Hello, I'm reading the posts on this new salon with interest. It's exciting! First off, I found just the name of the site to be thought-provoking: Diasporic Continuities. It's a bit of an oxymoron - the two words contradict each other. Maybe that's the point."Diaspora" meaning dispersed communities outside of the homeland. "Continuities" meaning holding the ties, containing the connection. Two opposite activities. Like an amoeba widening & contracting. But then, we certainly are amoebic! I also think most people wouldn't even associate the word "diaspora" legitimately with Italians and Italian Americans. Oh well. They'll learn! Sometimes I think the Italian American community here in the U.S. is the community that doesn't know it's a community. So, thanks for creating this salon! Maybe it will contribute to us finding and refining our boundaries and our communal definition. Yes, it will be curious to see what Italy's 150th celebration will look like, over there, and over here. People Get Ready!! by Giovanna Capone