What Italians really think about Italian-Americans 

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Fascinating discussion! I went to Italy with my Italian American friend, and he was clearly disoriented by Italy. He's a New Jersey Italian American, so lots of ethnic pride, maybe even a little swagger about being "Italian." I suppose he might have expected instant resonance and a confirmation of some root identity. But that's not what he got. For one, I think the Italians were more fascinated by me, a black American, as a true exotic (as American as can be, but BLACK!)-this was 30 years ago-and for another, I sensed they were standing on caste as Europeans first and foremost. Americans in general had no comparable standing in culture or sophistication, and Italian Americans less so. And I learned from another Italian friend why that was: the Italians who emigrated to America generations back were typically southerners-Sicilians, Neapolitans, Calabrians. The prejudice against them from northern Italians was (and I'm told still is) quite pronounced and blatant. One friend told me her Italian American parents made an unpopular marriage because the father was Sicilian and the mother was from a proper northern family. I think many ethnic white Americans who go back to the old country hoping for a kind of spiritual reset or cultural affirmation run into this same disillusionment: Quite frankly, the countries they derived from couldn't care less. I've heard the same from Irish American friends about Ireland, German American friends going to Germany, Swedish American friends, etc. There are RU-vid channels charting the shock of thwarted African Americans who relocate to African countries. I suppose the moral is, nothing will teach us how American we really are except leaving home. What's funny about this is, to the people of all those places we go in search of roots, they don't see us by the divisions we elevate among ourselves. We really do all look alike to them, after a fashion-all American, both wildly naive and overconfident, as ignorant about who we really are as we are about where our forebears originally came from.

As an American of Italian descent, I can say that Professor Coniglio's explanation is very consistent with the stories I heard from my Italian grandparents, who arrived in the 1910's. I always had the feeling that Italian culture moved on from the period of the Italian diaspora, whereas the American concept of what it means to be Italian was frozen. Very interesting video.

A little random anecdote from a Sicilian person born and raised in Sicily: there is this story, in my family, of a cousin with myopia who couldn't afford glasses. Having emigrated to America, she finally managed to buy some and was so enthusiastic about them that she started sending them as gifts to her relatives who remained in Sicily!

Thanks for a very informative and interesting video. I’m a typical Italian-American whose grandparents came from southern Italy. My grandparents were determined to assimilate and didn’t speak Italian at home and wanted their children to speak only English. The only part of their culture that they maintained was the food. I married a woman who was born in Italy but grew up in the USA. Her parents spoke Italian at home and maintained close ties to their families in Italy. In many ways they never assimilated. I learned about Italian culture from my in-laws and I learned how most Italian-Americans, including myself, know practically nothing about Italian language, history, and culture. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting my wife’s relatives in Italy and spending time with them in their homes. It’s given me a completely different perspective than you can get as a tourist. I’m also learning Italian as a way to connect with my roots. I’m somewhat embarrassed by my fellow Italian-Americans who proudly proclaim that they are Italian when they are often so ignorant about Italy.

Love this! I have my Italian citizenship through my grandfather and this spring I reconnected with Italian cousins in my grandmother's little village in Basilicata. It was a home coming! I now live in Italy part-time and feels like coming full circle.

What Italians think about Italian Americans isn't any different from what other groups of immigrants to America think about each other. That include Mexicans vs Mexican Americans, or Japanese vs Japanese Americans, or Nigerians vs Nigerian Americans, or Somalians vs Somalian Americans, or Thais vs Thai Americans, or Chinese vs Chinese Americans, or Koreans vs Korean Americans. There are cultural changes which results from Acculturation when different cultures take on a unique culture which is not totally one culture, but a diversified one..

I confirm what professor Luca Coniglio said. I am from Veneto and the Venetians who emigrated almost all went to Brazil. Many of them in the southern states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. In Brazil the Talian language is recognized which in reality is not Italian but originates from the fusion of the dialects of northern Italy with the predominant component of the Venetian language. Venetians can speak easily with Italian-Brazilians by speaking the Venetian language and them Talian language. I remember when I was a child, letters from Brazil occasionally arrived at home from people with the same surname who were trying to find their origins.

Wow thank you all for this video and conversation! I’m a Black American and I learned so much about Italian and Italian American Culture. I didn’t know that an Italian invented Bank of America and the telephone. Lots of people from other parts of the world may not understand why people somewhat forsook their culture from their homelands after arriving in America. This video is correct, we had to assimilate into to America for survival. Either we lost money or were killed if we weren’t like the Culture of America 😔.

