Lidia Bastianich is one of the foremost figures in Kansas City food culture. She is by turns a chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and public television host.
What is less known is her backstory as a refugee from post-World War II Europe.
Bastianich spent her early years in a part of Italy that was carved out and given to the newly formed country of Yugoslavia after World War II. Her family faced a number of hardships under communist rule before escaping back to Italy, where they spent two years in a refugee camp. Eventually, Catholic Charities helped the family resettle in the United States.
“I never forgot that I am who I am because somebody cared. Somebody helped,” Bastianich said.
“We certainly felt the responsibility of giving back and becoming part of America as soon as we could.”
See the rest of her story on this week’s video installment of “Finding Refuge in KC.”
Reading these stories is free, but telling them is not. Start your monthly gift now to support Flatland’s community-focused reporting.
Related Stories
Nick’s Picks | Messi, Jail, Buses, and More …
World Cup Team(s) Arrive It’s starting to feel real. The first World Cup team has landed in Kansas City. Defending champions Argentina touched down at KCI airport on Sunday and will begin practicing today at Sporting KC’s training facility in Wyandotte County. Much of the attention, of course, is focused on Lionel Messi. The soccer…
World Cup ‘Statement Piece’ Evokes Best Version of Kansas City
Before I moved to Kansas City almost 56 years ago, I had been here only once — for a brief visit to the Kansas City Press Club when I was attending the University of Missouri School of Journalism. But because of that visit and the fact that I grew up in the Midwest (Woodstock, Illinois,…
KU Center Helps Women Gain Foothold After Incarceration
A flier from her probation officer was the turning point for Jodi Whitt, who had spent more than two decades in and out of the criminal justice system. The piece of paper introduced Whitt to the Technology Education Program offered by the University of Kansas’ Center for Digital Inclusion. Since 2019, Whitt has risen through…