By Jack De Leonibus
We decided to do something a little different for our Personality Profiles this week. I recently sat down with my three children, Victoria, 14, Nevio, 8, and Romina, 3, and chatted with them about our Italian heritage and traditions, along with some other fun banter back and forth. I interviewed each of them separately so they wouldn’t hear each other’s responses.
Enjoy!
What does Italian mean to you?
Victoria: I’m proud to be Italian. Knowing about the traditions. Doing things to represent the Italian culture. Hard workers. People can call themselves Italian, but learning and being active in our culture is what counts.
Nevio: Playing bocce and making wine.
Romina: Spaghetti
What do you like most about helping your family when making homemade food?
Victoria: Learning how to make different foods while spending time with them. New experience.
Nevio: It tastes good and it’s fun.
Romina: I like putting cheese on the pizza.
Name some homemade foods that you like to make with your family.
Victoria: Pizza/gnocchi
Nevio: Pizza, pasta, sandwiches, sausage, my dad’s peppers
Romina: Pizza
Which foods taste the best that your parents make?
Victoria: Homemade sausage, pasta and bread
Nevio: Pizza, pasta
Romina: Dad’s pasta and meatballs; Mom’s breaded chicken and pasta
Which foods taste the best that your grandparents make?
Victoria: Pizza
Nevio: Pastina from Nanna; pasta and cured meat from Nonno; pasta from Gram; and breakfast from Pap
Romina: Pasta
What is your favorite food?
Victoria: I don’t have a favorite I like a variety. Homemade is the best
Nevio: Ravioli’s, cannoli’s, Nutella sandwiches, sausage and bread
Romina: Candy, pasta, meatballs
What do you like to do for fun?
Victoria: Doing things with family and friends, being goofy in the stores.
Nevio: Play bocce, play in the park, go to Wildwood Highlands, the Zoo, Kennywood, go to the pet store, Idlewild Park, and the mall
Romina: Be a ballerina and play with my baby dolls
Do you know any Italian words?
Victoria: Yes. ‘Bella,ciao, aqua, and sta zitto.’
Nevio: I know how to say, ‘I like bocce,’ and ‘how do you make the mushrooms?’
Romina: I know how to say ‘water.’
What are some of the things you learned from your parents?
Victoria: Work hard for the things that you want. Make good choices. Be responsible. Be a leader not a follower, do good in school, stand up for what you believe in.
Nevio: some Italian and everything I know
Romina: Aqua
Do you want to visit Italy someday? Why?
Victoria: Yes. Because it is different from where we live. I want to see where my great , great grandparents were from and how our culture is really like.
Nevio: Yes, because you can play bocce there and make wine.
Romina: Yes
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Victoria: Not sure but I want to be successful so I can give back to my parents and family. The animal field or an artist.
Nevio: Three things: work at the zoo, be a vet owner, and maybe a firefighter
Romina: Ballerina
What are some of the things that your parents do to make you laugh?
Victoria: You can write a book on that. Here are a few things. When my dad says green, white and red all day every day. My dad will put things on in the stores like the Halloween store and when people look he will say look Victoria, lurkers. We make up our own words. Makes faces and makes fun of me when I say wait what. Let’s just say I always have a great time with my family. They never fail to amuse me.
Nevio: They dance; and making funny faces at my mom when she isn’t looking. My mom—when she yells at me she repeats herself.
Romina: Make funny faces. Chases me. When we wrestle. When I dance around with my mom.
Victoria, Nevio, and Romina what a wonderful family environment you have. You are truly blessed children with great parents.
Dio ti benedica!
Leslie