Italian American One Voice Coalition
The is a nationwide anti-bias organization that defends Italian American heritage and combats all forms of bigotry through information, education, legislation, and advocacy. Its goal is to project a united front in dealing with defamation, discrimination and negative stereotyping of Italian American culture and heritage. It is the only national Italian American organization of its type.
History
The was founded by Dr. Manny Alfano, and consists of thousands of activists across the country.Mission
The mission of the Italian American One Voice Coalition is to protect the rightful representation of Italian Americans in American society and all other peoples whose heritage is damaged by unacceptable and worn out ethnic stereotyping in media, politics, the arts and elsewhere.Leadership
Founding Italian American One Voice Coalition President Manny Alfano dedicated himself to defending, promoting and preserving Italian American heritage and culture. He has spoken out against movies like "Don Jon," shows such as "Jersey Shore," various commercials and productions, instances and articles in which Italian Americans are negatively portrayed. He died on June 21, 2022.After the passing of Dr. Emanuele Alfano, Andre' DiMino became President and continues to represent the organization on TV and radio interviews in furtherance of the mission to defend Italian American heritage, culture and civil rights.
Activities
The Italian American One Voice Coalition stands ready to combat negative Italian American stereotyping through informational meetings, functions and protests against media outlets that continue to portray Italian culture in a bad light. It also actively recruits members who are ready and willing to raise awareness of instances of Italian American bias and discrimination. The Italian American One Voice Coalition has also created the first-ever nationwide "rapid response" network of defenders who respond quickly to instances of Italian American bias and stereotyping through emails, letters, phone calls and through social media.In recent years, the group has made a focus of its activities opposing efforts to eliminate Columbus Day as a federal holiday, and criticizing what it views as Italian-American slurs in popular culture.