10/11/2026
Who are we? The Italian Cultural Center!
In 1971, Graziella Spinelli-Kehrenberg, our co-founder, moved to San Diego from Asmara, Eritrea and wanted to share her native Italian language with the residents of her new home. The advice she received was that there was little to no interest, though she should “...give it a shot, and if students enroll, you’ll have a class.” Not one to be deterred, Graziella began teaching Italian through an adult education program and became the first Italian language professor at San Diego State University and at the University of San Diego (USD). In 1981, together with Dolores Torik, who taught at San Diego Community College and USD, and Father Steve Grancini, then-pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Little Italy, Graziella founded the Italian Community Center (ICC), a nonprofit organization whose aim was to share Italian language and culture with the public. Italian lessons began in classroom space provided by Our Lady of the Rosary in a building located behind the church. ICC will be celebrating our 45th anniversary next year and we will be forever grateful to Graziella and her determination to bring her love of Italy and the Italian Language to San Diego!
Photo Credit: Graziella Spinelli Kehrenberg teaches an Italian class, University Archives Photograph Collection (MS-0311), Courtesy of Special Collections & University Archives, San Diego State University Library.
