by Sergio Strozzi, Consul General of Italy in San Francisco
Italian Heritage Month is a time for us to reflect on the profound impact that Italian immigrants have had on the cultural, economic, and social fabric of San Francisco and the broader Bay Area. This celebration is not only a recognition of our shared history but also a testament to our enduring values of hard work, creativity, and community.
San Francisco, a city named after St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian Catholic friar who was known for his compassion and dedication to service, is a fitting namesake for a city that has long been a beacon of hope and opportunity for immigrants from around the world.
The first Italian immigrants arrived in San Francisco during the 1840s, at the dawn of California’s statehood. They were instrumental in shaping the city’s early economy, engaging in trades such as fishing, agriculture, culinary arts, and merchantry. Domenico Ghirardelli, who arrived in 1847, introduced the city to Italian sweets and chocolate, and today, Ghirardelli Square remains one of San Francisco’s most well known landmarks.
The influence of Italian craftsmanship is evident throughout the city. From the marble used in City Hall to the early public works projects like Golden Gate Park, Italian immigrants played a crucial role in building the infrastructure that makes San Francisco the beautiful and vibrant city it is today.
After the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire, the Italian-American community demonstrated remarkable resilience. Neighborhoods like North Beach and Telegraph Hill were rebuilt through the collective efforts of Italian families, who worked tirelessly to restore their homes, businesses, and streets. Families in our community to this day tell stories of their great grandparents getting handshake loans from Bank of Italy (now America) founder A.P. Giannini from a desk set up in the street. This spirit of perseverance is a cornerstone of the Italian-American identity in San Francisco.
Italian immigrants also made significant contributions to the cultural landscape and public service. Gaetano Merola, for example, founded the city’s first resident opera company in 1923, which eventually became the San Francisco Opera Association. The War Memorial Opera House, constructed during the Great Depression, stands as a monument to the community’s dedication to the arts.
City Lights Bookstore, founded by Italian-American poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti in 1953, remains a cultural landmark, offering a space for poets, authors, and book lovers from all over the world. Italian-American athletes, such as Joe Di Maggio, Tony Lazzeri, and Frank Crosetti, have also brought pride to the community, excelling in sports and serving as role models for future generations.
Mayor Angelo Rossi, the first mayor of Italian descent to lead a major U.S. city, oversaw the construction of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. Mayor Joseph Alioto played a key role in major infrastructure projects such as BART, the Embarcadero Center, and the Transamerica Pyramid. Mayor George Moscone, remembered for his efforts to promote tolerance and acceptance, also fought to keep the San Francisco Giants in the city, ensuring that the team’s legacy would continue to be part of the city’s identity. And Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi made history as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Even today, the Italian-American community continues to thrive in San Francisco and the Bay Area, with an estimated 45,000 people of Italian descent living in San Francisco and approximately 400,000 in the Bay Area. This vibrant community remains active in various sectors, including technology, public service, and education. We can name the Italian-American physicist and engineer Federico Faggin who designed the first commercial microprocessor, Professor Claudio Pellegrini who greatly contributed to Stanford University’s SLAC or Professor Silvio Savarese, recently listed in the Time 100/AI. The Bay Area Chapter of the Italian Researchers and Scientists counts on around 600 members, while many top officers of the largest US tech companies are Italian-American.
In 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy opened the first Italian Innovation and Culture Hub, INNOVIT, which, under the coordination of the Italian Consulate General, specializes in acceleration and bridging Italy’s most advanced tech companies and ecosystems with Silicon Valley’s key-players in strategic fields such as AI, biotech, cybersecurity, robotics, space economy, cleantech and green energy.
This year for Italian Heritage Month, we are excited to celebrate the “newest” cultural preservation gift to SF launched by the Consulate General of Italy along with the newly established joint organization of the main Italian-American associations in San Francisco, the San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk. The project consists of a bronze plaques path dedicated to the greatest Italian American figures of the City, set to be located in North Beach, that is the Little Italy of San Francisco. The first honoree is Former Mayor George Moscone, whose plaque was inaugurated in Washington Square on October 4th in the presence of Mayor London Breed. Other plaques are already on track and they will honor Mariana Bertola (a physician who committed herself to support children and maternity), A.P. Giannini, Joe DiMaggio and many others.
As the Consul General of Italy in San Francisco, it is my privilege to represent a community that has made and is making such significant contributions to this great city. Italian Heritage Month is a time to honor our past, celebrate our present, and look forward to a future where the Italian-American community continues to thrive alongside the diverse cultures that make San Francisco a beacon of unity and shared heritage for all.
We invite you to join us in this celebration, whether it’s by attending the Italian Heritage Parade and the inauguration of the first Italian Honor Walk plaque in North Beach, visiting the landmarks that tell the story of our community, or simply taking a moment to appreciate the rich cultural tapestry that Italian Americans have woven into the fabric of San Francisco.