In this exclusive interview with i-Italy, Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero discusses the role of the Italian and Italian-American community in the United States, the strong emotional ties between America and Italy and the Italian cultural heritage as a fundamental value to transmit. 18 million Italian-American citizens live in the US nowadays, a figure that Bisogniero defines as "an extraordinary strength and starting point for our work in this country." Bisogniero mentions in his answers the presence of Italian-Americans in relevant political positions in the Obama administration while acknowledging the importance of the many Italian-American associations who are present in the US, but he also looks towards the younger generations of Italian-Americans and the new Italian presence in the US as "enriching both countries." Bisogniero also elaborates on the importance of the sense of goodwill that Italy generates with the American people as a fundamental asset, and anticipates the spirit of the "2013 Year of Italian Culture in the United States" initiative: "We really want it to be a symbiosis of tradition and innovation, Italy is both classic and contemporary and always looking to the future."
