BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.14//EN TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:VEVENT UID:403@usrotary.org DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270128T070000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270128T083000 DTSTAMP:20261112T181058Z URL:https://usrotary.org/events/program-joseph-thomas-author-my-nonna-janu ary-28-2027/ SUMMARY:Program: Joseph Thomas\, Author\, "My Nonna\," January 28\, 2027 DESCRIPTION:\nJoin the \;University Sunrise Rotary Club \;for a pro gram featuring Joseph Thomas\, attorney in Mexico and author of 'My Nonna. '\n\n\n\nThe \;program will be presented on Zoom on Thursday morning w ith the Zoom line opening at 7 a.m. \; The formal meeting including th e program runs from 7:30-8:30 a.m. \; \;No registration is require d\, and the program is free.\n\n\n\nThe meeting will be available via Zoom . \; Click here to join the meeting Thursday morning. \; The Zoom line will open shortly after 7 a.m.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMy Nonna: True legacy stories shared by dreamers who gave freedom to their children.\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\nA century ago\, the author’s Tuscan grandparents took an irreversibl e decision. With an infant daughter\, Grandpa was offered work if he becam e a black-shirted \;squadrista. Instead\, they chose for him to emigra ted alone\, leaving his loved ones safe with their families while he gaine d their American citizenships. \;\n\n\n\nNearly six years later he did \, sending the document and money for them to join him. But\, Nonna needed a permit with the Fascist seal to leave on a ship. As a single mother\, N onna spurned the  \;‘Facta’with the power to keep her as his lover and have her daughter to breed five soldiers for the dictator. He brutall y stole their travel money by ordering the village idiot to violate her yo unger sister in front of the family\, forced to remain seated to watch.\n\ n\n\nWith faith and determination she took them across an ocean before the immigration registry filled its yearly quota of family members. If so\, s he would have to pay to go back to Italy on the same ship to try again the following year.\n\n\n\nWhen finally she got both of them through the immi gration gate\, there was still the cost to cross half the new country to r eunite their family. Despite a massive snow storm delaying arrivals\, they were able to give thanks and celebrate Christmas morning as a reunited Am erican family.\n\n\n\nThe author\, Joseph Thomas\, was the protagonists´ first grandchild and the only one who understood Italian\, remembering whe n they shared their experiences escaping Fascism. Growing up immersed in l iterature\, he worked on four different newspapers to pay tuitions to grad uate with Journalism and History degrees awarded by Bradley University\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\nHe became an Army lieutenant with paratrooper wings in the fam ed 82d Airborne Division. These highly motivated soldiers are called on to enter any world troubled spot after just an 18-hour notice as combatants or peacekeepers\, by force if necessary. He was appointed the commander’ s news media spokesman.  \;\n\n\n\nLater in the U.S. Forest Service\, his writing\, paralegal\, and communicator abilities led to protecting lar ge tracts of pristine land from undo commercial development. After a catas trophic volcanic eruption\, his public information bulletins helped surviv ors avoid entrapment\, threatened by an raging river of ash and mud.\n\n\n \nImmigrating to Mexico City\, his multi-lingual skills served in the sele ction of local bilingual executives for international corporations enterin g under the then new Free Trade Agreement. In 2023\, he became the first U .S: citizen in 25 years to be licensed as a Mexican attorney\, protecting all with the rule of law\, most particularly the 100\,000+ Americans seeki ng full-time residence.\n\n\n\n\n CATEGORIES:Speakers END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20261101T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR