Pictured: Hon. Tina Anselmi (R) with Dr. Aileen R. Sirey, NOIAW Founder & Chair Emerita

Italy lost a great stateswoman and our organization lost a dear friend on October 31, 2016.

Tina Anselmi joined the resistance against the Nazis as a teenager after witnessing the hanging of young Italian partisans during World War II. She ultimately made history by becoming the very first woman Minister in Italy after being elected five times to the Italian Chamber of Deputies. But Tina will be best remembered for her efforts on behalf of equal opportunity for women and she is considered by many to be the mother of modern Italian democracy. Tina conducted herself with thoughtfulness and integrity in all of her roles.

Somewhere in the 1990’s, after she was invited to speak at a conference held by our organization in Udine, Friuli, Tina apparently decided to adopt us. She arranged for our party of 120 to be the first woman’s group to have a private audience with the Pope (pictured below). She joined us again in Sydney and Perth, Australia, in Buenos Aires, Argentina and many times in Rome and New York on various panels or conferences sponsored by NOIAW or other groups.

Pictured above: Hon. Tina Anselmi introduces Dr. Sirey to Pope John Paul II

The personal friendship we developed through the years was made difficult by the fact that Tina spoke no English and my Italian is seriously flawed. But in spite of this we were able to communicate and develop a mutual respect and affection. When we weren’t with someone who would translate we discovered that if she spoke slowly we could manage.

Tina had a playful, marvelous sense of humor displayed during the leisure time we spent together. At one event in Argentina, I mispronounced the Italian world for meat “carne” telling her that the empanadas were made with “cane,” which means “dog.”

“Questo è cane?” she exclaimed.

She almost almost jumped out of her seat. When we got it all properly translated, we had a good laugh together.

Tina enjoyed simple things. She loved to sing. I will always remember the wonderful weekend we spent with the
de Matteos in East Hampton where the five of us had a wonderful time singing Neopolitan love songs.

Hon. Tina Anselmi was not only an extraordinary woman in the history of modern Italy but a incredible human being who will be greatly missed.

Aileen Riotto Sirey Ph.D
Founder and Chair Emerita
The National Organization of Italian American Women