Hello Language Lovers! In this episode of Speaking Tongues, we are joined by Nick Panzarella, an Italian American language activist dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Sicilian language. Based in Houston, Texas, Nick serves as the president of the American branch of Cademia Siciliana and is actively raising his son in Sicilian. Together with his wife, he is set to publish a bilingual Sicilian-English children's book with UL Press in 2027.
Nick shares his journey of language learning, beginning with his exposure to Sicilian at home and his subsequent quest to reclaim it as a vital part of his heritage. We talk about the nuances of Sicilian culture, the challenges of language stigma in urban settings, and the importance of fostering a bilingual environment for future generations. Nick also discusses the dynamic between Sicilian Americans and their relatives in Sicily, highlighting the complexities of language identity and activism.
In this episode, we discuss:
The significance of Sicilian language activism and its role in cultural identity.
Nick's personal journey with learning Sicilian and the resources available for language learners.
The impact of Sicilian Week and community efforts to promote the language.
The challenges and triumphs of raising a bilingual child in a diaspora context.
The role of Cademia Siciliana in advocating for formal recognition of Sicilian as a language.
Big thank you to Nick for sharing his insights, activism and resources with us. If you enjoyed this episode of Speaking Tongues, please subscribe, rate, and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers can find the show! You can now pledge ongoing support for the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com or on Patreon dot com. And don't forget to check out my food 'zine of international language and cuisine, Taste Buds Vol 1., available for purchase now! Links to all platforms are below!
To Connect with Nick:
Sicilian Week: https://www.simanadusicilianu.com/
Cademia Siciliana: https://cademiasiciliana.org/
Manfiestu for the Sicilian Language: https://cademiasiciliana.org/u-manifestu/
The Basque event that inspired Sicilian Week, Euskaradlia: https://euskaraldia.eus/es/
Si Raccunta Podcast with stories in Sicilian
Proposal for a Sicilian writing system
European Language Equality Network (ELEN): https://elen.ngo/
ELEN's posts voting to allow Cademia Siciliana to join, and supporting our call to the Sicilian Region to officially recognize the Sicilian language Here and Here
The Center for Sicilian Linguistic and Phililogical Studies at the University of Palermo:
https://www.csfls.it/
Free bilingual booklet to help students learn to write Sicilian: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nfDRj3Ne-xFswwgxySr8h9i_a3E1qwKTqYtjI5_qY0U/edit?usp=sharing
Sicilian with Ilaria: https://sapuriofsicily.com/en/?lang=en
DeVulgare: https://www.devulgare.com/en/
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