Professor Cav. Philip J. DiNovo

Professor Philip J. DiNovo is the Founder and President of the esteemed American Italian Heritage Association and the American Italian Heritage Museum in Albany, New York. He has also been knighted by the Italian Government and is a respected figure in America’s Italian community

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
June 2025

   As we look forward to the upcoming warmer months and how fast they are approaching, it becomes increasingly apparent that a common axiom, the older one gets, the faster time flies, has more truth to it than ever before. We look forward to summer at the museum because it means we can offer numerous opportunities for members and friends to participate in fun and informative events. Another advantage of this time of year is that since there are more travelers coming to this area, we have an increase of people from all over who often choose to visit our museum. Since each season does have its own advantages it is my hope that you will avail yourself of all that we have to offer during June and July.
It cannot be denied that we are witnessing a big cultural shift. The changes are sometimes positive, sometimes negative, sometimes a little of both. The signs of cultural shift are everywhere. There seems to be a strong effort to undermine many traditional mores that are an important part of our Italian heritage. As your President, I find this to be a most difficult situation. Before COVID-19 we were very vibrant with an involved membership. Therefore, simply put: come back! We need you to be active, and if you are so inclined, to become a volunteer. There are many advantages to attending our many interesting and enjoyable events as well as volunteering in some capacity. If you’re bored and/or just want to get out of the house, we can help you with that very easily. In case you haven’t noticed, I need and welcome your support!
Our local newspaper often reports about the businesses that are closing, companies leaving the area, local churches shutting their doors or merging, ethnic organizations ending their operations. So many changes are taking place. For instance: shopping habits, people being less religious, fixations with social media, residents moving south, and the difficulty of getting our young people involved; these are just some of the examples of the drastic changes taking place.
All the things I have listed are affecting our museum today and will continue into the future. We have our hands full; I dread the thought that we may lose our treasure, our museum. I have stated many times that first you need to know the problem before you can solve it. There are things that we can do now! Two major ways forward that will make an enormous difference are: (1) Build our endowment and (2) Obtain new members.
We ask that you do whatever is in your power to help us plan for the future and keep us vibrant even if it means you would have to make a sacrifice. Think of what a tremendous loss it would be if we were to actually lose our Italian heritage which is so beautifully on display within the walls of our museum. At risk are the buildings, along with everything that we have collected for almost a half century. What a tremendous failure it would be if we were unable or worse yet, unwilling to succeed in our efforts to stay on task, We must retain all that we and so many others have worked for in order for us to keep alive our culture and traditions.
Again, please help us to recruit new members; that would be a big help. A membership makes a great gift, a way of thanking someone. In keeping with that thought, I especially want to thank all of you who have signed up your children, thereby helping them to appreciate their Italian heritage. How about your grandchildren, nieces, and nephews? Give them a membership as well.
To all of you who are helping us in so many ways, please know that you are truly a gem. On behalf of our members, I want you to know how very much we appreciate you for volunteering, donating and helping us ~ Tante grazie!

Prof./Cav. Philip J. DiNovo




 

 In honor of the Italian immigrants who came to the United States of America, we are committed to record and preserve the contributions of our Italian Heritage and culture to our society through our newsletter, cultural programs, activities, exhibits, and outreach programs.