You should do an episode about Italian migrations to Latin American countries like Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, ect and how the Italian cultures influenced parts of Latin American culture.

From Italy, near Milan. I agree with the Professor that you would enjoy reading some Italian and specifically Sicilian history, going back to Ancient Roman and Greek times, but also the Renaissance period, when the Dukes of Milan were richer than the Kings of England (as witnessed for example by Shakespeare, who spoke of "the fashions of proud Italy"). Modern Italian history is more controversial, but in the last two hundred years, despite many mistakes e.g. World War II, Italy has progressed from being a collection of mostly poor regional states to its present status as one of the G7 powers and certainly the leading Mediterranean country, if we exclude France, which is only partly Mediterranean.

When he said that he never found an Italian in New York whose family was from north of Rome, I felt that because I AM a 2nd generation Italian-American whose family came from northern Italy, and like he said, I never find people with family from the north like me. It makes me a little sad that I can't speak in Italian with Italian-Americans in New York because either they can't speak Italian at all or they speak in a dialect from a different region that I don't really understand.

There is a Garibaldi Meucci Museum on Staten Island (NY).

The wealth of information that Professor Luca shared here is its own whole new series. When he spoke of the Italian-American "culture" being more Southern Italian than any other region of Italy I was so intrigued. It made me want to study Italian immigration and the reasons for it. An additional interview with him would definitely be a great idea. Thank you, Danielle, so very much for another wonderful video. ❤ P.S. I LOVED the Sopranos and felt a little hurt hearing about how the series is viewed in Italy, but I totally understand.😉

I knew about 100% of everything he talked about. I did a ton of research while I was learning Italian. Plus my Italian friends would tell me about their culture.

It’s the same with every ethnicity we have to accept that we are Americans!

Very interesting video! Thx!

Another great interview❗️A home run 🏟️Thanks for sharing your thoughts and these stories with us

I remember when I was a student studying in Rome and one of my classmates who the time American always talking about how Italian she was unfortunately, I have to be around when an Italian told her is that you are not Italian you know very little about our language or culture in our customs and that you are an American with Italian ancestry but you're not Italian. I felt sorry for her because he took the air out of her bubble. But I've also had to experience with some African Americans to go to Africa and learn that they are not really African but people of African descent because they're not a member of any particular tribe or group that govern to the societies for the most part still! We really should not fool ourselves into thinking that we are part of societies that we have been long separated from and only have a wisp those cultures exist in our everyday lives.

As an 2nd generation (NY State) American of Italian origins currently living in Southern Italy (Guardia Sanframondi, Benevento, Campania), I found this fascinating. Thank you!

Fantastic interview. My family on my mother’s side are Argentines of Northern Italian descent. I didn’t know too much of the Italian diaspora until I started watching your videos.

This was a very good discussion. Thankyou for it.

This was a very enlightening segment...it has really opened my eyes❤

This is an awesome conversation.. extremely interesting

I’m From the Dominican Republic. I took an ancestry test, and it showed that I’m 19% Italian and it says I have relatives that lived in the apulia region of Italy. I also have distant Italian cousins who live in New Jersey and Long Island. I never met my paternal grand father, but I believe he was predominantly Italian. My father doesn’t even know that he is literally half Italian.

I’m Canadian Italian. My parents came in 1964 from Abruzzo. I find this fascinating and pretty accurate. The food thing is definitely bang on. I just discovered your channel. I can’t wait to keep following it. Thank you.

I'm just getting to watch this. How very interesting!! I learned so much. Thank you and the professor for the great information!!

Great interview.

Love the synths in the background

Fascinating interview I learned so much.

Awesome vid!!

I'm on vacation sitting here surfing RU-vid, and I'm offered your video. Danielle, what a wonderful video you made! I am not Italian-American, but I love Italy. I learned a lot from your video with Prof. Luca! Thank you.

Your videos are giving me LIFE! Thank you for this- I'm learning so much.

Great videos

You really knocked it out of the park with this video, Danielle! Incredible. ❤❤❤❤❤

Bella intervista con questo giovane professore italiano. Brava , divulghi cose utili..

Awesome video, thanks to both of you.

Perhaps your best presentation to date. Broadly informative, as he sincerely offers some information that while not the most wonderful depiction of early Italian immigrants, is still offered sincerely without his becoming squeamish or feeling required to express unwarranted sense of shame. Extending considerable potential to better understand certain dynamics within Italian-American culture as it exists today. That said, what I found most intriguing was his comment - at about 9:05 - that many had left Italy because the Italian government, itself, 'wanted' them to leave. I’d be interested to learn more detail regarding their reason for this. Again, a Great presentation!

