COMMUNICATION FROM THE REGION OF ABRUZZO REGARDING ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EMIGRATION MUSEUM

The Society recently received a communication from Donato Di Matteo, President of the Consiglio regionale degli Abruzzesi nel Mondo, regarding establishment of an archival history for Abruzzesi who emigrated from Italy. The following is the communication, translated in English, followed by the original communication, in Italian. To learn more about CRAM, visit http://cram.regione.abruzzo.it/ Dearest Abruzzesi friends, While I was President of the CRAM society,

I learned to appreciate the commitment and strength of Abruzzi communities in the world. Consequently I came to admire the courage of those who left their native land and families in search of new places and new destinies in faraway lands. I also admired the courage of those communities and appreciated their sacrifices and their generosity toward their native land, in helping lift it from the tragedies of the last world war. You suffered, but you found new homes in new lands.

You worked with pride and with pride you became Ambassadors of our culture and of our customs. Your sacrifices still enrich and make our region precious. My project, and yours, is to realize a museum of the Abruzzi Emigration that will show the different phases of your lives, starting from the moment you left your homes, the voyage, the arrivals, your new homes and your new jobs. Part of the museum will represent stories of lives, of destinies, of trials, but also of successes. Unfortunately the Abruzzi Region does not know all her children. It is for this reason that I ask you to help us to form an archive that will allow us to know more precisely our communities in the world. I kindly ask you to contact the Italian Immigration Service at assunta.janni@region.abruzzo.it.

You can send names, addresses, and professions of the Abruzzesi abroad. It is important that we collect materials, pictures, films, letters, poems, and meaningful objects that will help to realize this project. I hope that this idea will please you. With this message I send you my brotherly embraces, and the warm embraces of all the Abruzzesi. With affection Pescara June 4th 2015 The President of CRAM society and councilor of Emigration, Donato Di Matteo