I am a fourth generation Italian American...that is to say my great grandparents came to America from Italy in the early 20th century.

I am very proud of my heritage and when asked I identify myself as "Italian-American". Would somebody from Italy laugh at me or think poorly of me because I describe myself as "Italian"

In my family we eat authentic Italian foods such as gnocchi, rabe, polenta, freselle, biscotti, etc. These traditions have been passed down from my bisnonni. Sometimes I feel like such a fraud....as if I do not have a right to even associate myself with being Italian.

Could somebody who lives in Italy please respond to this and tell me what they think? Am I a fraud? Should I just stop refering to myself as Italian-American and just think of myself as plain old American? Do you (as a true Italian from Italy) have any respect for me as somebody who is so proud of his heritage?

Giacomo - I'm another "fraud" - I live in Italy and am married to an Italian, but I'm English/British. I think most Italians will be very happy that their traditions and food are kept alive over the generations in the U.S. by you and your ancestors.

Could somebody who lives in Italy please respond to this and tell me what they think? Am I a fraud? Should I just stop refering to myself as Italian-American and just think of myself as plain old American? Do you (as a true Italian from Italy) have any respect for me as somebody who is so proud of his heritage?

Dear Giacomo,
I think we all are our past and we all have something of our ancestors inside of us, so if your parents transferred to you their Italian habits, behaviors and thoughts I think you must consider yourself as Italian. I'm 100% Italian and I surely have respect for all those who feel proud of being Italian.
For example, the canoing Olympic champion Josepha Idem impressed me very much. She's German, she lives in Italy as she married a Italian trainer. She already won 3 Olympic golden medals and a couple of days ago she won a silver one. She feels Italian, she's proud of belonging to the Italian national team... and as she doesn't feel less Italian than anyone else, lately she has been candidate to political elections... and she won !

Giacomo I think it's wonderful that you have such deep feelings toward the Nation you belong.
I'm sure your grandparents and parents did everything not to waste such a great heritage, you should be proud of them.
And we surely wouldn't consider you a fraud. More probably Italians will respect and love you more just for this. We 100% Italians often forget love and proudness for our heritage, so when someone who lives far away remembers us of these feelings, we are pleasantly surprised, and we tend to respect alot this loyalty to one's roots.

Grazie a tutti! Mi sento molto contento! Un giorno andrò a Italia per vedere le città dove abitavano i miei bisnonni! ZIDANIE: Mia bisnonna è nata in Caserta.....vicino di Napoli. Siamo paesani!

Ciao

Giacomo

Giacomo. I am somewhat similar to you, however; my mother was the first to move here. That makes me first generation american, correct? Anyways, I live the same lifestyle as you explained. Youd think that i stepped off the boat a couple months ago, that is of course if i don't speak. The thing is that it is what i enjoy, and it's the only way i want to live. You live once so live it the way you want to, regardless of what others think about you. Plus i also agree with Markymark. They are probably proud that we continue the traditions the appropriate way here. Never lose touch with who you are or where ancestors are from. The reason why this country is going down the tubes is because too many italians are forgetting where they come from! We need to live it and stick together, we are too few now.

Grazie a tutti! Mi sento molto contento! Un giorno andrò a Italia per vedere le città dove abitavano i miei bisnonni! ZIDANIE: Mia bisnonna è nata in Caserta.....vicino di Napoli. Siamo paesani!

Ciao

Giacomo

I'm glad you appreciated our anwsers, yours is a very common situation in this forum, and you should be proud to belong to two cultures (you can take the best of each :))

Anyways I am from a town between Benevento and Caserta, just 16km from your bisnonna's city, and I often spend Saturday night there. There is Naples in the profile because I live there when I am at University and I don't change it depending on where I currently am.

If you'll come to Italy Caserta is definitely worth a visit, it's not been a good time for this area, but La Reggia is wonderful, probably only second to Versailles for beauty.

Check it out if you don't know it yet:
http://www.reggiadicaserta.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caserta_Palace

I think that this is something that a lot of Italian Americans struggle with. We hold such respect for those who are born in Italy. Sometimes a person might feel not quite authentic...or good enough even though (like me) someone often feels a greater love for Italy than they do for the US.

We have been so removed from Italy for so long that sometimes you wonder just how Italian you really are. One of the greatest joys for me in the last year has been discovering that my parents and grand parents actually did a very good job of keeping our heritage alive.

May I do the same.

This forum has been a wonderful way to connect. Thank you everyone for your encouragement.

Ciao Giacomo,

I also am an Italian-American, but a second generation.

Trying to keep your heritage alive is a great thing to do. I wished my Father and Grandparents taught me more Italian before they passed away, but the traditions were always there. As I have been learning to understand the Italian language and "ways" better, I get flashbacks of being a child and understanding that what I thought was common in my house was not in other houses.

If you need help or just want to chat about things, send me an email anytime!

Well Giacomo - you speak the language and that is important - To me it was confusing at first when I came to the US : Sometimes people where introduced to me as Italian but as soon as I tried to talk to them I realized they never spoke the language or visited Italy.
One of the things I would like to achieve with this website is to have Italian American more connected with the 'tradition' in modern Italy. Just visiting I do not think it is enough to understand a country ... It took me years to understand a little of the US culture so I doubt that a tourist can go 2 weeks in Italy and have a in depth understanding. Anyway I might come up with an article about Italian in Italy vs Italian-Americans

Both my parents were born in Italy. My father became a naturalized US citizen but my mother never did. Both my brother and I were born in the States but we both feel very strongly that even though our birth certificates say American, our hearts and souls are and will always be Italian.

It seems this is a very common situation amongst Italo-Americans.
I'm happy to see that our roots are not easy to forget :).

My children are first generation born here. My parents and I still carry all our traditions here in the states. While we have conformed to US culture and society, it doesn't take away from our Italian heritage!!

There is no "fraud" to be thought here!! Italians are a loving people and we take care of each other. Living in the US, Italians are not a high population. Whenever I encounter someone and we begin to speak Italian, it brings such happiness to me.

Keep to your heritage and don't for once thing Italians, whether 100% or born elsewhere think of you in any other way than Italian!

Peace and Blessings

Bravooo!!!!!!!!!!!