{"id":213749,"date":"2020-05-17T18:00:39","date_gmt":"2020-05-17T22:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inserra-chair\/?page_id=213749"},"modified":"2025-11-12T01:07:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T06:07:16","slug":"video-interviews-food-hunger-migration-sicily-wwii-allied-landing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inserra-chair\/endowed-chair-research\/video-interviews-food-hunger-migration-sicily-wwii-allied-landing\/","title":{"rendered":"Video Interviews: Food, Hunger, Migration and the American Myth in Sicily at the Time of the WWII Allied Landing"},"content":{"rendered":"

The project “Food, Hunger, Migration and the American Myth in Sicily at the Time of the WWII Allied Landing”<\/a> encompasses a series of interviews with Sicilian women and men who have direct memories of the arrival of the Allied Forces in Sicily in 1943, as well as the late phase of Fascism and the post-war period. A few interviews were conducted with local historians, journalists, and even a chef, who were too young or still unborn at that time to have direct memories, but have collected valuable materials themselves as part of separate initiatives.<\/p>\n

This webpage includes excerpts of the project’s interviews focusing on a few related topics: eating practices under the Mussolini regime, the food that the American forces brought to Sicily, and the ways in which these goods affected the local diet over time, even today. The interviewees’ recollections are inevitably mixed with stories of migrations, since the “arrival of the Americans” was indirectly experienced as the return of that portion of Sicily who had relocated across the ocean.<\/p>\n

See project’s official webpage<\/a> for a full description of the premise, content and goals, supported for two consecutive years by Angelo and Marie Cali Fund for Italian Studies with matching funds provided by the Inserra Chair Endowment at Montclair State University (this project is IRB-approved).<\/p>\n

MEMORIES OF FOOD DURING THE FASCIST PERIOD<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

ANTONIO INGIAIMO (Licata, province of Agrigento, 1932-2020, shoemaker and plumber)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ingiamo’s recollections of the late Fascism are among the bleakest: while he remembers that the locals, no matter how poor, still had salt-preserved sardines and olives to accompany their meager bread, he also remarked that food would also be a figment of the imagination in some cases, as he shows in this telling anecdote. His testimony is in stark contrast with that of Maria Di Prima below.<\/p>\n

\nhttp:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inserra-chair\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2021\/02\/Ingiaimo-Bread-and-cheese-20-secs.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n


\nMARIA DI PRIMA\u00a0(Sutera, province of Caltanissetta, 1928, daughter of an agrarian inspector employed by the Fascist regime)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Di Prima’s memories of the later part of the Fascist period are the direct reflection of the social status of her father, an established functionary of the Fascist government, with a particularly key role in the control of food provisions, as an agrarian inspector. Her vision of the wartime was one of secure access to food, in which the food distributed by Americans was a playful addition, but not a necessity. Her testimony depicts a scenario radically opposite from that of Antonio Ingiamo’s above.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inserra-chair\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2021\/02\/Di-Prima-Father-provided-all-18-secs.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

MEMORIES (DIRECT and INDIRECT) OF THE LANDING AND THE FOOD THAT CAME WITH IT\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

FRANCESCA BALLACCHINO (Licata, province of Agrigento, 1925, former public school teacher, daughter of a farmer)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ballacchino’s awe-filled memory of the Landing is a perfect start to convey the mythic quality of the arrival of the Allies.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inserra-chair\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2021\/02\/Ballacchino-Amphibious-landing-Marvel-27-secs.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

PINO CUTTAIA (Licata, province of Agrigento, 1986, Michelin-starred chef, collector of passed-on memories)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cuttaia’s precious addition to the project starts with a powerful image of the impact of the arrival of the Allied forces on the locals’ ravenous acquisition of food. His stories also include the recollection of a museum visit that enhanced his knowledge and perception of WWII military rations, and the description of the dish he created as a pluri-awarded professional chef, in part based on the museum visit, but also on personal memories of the post-war period, when the family diet was re-designed to counterbalance the wartime deprivation.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The Landing of the Americans was also the Landing of Foods (pants as bags)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inserra-chair\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2021\/02\/Cuttaia-Pants-as-bags-30-secs.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

    2.\u00a0 The dish “Visual memory” in Cuttaia’s menu as a reflection on the post-war diet<\/p>\n

    http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inserra-chair\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2021\/02\/Cuttaia-Veal-dish-War-Memory-v.2-2-mins.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n

    ANNAMARIA IACONA (Licata, province of Agrigento,1929, daughter of a brick company owner)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Iacona’s father’s job in the construction sector, and its related respectful social position, allowed the family to maintain access to food, as well as more non-essential items such as cigarettes. Still, the American food was welcomed as a wonderful addition for its color (white bread, yellow butter) and lightness: despite the widespread legend that it could be poisoned and locals had to stay away from it as the enemy’s food, it soon became quite popular.<\/p>\n

    http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inserra-chair\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2021\/02\/Iacona-Money-Connections-Solid-diet-26-secs-.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n


    \nROSARIA CASTIGLIONE (Licata, 1932, province of Agrigento, daughter of a textile seller)
    \n<\/strong>
    \nCastiglione’s association of the arrival of the Americans with the introduction of the chewing gum adds a charming personal touch to a popular story: the introduction of a curious candy that you were not supposed to swallow…. As is the case for many interviewees, Americans and their food are a source of hesitation, if not fear, but also appeal.\u00a0\u00a0
    \n<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Linguistic note: The word “ciunga” is used in Sicily (and in its several variations all over Italy) to refer to the chewing gum, an obvious loan translation with phonetic adaptation of the English term, which was introduced with the arrival of the American forces and has stayed until now, unbeknownst to many. This linguistic contamination is yet another fact of the pollination produced by the encounter of the locals with the U.S. soldiers. See Accademia della Crusca article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/inserra-chair\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2021\/02\/Castiglione-Chewing-gum-57-secs-total.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n

    ARTURO CAMBIANO (Licata, 1940, province of Agrigento, former state employee)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Cambiano’s contribution has a fairy-talish quality, perhaps because he was so young. Food containers became magical objects and the arrival of the American soldiers was celebrated as the visit of special guests who gave and received food as part of an exchange often made easier by the fact that many of them were Italian Americans. Even though there was no direct relationship to them, they were embraced as family members.<\/p>\n