IT CULTUREMiami's Alter Ego Boasts ItalianInfluencesBY CLAUDIO PASTOR, DIRECTOR, SOCIETÁ DANTE ALIGHIERI / ITALIAN CULTURAL CENTER - MIAMIThe Vizcaya Museum and GardensIn the Italian collective imagination the name Miami evokes a series of vague yetenticing connotations: tropical climate, expansive beaches, fun, transgression, wildnights, sexual escapades, drugs, loud music of every type, exotic and spicy foods,palm trees, exclusive <strong>is</strong>lands, a virtual winter playground f<strong>or</strong> New England retirees,yachts and premium racing boats, cru<strong>is</strong>es f<strong>or</strong> the wealthy, casinos, extravagantentertainment, and water and land sp<strong>or</strong>ts, all showcasing an excessive and obsessivewellness. Of course, v<strong>is</strong><strong>it</strong><strong>or</strong>s will find th<strong>is</strong> (and much m<strong>or</strong>e) in Miami, particularly inthat <strong>is</strong>land called Miami Beach (actually another c<strong>it</strong>y connected by various bridgesto Greater Miami), a real<strong>it</strong>y which certainly fulfills those stereotypical images firstmentioned. But those who pay close attention will d<strong>is</strong>cover a Miami that intersectsand overlaps w<strong>it</strong>h that flashy and bo<strong>is</strong>terous Miami previously evoked.Take f<strong>or</strong> example, the pr<strong>is</strong>tinely maintained Art Deco D<strong>is</strong>trict, carefully rest<strong>or</strong>ed inthe 1980s in Miami Beach, evidence of a well preserved h<strong>is</strong>t<strong>or</strong>ical legacy, along w<strong>it</strong>hother imp<strong>or</strong>tant, yet dilapidated, arch<strong>it</strong>ectural structures and museums scatteredacross Miami-Dade County, not to mention those ever present art<strong>is</strong>tic events(exhib<strong>it</strong>ions, classical concerts, opera, conferences, l<strong>it</strong>erary presentations, andh<strong>is</strong>t<strong>or</strong>ical reenactments, all taking place under the watching eye of “Old Europe”and the omnipresent Latin American w<strong>or</strong>ld). Italians who are also aware of thesem<strong>or</strong>e noble aspects of Miami will find, first and f<strong>or</strong>emost, the widespread diffusionof the Italian language, not only in the many Italian restaurants (well deserving ofour pra<strong>is</strong>e f<strong>or</strong> bringing Italian culinary trad<strong>it</strong>ions to the U.S., even if in a slightly“Americanized” version), but also in other sect<strong>or</strong>s including finance, <strong>business</strong>, andconstruction (all led by a young managerial w<strong>or</strong>ld intent on expanding their <strong>business</strong>esthrough “Italianization”). These keen observers will later learn of the conspicuouspercentage of students in local schools, from the elementary to Univers<strong>it</strong>y level, thatdecide to study Italian as a means to learn our language and understand our past andIl nome Miami nell'immaginario collettivo<strong>it</strong>aliano susc<strong>it</strong>a una congerie di connotazioniconfusamente attraenti: clima tropicale, spiaggelungh<strong>is</strong>sime, divertimento, trasgressione, nottiroventi, facili conqu<strong>is</strong>te, droga, f<strong>or</strong>te musicadi ogni tipo e tendenza, cibi esotici e piccanti,palme, <strong>is</strong>ole esclusive, parad<strong>is</strong>o invernale deglianziani pensionati del New England, yachts emotoscafi d'altura, crociere per abbienti, casinó,spettacoli stravaganti e sp<strong>or</strong>ts di acqua e di terra,tutto all'insegna di un esasperato e ossessivowellness. Naturalmente questo e molto altro s<strong>it</strong>rovera a Miami, specialmente in quella puntaavanzata sul mare che é Miami Beach (in realtáun'altra c<strong>it</strong>tá collegata da diversi ponti allaGreater Miami), e il p<strong>it</strong>t<strong>or</strong>esco luogo comunee certamente giustificato. Ma chi avrá occhi eattenzione scoprirá un'altra Miami che s'intersecae si sovrappone a quella rum<strong>or</strong>osa e appar<strong>is</strong>centeprima evocata.Giá ad esempio l'acc<strong>or</strong>to e puntualemantenimento dell'Art Deco D<strong>is</strong>trict, restauratofedelmente negli anni '80 nella stessa Beach,testimonia la cura di un patrimonio st<strong>or</strong>ico,un<strong>it</strong>amente alle altre imp<strong>or</strong>tanti emergenzearch<strong>it</strong>ettiniche e museali sparse nel terr<strong>it</strong><strong>or</strong>iodella Miami-Dade County, per non parlare dellecontinue manifestazioni art<strong>is</strong>tiche (mostre,concerti classici, opere, conferenze, presentazionidi libri, rievocazioni st<strong>or</strong>iche, il tutto con sguardipers<strong>is</strong>tenti alla vecchia Europa, oltre cheall'onnipresente mondo Latino-Americano).Gli Italiani attenti anche a questi aspetti più"nobili" scopriranno prima di tutto la largadiffusione della nostra lingua non solo negli <strong>or</strong>mainumeros<strong>is</strong>simi r<strong>is</strong>t<strong>or</strong>anti <strong>it</strong>aliani, lodevolmenteprotesi a trasferire in US la nostra cucina(ovviamente con m<strong>or</strong>bidi racc<strong>or</strong>di al gustoamericano), ma anche in altri sett<strong>or</strong>i e financhenella finanza, nel commercio e nell'edilizia (mondomanageriale giovane e quindi teso ad espanders<strong>it</strong>ram<strong>it</strong>e l'<strong>it</strong>alianizazione), e apprenderanno poicon piacere quanto cospicua sia la percentuale d<strong>is</strong>tudenti - dalle elementari all'univers<strong>it</strong>á - che tra.28
