Italian government records indicate that about 123,000 Sardinians live outside of Italy, and just under 10 percent of them are in North America. A small fraction of that group gathered on Saturday afternoon, when members of Sardinian community groups from across the continent met on the Upper West Side for an event organized with Sardinian government officials, who are in the city for a week of networking events, and the Fernando Santi Institute, an immigration-focused nonprofit.
Sardinians from as far away as British Columbia and Arizona mingled over their island’s delicacies — carasau bread, maloreddus, and Cannonau wine were on hand — and took part in a discussion moderated by Desirè Alma Manca, Sardinia’s commissioner for labor, who wanted to know why they left and what they think about going back.
