Holy Week, March 10-15, 2023,

of the elaborate hand-crafted dried palm weaving, it was reminiscent of how My Mother

use to weave the crosses with her group from St. Joseph's of Cupertino Catholic Church.

The group was YLI Young Ladies Institute, and for a time my mother, Jacqueline Apa Federico,

was the YLI President. We also would see those palm crosses attached to pictures of Christ, Holy Mary,

and a Saint or two.

My Italian Family!!:

These are observations from my grandmother's "Family & Friends Day" event at her house in Yorba Linda, California. I think the year was 2017. It was just "a party to celebrate life," as my grandmother put it, as most of the people there only got together for weddings and funerals, and there had been way too many funerals lately. Lots of her friends, even ones from back East (NY) were there, so I didn't know everybody. but most were extended family and so it was like a family reunion! I'm half Italian, and this was that half! So let the cliches begin!:

1.) My grandmother on the phone talking about the caterer: "We can't run out of food. We're Italians, we don't do that." (Not only did we have food left over, but enough to fill the house! And it's a big house!)

2.) My grandmother: "…

With the celebration of Columbus Day Monday, October 10 2022 in the near future,

let us not forget the history of how and why this law came to be!

Ciao amici! I just wanted to share with you the website I just launched! TheItalianCalifornian.com! Like this almanac and the organizations behind and that sponsor it, my mission is to give more exposure to the Italian American community and its heritage in California to the world. I hope you will approve and support my endeavor. Below is the post from the "About" section of my site:

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Benvenuti! My name is Christopher Forte and I am The Italian Californian. My immediate family were very assimilated and far from their roots so when I had become interested in our Italian heritage at a young age when I was immersed in a culturally diverse setting in Southern California I went on a quest to learn more about it Once I discovered the richness, beauty and storied history that Italians have even right here in California, going as far back as when i…

Italian Americans hold two countries close to our hearts: Italy, the ancient land of our forefathers and ancestors, and for some recent emigres, their recent former homeland, and the United States of America, our new home. We are a very patriotic community, loving and respecting our new homeland as few can. Of course, we recognize that no nation is perfect, and we all have faults that need to be addressed, but our love for and connection to the United States runs deep. And on or near July 4th, America's Independence Day, as an example, every year a patriotic song is sang after Mass at the Italian Church in San Diego, at Our Lady of the Rosary in Little Italy. Usually, it is "America the Beautiful." I wanted to share this with you so you can enjoy this inspiring rendition which was captured on July 4th, 2017. @ourladyoftherosarysd @ourladyofth @ourladysgift @olrlittleitaly…