American Italian Cultural Center facts for kids

The American Italian Cultural Center (AICC) is a special place in New Orleans, Louisiana. Its main goal is to celebrate and honor the history and culture of Italian American people in Louisiana. Joseph Maselli started the AICC in 1985. It is located right next to the famous Piazza d'Italia in New Orleans.

The AICC offers many cool things for people to do. You can take Italian language classes or enjoy concerts and other fun events. They also organize trips to Italy and help people with dual-citizenship applications. The AICC also supports other Italian American groups and their activities. An Honorary Consul of Italy even has an office there. The American Italian Renaissance Foundation is the main organization that oversees the AICC.

The AICC is also home to two important places. One is the American Italian Museum. The other is the Louisiana American Italian Sports Hall of Fame. The museum shows the history and achievements of American Italians in the Southeast, especially the Italians in New Orleans. You can see old photographs, articles, family stories, and special items there.

The AICC holds a yearly St. Joseph's Day celebration in October. They also host a Festa d'Italia (Festival of Italy) in the Piazza. The AICC publishes a magazine called the Italian American Digest four times a year. They also manage the American Italian Research Library. This library is located in Metairie, a town near New Orleans.

What Does an Honorary Consul Do?

Frank Maselli is the current Chairman of the AICC. He is the son of Joseph Maselli, who founded the AICC. Frank Maselli also serves as an Honorary Consul of Italy. An Honorary Consul helps with some official duties for Italy. For example, they might help students get visas to study in Italy. Most other official duties for the state of Louisiana are handled by the Consulate General of Houston.

How to Become a Member

Becoming a member of the American Italian Cultural Center is a great way to get involved. Members often get discounts on courses offered by the AICC. They also receive special deals at many local Italian restaurants. The AICC offers different levels of membership, so you can choose what works best for you.

Celebrating Louisiana's Italian American Sports Stars

The AICC is proud to host the Louisiana American Italian Sports Hall of Fame. This Hall of Fame honors amazing Italian American athletes from Louisiana. Each year, the AICC holds a special banquet to celebrate the new honorees. Many other awards are also given out at this banquet. These include the Dr. Adriani Medical Education Award and the Louisiana American Italian Woman of the Year. Other awards are the Joseph Maselli Heritage Award and the American Veteran Award. There's also the Louis Prima Arts & Entertainment Award and the Buddy “D” Media Award.

See also

• Italians in New Orleans
• Logue House in Houston, Texas, which houses the Italian Cultural and Community Center (ICCC)