“The Advocates”
With
Richard J. Garfunkel
WVOX – AM Radio 1460- 12 Noon Wednesday
April 22, 2009
All archived shows at:
On Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at 12:00 Noon, I will be hosting my show The Advocates on WVOX- 1460 AM, and you can also listen to the program live streaming at www.wvox.com. One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio. My guest is Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa, the Founder and President of the Italian American Museum of New York. Our subject today discusses the classic struggle regarding cultural identity versus assimilation and can hyphenated Americanism lead to potential Balkanization? Also joining us will be Mr. John Puma as a guest panelist.
Dr. Scelsa, a native New Yorker, received his BA Degree from Long Island University and received his Masters Degrees from Lehman College of the City University of New York, and Columbia University. He was awarded his Ed.D also at Columbia University’s Teachers College. He served as the Vice-President of the Queens College Outreach and Cultural Affairs Institutional Development Office from 2000 until his retirement in June of 2008. Dr. Scelsa also has had a long career as an instructor and a professor at Queens College in the departments of History, Italian-American Studies, Special Studies and at Lehman College in the Department of Specialized Education. He has published numerous articles on Italian-American: culture, civil rights, demographics, history, discrimination, career counseling, higher education and women. He is a member, and on the Board of Directors of countless organizations which include; the Rotary, Columbia University Club, Italian Welfare League, Italian Hospital Society, Columbus Citizens Foundation and the Commission for Social Justice/ Order Sons of Italy in America. He has also been the recipient of many awards and honors, which include The Civil Order of the Merit –The House of Savoy, the Good Shepard Award, Knighthood of the Holy Sepulcher. Man of the Year of the National Columbus Association of Civil Service. He is also is listed in Who’s Who in America, and Amongst Italian Americans.
Before founding the Italian American Museum, Dr. Scelsa was the Director and the Executive Director of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute of CUNY from 1984 through 1999.
John Puma’s has been a guest on The Advocates before and his last appearance was on our December 31st year end roundup. His career has ranged from creating start-up businesses, to developing communications systems for multi-national communication giants, to building housing for the middle and working class citizens, and to developing alternate energy concepts for communities.
Meanwhile, the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current public policy issues. Public policy, therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow.
My essays on FDR and other subjects at can be accessed at https://www.richardjgarfunkel.com. One can also listen to all of the archived shows at: http://advocates-wvox.com.
Next week I will be hosting Mr. Bruce Fabricant, author of the Perfect Spring, a story of a magical baseball season played fifty years ago in the City of Mount Vernon by a group of young men coming of age.