Continued Appreciation of Italian Heritage and Familial Legacy Today
In being born into an Italian American family, I learned from an early age about the sacrifices my grandparents made in beginning a new life in the United States, for themselves, and especially for their future families. I am proud of my Italian heritage and I celebrate the joyful community of which I am part. Throughout my life, my parents have held close the culture passed down by their parents. Despite various challenges that my grandparents faced, they never wavered in their loyalty to, or appreciation for their lives in America, and still, they never lost their pride in being Italian.
This example set before me has greatly influenced me to cherish my heritage in innumerable parts of my life as an Italian American. My family and I continue the traditions passed down to us, remaining close to our roots. My parents retained the Italian language–the first language of which they learned, and the language in which they principally shared with their own parents. Further, my parents shared it with my siblings and I, demonstrating the appreciation of our heritage and giving us a linguistic reminder of those who came before us. We continue to cook with the recipes shared throughout generations, and we share a connection through the meals we have with one another. Growing up in a proudly Italian American household has instilled in me, that to discontinue the customs and traditions of our culture, is a loss of appreciation for our heritage.
Today, my parents, siblings, and I are eager to obtain our Italian citizenship–a physical and symbolic reconnection with our heritage. Being Italian American has greatly influenced our identity. We were born in the United States, we’ve grown up with the Italian culture close to our hearts, alongside others who do not share the same heritage. Our entire lives, we have adopted Italian customs and traditions, and the Italian language, but still, it is not entirely our own. When we visit Italy, we are not Italian, but in the United States, we never feel quite the same as those around us. We are not entirely one or the other, but instead, we are both. We are a hybrid self influenced by our experiences as Americans born to Italian immigrants. We are composed of the experiences of those who came before us, and simultaneously of our own experiences of life in the United States.
Italian heritage is strong. Historically, it is the very thing that allowed Italian Americans to be resilient during times of hardship. Today, it is the very thing that encourages Italian Americans to remain connected with our history, with our culture, and with our traditions.