On bridging the gap between past and present, old-world and new, NIAF President Robert Allegrini is ensuring that Italy’s story continues to be writ- ten and explored with pride and purpose
BY GIOVANNA G. BONOMO
October,2024
Few roots are as vibrant and enduring as the Italian-American experience. From 1880 to 1920, over 4 million Italians crossed the Atlantic, forming the largest group among the ‘new immigrants’ and forever altering the fabric of the nation.
This massive influx, equivalent to nearly 13% of Italy’s 1920 population, not only reshaped American cities but also redefined what it meant to be American, while risking to lose the meaning of what it means to be Italian. At the forefront of finding, preserving and celebrating Italy’s rich heritage stands Robert Allegrini, a man whose heritage story embodies the very essence of the Italian-American journey.
“My great grandfather was already in the US in the 1880s,” Allegrini reveals, placing his family among the vanguard of Italian arrivals. “These early settlers, predominantly from northern regions like Genoa, Piemonte and Tuscany, blazed trails that later waves of the mezzogiorno (southern Italy) would follow.”
The Allegrini family story reflects the true pioneering spirit of early Italian immigrants, with a twist that makes it “fairly unusual,” as Allegrini puts it. Unlike most Italian immigrants who settled on the East Coast, his great-grandparents ventured straight west to Nevada. Their 1896 wedding took place in the famous western “ghost town” of Virginia City, Nevada, at the St. Mary’s in the Mountains Church, which still stands today—a living monument to the diverse paths Italian immigrants carved across America.
But the family narrative was far from linear, with unexpected plot twists that would shape Allegrini’s unique heritage story. “I have a grandmother who was born in Dayton, Nevada,” he explains, adding a distinctly American chapter to his family’s story.
However, fate had other plans. “My great grandmother got sick on the frontier, and the physicians said the climate would be better for her recovery in Italy,” Allegrini recounts. This medical advice opened up a choice and prompted a fast decision: stay in America or move back to Italy. The family packed up and moved back to their native Tuscany.
A transatlantic decision that led to another twist in the Allegrini family saga. “So I have an American Grandmother but an Italian Mother,” he notes, referring to his mother’s birth in Lucca, Italy. “They came back to the US to Chicago in the 1930s.” This cultural hybrid created a family deeply rooted in both worlds, with branches spanning continents and generations.
Robert Allegrini’s family history, with roots in both the American West and Tuscany, provided him with a rich heritage that shaped his mission to bridge Italian and American cultures. Growing up in Chicago, his connection to his Italian background developed subtly. “It was an acclimation process because even though my parents spoke perfect Italian, they spoke to each other and to me in English,” he recalls. “I fortuitously lived in an Italian neighborhood.” This immersion laid the foundation for a lifelong journey of discovering authentic Italian culture beyond Hollywood stereotypes.
Despite the successful integration of Italian-Americans into American society, Allegrini recognizes the cost of this assimilation. He notes, “In many cases, to achieve integration into American society, Italian Americans have lost touch with true Italian culture and history.
If you look at a little country occupying a fraction of the world’s land mass and a population of 60 million, Italy has given the world more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country.” For Allegrini, Italy’s true treasure lies in its rich history and global contributions.
Allegrini is concerned about the perpetuation of stereotypes: “In the absence of authentic Italian models, many third and fourth generation Italian Americans still allow American popular culture—Hollywood in particular—to define their ethnic identity with negative effects. Hollywood often portrays Italian Americans as loud, crude, covered in gold chains and tolerant, if not outright favorable, to organized crime. Too many young Italian Americans adhere to this ridiculous characterization.”
In response to these distorted portrayals, Allegrini sees NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) as a crucial counterbalance: “NIAF acts as a counterweight to Hollywood by offering itself as a point of reference for all Italian Americans who are thirsty to learn what their heritage and culture of origin truly represent.”
His deep enthusiasm and appreciation for his heritage has driven his professional life. Before leading NIAF, he had a distinguished career in public relations and hospitality, serving as Vice President of Communications-the Americas for Hilton. His expertise earned him recognition as one of the 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Marketing by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International in 2016.
Allegrini’s involvement in Italian-American affairs includes serving as Executive Director of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans in Illinois, founding the Chicago chapter of the Academia Italiana Della Cucina, and presiding over the Italian American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest. In 2002, the Italian Republic bestowed upon him the title of Commendatore (Knight Commander) in the Order of Merit.
As NIAF President, Allegrini views his role as that of a cultural alche- mist, fostering a unique blend of Italian and American values. He champions projects that illuminate the Italian-American story, such as NIAF’s $100,000 support for the film “Cabrini” about America’s first saint. His goal is to ensure future generations understand and value their heritage.
He takes pride in the contributions of Italian-Americans to American culture, from music legends like Sinatra and Lady Gaga to culinary innovations and fashion trends. “We taught the world how to eat, how to dress, how to paint,” he note with a smile, highlighting the pervasive impact of Italian aesthetics.
Under Allegrini’s leadership, NIAF has expanded its role as a cultural bridge between the United States and Italy. The foundation promotes initiatives like the “Tourism of the Roots” program, partnering with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to encourage heritage tourism. NIAF also offers the “Ambassador Peter F. Secchia Voyage of Discovery” program, an immersive experience allowing students to explore their Italian roots.
Allegrini explains, “One of my main goals has been to promote closer relations with Italian institutions so that NIAF can serve as a true bridge between the United States and Italy and as a thought leader in advancing US-Italy relations.” To this end, NIAF collaborates with Italy’s leading think tank to produce position papers on critical issues such as the strategic value of the US/Italy partner- ship and the Italian diaspora.
The partnership between NIAF and the Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association (CIBPA) further exemplifies this cultural fusion, representing a significant portion of the 20 million North Americans of Italian descent.
This collaboration aims to promote Italian heritage, support professional development, and enhance business opportunities for its members. Reflecting on his tenure, Allegrini articulates his vision: “We bring the best of Italian culture and Anglo-Saxon culture as we live in America and Canada: we take the family sense, which is something valuable and something that is dying here in the US and Canada, and we espouse everything that makes life worth living—and you pair it with the Amer- ican and Canadian virtues of patriotism and civic sense we were imbued with from birth—we have an unbeatable combination for community building and cultural enrichment.”Allegrini’s ultimate aspiration is clear:
“ If Italian Americans come away with a greater sense of the richness of their Heritage, I would consider my tenure a success. ”
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