Grandparents and Grandchildren in Italian America - Aileen Riotto Sirey and Emma Bankier

GRANDPARENTS AND GRANDCHILDREN IN ITALIAN AMERICA is a video series featuring the relationship between different generations of Italians in America narrated firsthand by couples of grandparents and grandchildren. Their conversations touch on all central issues concerning Italian identity in the US, from immigration to religion, from language to cooking and traveling in Italy.

In this episode the conversation is between Aileen Riotto Sirey and her niece, Emma Bankier.
A fascinating journey from the arrival in the US of this Sicilian family through Aileen's fight for the rights of Italian-American women, which culminated with the foundation of NOIAW, the National Organization of Italian American Women.

This first series of “Grandparents and Grandchildren” was produced by i-ItalyTV and ANFE in 2015-2016, with the support of Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Direzione generale per gli italiani all’estero e le politiche migratorie. The videos were shown on TV as part of the weekly program “i-ItalyNY”, airing every Sunday at 1PM on NYC Life (Channel 25 & HD 525), and then made available on the Web (www.iItaly.org).

The protagonists of this first series include:
Matilda Raffa Cuomo and Amanda Cole
Joseph Tusiani and Paola Tusiani
Aileen Riotto Sirey and Emma Bankier
Rosaria Liuzzo and Mara Sparacino
John P. Calvelli and John D. Calvelli


GRANDPARENTS AND GRANDCHILDREN IN ITALIAN AMERICA
Based on an idea of Letizia Airos, Gaetano Calà and Ottorino Cappelli
Written and Directed by Letizia Airos
Director of Photography Matteo Banfo
Filmed and Edited by Matteo Banfo. Mattia Minasi. Ennio Serafini
Production Assistant Mila Tenaglia
Music: Audionautixcom; Bensound
Translations and Subtitles: Bianca Soria, Roberta Cutillo, Francesca Maltauro, Lorenzo Lasagna, Sian Gibby, Athena Mellor

Special thanks to Elisabetta Recchione Calello, Elisabetta Briguglio, Maria DiMeo Calvelli, Annalisa Liuzzo. The John D. Calandra Italian American Institute. Queens College, CUNY.

As seen on i-ItalyTV
Every Sunday @1pm airing on NYC Life (Channel 25)

Visit us at http://www.iitaly.org