(Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, second from right, next to Oregon Governor Kate Brown. Also in the picture: left, Andrea Bartoloni, honorary Consul in Portland; yours truly; right, Carlo Mannocci, former honorary Consul in Portland and Vice-President of the Comites of San Francisco)
Never had an Italian Ambassador officially set foot in Oregon. The visit of Amb. Claudio Bisogniero on March 10-11, therefore, had a historical character. He came to meet with Governor Kate Brown and Portland Mayor Charlie Hales to illustrate the wide array of cooperation opportunities that Italy can offer to Oregon business, culture and society. He also came to see the vibrant Italian community in the Beaver State. There are 1100 Oregon-based Italian citizens in our vital record registry, while the number of Americans of Italian descent is around 40,000. They have key positions in society and are well organized in several associations and cultural groups. They can be great allies in our efforts to bring Italy and Oregon together.
In his official meetings, Ambassador Bisogniero highlighted that Italy shares many values that are well cherished by Oregonians, such as attention to sustainability, quality of life and social inclusiveness. Portland has already developed a Sister City relationship with Bologna - a sustainable city par excellence. Expo Milano 2015, the great World’s Fair on “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” that will be open May 1st to October 31st - the Ambassador pointed out - is a unique platform for Oregon institutions and companies to let the world know about Oregon’s leadership in sustainable life and food and explore new joint projects.
The Ambassador also pointed at the potential gains in trade and investment that may arise from the TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership currently being negotiated between the United States and the European Union. As the two blocs harmonize their standards and bring down barriers to investment, the Oregon economy is set to reap considerable benefits.
These messages were very well received, as you can imagine. And the reception was even warmer whe he met with several leaders of the Italian community.
There are several layers of Italianita’ in Oregon, spanning from the descendants of the first generations of Italians that landed there in the early decades of the 20th century to the professionals that arrived in the Beaver State in recent years, drawn by the opportunities in the realms of high-tech, sports apparel and scientific research. They are organized in several organizations, like the Festa Italiana - which every year takes over the main square of Portland (this year on August 27-29) - the Italian Businessmen’s Club, UNICO-Portland, the Tuscan Association, the Amici d’Italia, the Paesano Club, the Azzurri Club which is now evolving into an Italian Cultural Association. And let us not forget the Portland Bologna Sister City Commission.
Ambassador Bisogniero praised our fellow-citizens for their activities and dynamism. He also invited them to consider stepping up their efforts to network among different clubs, so as to take advantage of all possible synergies. He hinted at the Scuola Italiana of Portland led by Grazia Solazzi as a flagship Italian project in Oregon that all should consider supporting. “We started with a Piccola Scuola in San Francisco too”, he said, “and look now, La Scuola is an International Baccalaureat bilingual school. That’s the model for Portland.” When the Ambassador left the meeting at Ater Wynne, everybody was energized. I am confident that new amazing projects will come out of the Italian community there in the coming months. One of them is already in the making: an Italian Film Festival on April 11-12 at the PSU Firfth Avenue Cinema, with the local premiere of five critically acclaimed Italian movies. Bravi!
(Ambassador Bisogniero at the Nike Headquarter Campus near Portland, next to Davide Grosso (center), Chief Marketing Officer)
Italian culture was another centerpiece of the Ambassor’s mission to Oregon. Brian Ferriso, the Portland Art Museum Executive Director and a proud Italian American, led the Ambassador to visit “Italian Style: Fashion Since 1945″, a major exhibition that will be open to the Oregon public until May 3. This is a glamorous, comprehensive look at Italian fashion from the end of the Second World War to the present day, which I strongly recommend visiting for all those who happen to be in Portland. The story examines Italy’s dramatic transition from post-war devastation to a burgeoning industry through the key individuals and organizations that have built Italy’s reputation for quality and style. Italian Style includes more than 100 ensembles and accessories by leading Italian fashion houses, including Pucci, Valentino, Gucci, Missoni, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Prada, and Versace, with both women’s fashion and menswear.
The Ambassador has planted many seeds in Oregon - up to all of us here on the West Coast to help them grow into new project of trade, investment, cultural exchanges and more. For a start, we have a Consular officer in Porland on March 11-12 to take the fingerprints of Italian citizens that apply for new passports.
Stay tuned for the follow-up!