Excellent video! Although I am not Italian by ancestry, one of my cousins (one generation removed) is married to an Italian woman. Interesting how specific the migration was from different parts of Italy to certain destinations in the Americas. Keep these educational and interesting videos coming. Given the times we live in, the more we learn about other cultures and ethnicities, the better.

Americans generally struggle to understand that being Italian (or most European nationalities, for that matter) is not a matter of genetics but of culture. Having a certain surname or an ancestor from a certain country means very little, if your cultural milieu and upbringing has nothing to do with that of the land of your forefathers. Language, in particular, is a defining factor in Europe, where nation states often formed around one linguistic area.

Very interesting information.🎉

Absolutely wonderful and informative! As one who has successfully gone through the process, I would like to clarify that recognition of Italian citizenship ( de jure sanguinis) for those of Italian ancestry is not as easy as Professor Conglio indicates, at least not in the USA. Depending on how complicated your case may be, the process could require many legal documents from both Italy and the USA. American documents must all be in the “long form” and have no discrepancies. These documents must be translated into Italian by an official translator approved by the consulate . American documents presented to the Italian consulate must be officially notarized by the office of the secretary of state where the documents originate. At this time, due to many requests, and limited personnel at the consulates. there can sometimes be a waiting period of one or two years for the initial appointment just to investigate the possibility of eligibility . This is not to discourage anyone interested, but as we all know, navigating the Italian bureaucracy is no easy task. The whole process can take as long as three or four years or even longer for final recognition of Italian citizenship . However, if interested, go for it! In bocca al lupo! (Good luck!) Viva l’Italia! 🇮🇹

This is such a good interview, and I think many people across cultures can identify with the idea that although they're a part of a diaspora of a certain ethnic group, there has been a lot of changes made in order to adapt to the environment in which their family/ancestors migrated to. This doesn't necessarily make them any "less" than, just different than their roots. Thank you for sharing. Edited to add, if you're so inclined, it would be interesting if you did a video looking at the Italian influence on San Francisco. I grew up in the Bay Area, initially in San Francisco before moving to another city in the area. Anyhow, growing up in San Francisco I learned a lot about the contributions of Italian immigrants to the city of San Francisco, including the opening of Bank of America. There's a lot of interesting Italian-American history in San Francisco.

I could have listened to hours of this, and Professor Luca's advice at the end is spot on. I was lucky enough to find my relatives that live in a small village in Northern Italy a few years ago, they were so wonderful and accommodating. I also have Southern Italian blood but I haven't visited the village yet. I also just got approved for my Italian citizenship. Professor Luca is also right, it's fascinating to study the history. Americans are so used to our history, which is only a couple hundred years old, but Italian history goes back much much further and it's amazing to realize you are a part of it. Thanks for sharing this great interview!

Amazing story , keep them coming !!! 😊👍👍

Incredible high level interviewing techniques exhibited by you Danielle!! He is definitely a fountain of Italian history and culture!

Some time ago I found a book online that contrasted Italian immigration to the USA and Argentina. If I can find it again, I will post the title for you.

Hi Danielle, my friend!!!!!! One of your best videos yet. Tons of info on Italy and Italian-American culture. Who knew??? You seemed very happy, similarly to your interview with your dad, which was another excellent video/interview. Thanks for the subtitles. Your videos have helped to educate me and change my life. In a world that is so tribal, I love your views about color. As you would say...(paraphrasing), If you want colors, look in a box of crayons. I totally agree. We are all different shades of the same race.........human of course. Keep up the great work!!!!! 🙏

Fascinating discussion indeed, I had no idea about so many things regarding Italian American culture. A real eye opener...thanks for sharing

Amaizing conversations

The problem is that the vision that people have in the USA is of a stereotyped Italy from the beggining of the XX century that no longer exists. Italy is a modern country that doesn't like being depicted as a rural, mafia country. The idea of the Italian family gathered eating pasta under a wine tree, like they are depicted in the movies is also hated by modern Italians

Most of the Italian Americans I have known trace their ancestry back to Sicily, which is not typical of most of Italy. Most of the rest I have known trace their ancestry back to southern Italy or Naples, and this is very different from what I know of Italy, since I have only visited northern and central Italy. I would not expect most Italians (or any from northern and central Italy) to have an interest in Sicilian Americans.

