Hi! My name is Ereka Vetrini. Most of you may recognize me from the NBC hit, reality TV-show,
The Apprentice. My appearance on The Apprentice allowed me to work alongside some
really amazing business minds like Mr. Trump, Carolyn, and George. My family is originally from
New York, and at the time I was invited to participate in the show, I was working as an Internal Operations
Consultant for Estee Lauder, traveling the world to places like Hong Kong, Australia, Greece and
Spain. Since appearing on The Apprentice, I have worked for Clinique as a Promotional Programs
Manager and for The Tony Danza Show serving as the show’s announcer and correspondent. Currently I am involved in filming an exciting
new children’s design show for HGTV, premiering this June on a cable station near you.
As an Italian-American and coming from a family that values their Italian heritage, I am thrilled
to be a part of the ItalianAmericanShowcase.com site. Italian-American traditions play a significant
role in my life and I cannot wait to share my views, opinions, and advice with you.
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My husband and I have always wanted to travel to Italy -- any region you recommend as a “must see”? (J. Hagman, Omaha NE)
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Well, that all depends on what interests you most about Italy. If you love to drink wine and would like to visit the wonderful Italian vineyards, then the region of Tuscany is definitely where you should go. Are you and your husband more interested in a beach vacation? My favorite spot is a little town called Positano on the Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana) in Campania, Italy. Sicily is always a great bet for beaches and I hope to one day get to the island of Sardegna. If it’s history that you two are after, then of course Rome (located in the region of Lazio) is where you should go. There are so many beautiful places to visit in Italy and all are rich with culture, history, art and of course, great food! My husband has never been to Italy. When we eventually do go, I don’t know how I’m going to give him a true taste of all that Italy has to offer with out taking off for a few months!
You can check out the Travel Resources section of this site for more useful information and links to Web sites to aid in planning your Italian getaway. (link to: http://www.italianamericanshowcase.com/spotlight_travel.aspx)
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What should Italian Americans do about misconceptions about our community? (M. Bastedo, Ann Arbor, MI)
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That’s a very good question! There are many misconceptions and stereotypes about Italian Americans. To clear up the undesirable image that has been cast upon our community, we must all stay educated about defamation and stand up for our heritage when we feel it has been wrongly portrayed. To learn about positive Italian American newsmakers and how to fight defamation, visit the Order Sons of Italy in America Web site and read about the organization’s Commission for Social Justice. (link to: http://www.osia.org/public/commission/commission.asp ). Mostly I just focus on my own personal imprint on the world and don’t get caught up with stereotypes and misconceptions. |
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Is it Turin or Torino? During the last Winter Olympics, NBC called the city Torino and the rest of the American media insisted on Turin. Who, if anyone, is right? (J. Kemp, Lebanon, KY) |
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You say tomato, I say toe-mah-toe… Both Turin and Torino are correct. Torino is what Italians call the breathtaking city located in Italy’s Piedmont region. However, in the English-speaking world, it is called Turin. A couple of other examples of English versus Italian city names are: Naples (Napoli), Lombardy (Lombardia), Tuscany (Toscana) and Milan (Milano).
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