The ambassador of the United States of America Lewis Eisenberg in these days is in Palermo

The ambassador of the United States of America Lewis Eisenberg, accompanied by the Consul General for Southern Italy, Mary Ellen Countryman, is in these days in Palermo to partecipate at some commemorative ceremonies of the 242th anniversary of the independence of the USA.

The two diplomats were guests of the mayor Leoluca Orlando at Villa Niscemi, also present representatives of the institutions, including the prefect De Miro and the commander of the Carabinieri and numerous exponents of the Italian-American society of Palermo. Orlando spoke to the two diplomats of the city’s cultural change, and its process of internationalization and openness. “

“I told the ambassador – Orlando said – our experience as an open and welcoming city, a city that does not have migrants because anyone who comes here is from Palermo and I explained how this helps the rebirth of the city and the start of a new development economic, social and cultural as well.”

Ambassador Eisenberg pointed out that the Italian and the Sicilian communities in particular are very similar and close to the American one, also because they are many, – he recalled – the numerous American citizens of Sicilian origins.

Eisenberg also spoke of the Second World War, in which some of his family members were missing. For Eisenberg, the value of freedom is shared by the two peoples, the Italian and the American, who 242 years ago fought for independence from England.
The ambassador praised the Ismett, the Mediterranean Institute for the Transplantations working in partnership with the similar institute of Pittsburgh, Ohio, while the mayor recalled the contribution made by the people which emigrated from Sicily  to the American culture and society, remembering the figure of Nick la Rocca, a pioneer in the story of the jazz, born in New Orleans from a family originally from Salaparuta.

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