contemp<strong>or</strong>ary culture. Many of them dream of, and later even undertake trips to Italy.Our Consul General, Hon. Marco Rocca, promotes and supp<strong>or</strong>ts frequentin<strong>it</strong>iatives and cultural and exchange events. In th<strong>is</strong> endeav<strong>or</strong>, the Consulate<strong>is</strong> always supp<strong>or</strong>ted by the Societa’ Dante Alighieri -- which in recent yearshas experienced a substantial increase in and development of <strong>it</strong>s activ<strong>it</strong>ies (i.e.courses in language, h<strong>is</strong>t<strong>or</strong>y/culture, culinary arts, wine tasting, and Latin, inadd<strong>it</strong>ion to conferences, readings, expos<strong>it</strong>ions, etc.) -- as well as the other<strong>or</strong>ganizations that facil<strong>it</strong>ate the diffusion and study of the Italian language.The spread of Italian culture has also been aided by the various agreementsestabl<strong>is</strong>hed w<strong>it</strong>h the cultural representatives of the most diffuse Latin Americancommun<strong>it</strong>ies present in Fl<strong>or</strong>ida (particularly from Cuba, Argentina, and Brazil),which have resulted in the proliferation of jointly <strong>or</strong>ganized and mutually enrichingcultural events including film festivals, musical perf<strong>or</strong>mances, and numerousother happenings. In particular, the Societa’ Dante Alighieri enjoys a blossomingpartnership w<strong>it</strong>h L’Alliance Franca<strong>is</strong>e, w<strong>it</strong>h whom <strong>it</strong> shares <strong>it</strong>s new central location.In a land where Engl<strong>is</strong>h and Span<strong>is</strong>h-speakers often complain about the use of"Spangl<strong>is</strong>h," Italian tour<strong>is</strong>ts will be taken aback by the warm welcome they will receiveand by a presentable and evolved Italian language which has become increasingly c<strong>or</strong>rectand prec<strong>is</strong>e. Surely, they will feel much closer to home than the 10,000 kilometers ofAtlantic Ocean that separate Miami from the "bel Paese ove il si' suona."le varie opzioni scelgono l'<strong>it</strong>aliano non solo comelingua ma anche come conoscenza della nostracultura passata e recente, sognando e poi spessoeffettuando davvero viaggi in Italia.Il nostro Consolato Generale, egregiamentediretto dal Dott. Marco Rocca, promuove esostiene frequenti iniziative ed eventi culturali e diinterscambio: in questo é affiancato costantementedalla Societá Dante Alighieri, che negli ultimi anniha v<strong>is</strong>to un grande incremento e sviluppo delle sueattiv<strong>it</strong>á (c<strong>or</strong>si di lingua, st<strong>or</strong>ia e arte, di gastronomiae cucina, di Winetasting, di Latino, oltre aconferenze, letture, esposizioni, ecc.) nonchédalle altre <strong>or</strong>ganizzazioni che si occupano delladiffusione e dell'insegnamento dell'<strong>it</strong>aliano.Molto hanno contribu<strong>it</strong>o anche vari acc<strong>or</strong>di conle rappresentanze culturali delle commun<strong>it</strong>ásudamericane piú numerose presenti in Fl<strong>or</strong>ida,specie Cubana, Argentina e Brasiliana, anche quicon la realizzazione di eventi, quali ad esempiofestival cinematografici o serate musicali, condottiin simbiosi e con larga fruizione recriproca.Particolare é poi la conc<strong>or</strong>de tess<strong>it</strong>ura di rapp<strong>or</strong>ticon l'Alliance Franca<strong>is</strong>e, con cui la Dante condividela nuova sede piú centrale e funzionale.Nella terra dove anglofoni e <strong>is</strong>panofoni lamentanol'uso dello "spangl<strong>is</strong>h," il tur<strong>is</strong>ta Italiano si stupirádella calda accoglienza che lo avvolgerá, da unadec<strong>or</strong>osa ed evoluta lingua <strong>it</strong>aliana, che tendesempre piú a divenire c<strong>or</strong>retta e prec<strong>is</strong>a, e s<strong>is</strong>entirá assai meno lontano di quanto i 10.000 Kmdi Atlantico lo separino dal "bel Paese ove il si'suona".Monique Troncone, CPA P.A.Accounting & Tax Special<strong>is</strong>tsBusiness ConsultantMonique Troncone, CPA P.A.Certified Public Accountant55 NE 5th Avenue, Su<strong>it</strong>e 501Boca Raton, FL 33432-5500E-mail: Monique@Troncone-cpa.comOffice: (561) 417-0308Direct: (561) 910-3112Fax: (561) 417-0803E-Fax: (561) 910-9922