October serves the best cuisine.

By Shreya

October is Italian-American Heritage Month — a time to celebrate the generations of Italians who came to the U.S. with little more than hope, recipes, and maybe a very large wooden spoon. They built communities, opened businesses, and shaped American life in ways that go way beyond pizza (but let’s be honest here, pizza alone is a solid contribution ( + it's also pizza month gang , so go ahead give your dearest friend a pizza ).

The month honors their resilience and the traditions they carried over: the Sunday dinners that could feed a small army, the insistence that no one leaves the table hungry, and the artistry that shows up everywhere from opera to Hollywood. Without Italian-Americans, our playlists lose Sinatra, our red carpets lose Lady Gaga, and our screens miss out on Al Pacino’s epic monologues and Scorsese’s mobster masterpieces. Even James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano turned the family dinner table into a cultural landmark.

But it’s not just the icons — it’s the everyday moments. The endless “is it sauce or gravy?” debates. The fact that Nonna’s kitchen timer is “when the pasta feels right.” The way every Italian-American family gathering could double as a reality show if only someone remembered to press record.

Italian-American Heritage Month reminds us that culture is living, breathing, and delicious. It’s the laughter, the films, the music, and the food that give life flavor. So this October, eat that extra cannoli, rewatch Goodfellas, belt out “Bad Romance,” and tip your hat to a community that made America a little louder, a little tastier, and a lot more stylish. Capisce?