An international approach to local youth development (opinion) Updated 7:30 AM; Today 7:30 AM When youth are facing poverty and detachment at alarming rates in our neighborhoods, we have a responsibility to get them on their feet. (Staten Island Advance/Annalise Knudson) Facebook Share By Gabriele Delmonaco America is a land of immigrants. I count myself among them. I came to this country from Rome in 2001 and now call Staten Island my home. My family and I have made an incredible life for ourselves in this beautiful borough, but for many of the nearly half-million people who reside here, getting by can be a daily struggle, particularly for youth.