IAP 301: Committed to Com.it.es: Alessandro Crocco & the Committees of Italian Abroad

Alessandro Crocco is an energetic and personable thirty-something from Calabria, on a mission to change the way Italy and Italian America interact.  And, as the newly elected President of the Committees of Italian Abroad (Com.it.es) for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut (and Bermuda!) Alessandro is in the perfect position to do so.  But, Alessandro has a secret… after all these years, he may have become an Italian American himself! We're sitting down with this engaging young community leader to discuss the connections and contrasts between "Italians living in America" and Italian Americans, the opportunities and challenges ahead for both, and what it means to think of oneself as an "Expat" vs. an "Immigrant". We'll delve into the inner workings of the Committees of Italian Abroad (Com.it.es), and look at how these representative bodies of the Italian community (directly elected by Italian nationals living abroad around the world) can be a force for dynamic exchange in the 21st century.   It's a frank and funny conversation that will ask some fundamental questions about the future of Italian American identity!