My grandmothers family came from Bari and grandpa Sciacca, Sicily. This video was awesome, thanks for this, would love more of this content as an Italian American who has studied the history of Sicily deeply. We just love to connect to our roots here!

This was a fascinating conversation. It was provocative in that it distinguished the cultural nuances that exist between mainland Italians and those that have settled in the diaspora. The rabbit hole goes even further if you’re willing to explore Italian Canadians the way they have settled in French Canada in Quebec, as well as in Toronto and all the way in western Canada. They too began their migration after the unification. Like many Italian Americans, they came through New York and in Halifax Canada. From these drop off points, they migrated west into more established cities such as Montreal, Toronto and of course Vancouver. Fun fact, Italians were instrumental in building the Toronto subway system from the inception as construction workers. Today, they hold high executive positions in delivering service to millions of people in Toronto. You’re certainly doing an amazing job with showing the history. 👍

My father and his family moved to Canada around the 1960s. They all gave up their citizenship before the new laws came in place. I learned that my grandparents left southern Italy because of no job opportunities, and the threat of the mafia in their small villages they were from. My grandparents and grand aunt and uncle are still appalled and against me considering moving to Italy for a couple of years. Even when I told them my reasons why, they said they left for a reason. Why leave Canada? This is really sad and learning from this video? This helps me further understand not only their perspectives, but current Italians as well. I still wish I can live there for a couple of years to experience Italian culture further.

Very interesting conversation. I’ve recently started on some Italian courses. Later I’ll learn Sicilian. I know that the dialects are different between regions, so I’d like to pick up a bit from those places that my grandparents came from. I’m teaching my sons right now and perhaps one day we’ll visit the towns my family members were born in.

This was a fantastic, informative as well as an encouraging conversation. Luca has no problem with his English or being understood. I hope you start learning Italian and go to your family's town of origin maybe get your citizenship. He's right on about going to small villages or to regions that are less tourist heavy. Watch as many Italian language films as you can too. I'm going to check out some more of your videos. Grazie e Buona fortuna

Daniella, I just found your channel and subscribed. Thank you so much for this!! my grandparents (on my mom’s side) and my great grandparents (on my father side) all immigrated to America during the years between 1890 and 1906. My family comes from Caserta and a small village just a few miles outside of Pompeii called Scafati. This was such a terrific video, grazie mille Proffessore De Luca.

This is a jewel of cultural information, big thank you to you both :)

Extremely fascinating! I don’t have Italian heritage, but I am in love with Italian language and culture and have been there numerous times.

This was a gorgeous vid ❤️ as a history scholar (not Italian) I dare to add that European perspective about flags and being patriots is influenced by ww2 trauma. Nationalisms turned tribal and backfired so wildly, conflating with racism... that after the war rising s flag became kinda sus, especially in Italy and Germany , and overall in Europe - with the exception of countries considered "winners" and keeping their colonial influence for a longer time (UK and France). Nationalism got humbled in Europe. But it wasn't all bad, it's the same reason most people are umconfortable with all the "race" stuff. About Italy history...Well , just *whoa* An endless goldmine. South alone , Sicily alone - a lifetime probably isn't enough . Keep your good work and your personal journey ☺️❤️

Hi. I have recently come across your channel. This was a very interesting video. I am part Sicilian (30%) but grew up in a very Sicilian house, neighborhood and community in northern NJ. Im a bit older than you (57). Living in GA now, there are so few Italian Americans compared to home and it's made me have such an appreciation for how I came up. Being not 100% Sicilian and bi racial as well, growing up in that environment was not always easy for me but, I was a pretty tough kid and respect was quickly achieved. lol It is what it is. lol Looking forward to viewing more of your vids. Ciao.

Very interesting. Greetings from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹

I could listen to your very intelligent Guest, all day. I'm black mixed with Chinese, and therefore have no Italian bllod in me, but I've been to Italy probably 30 times for work and leisure. It is the most beautiful place in the world. The people are absolutely lovely. I've never ever experienced any discrimination on my travels there. I like to think that I'm one of Italy's adopted children.

Hi Danielle. First to all your hair is absolutely gorgeous. You are very beautiful too. Well, I adore your content. You covers a variety of topics

My parents got me Italian citizenship as a child. It was easy. They raised me both Italian and English!

Very interesting around 20-21 minutes in and its so true, that Italian American culture is really southern Italian American culture. My mom's side is largely southern Italian with one ancestor from the north and my dad is half northern Italian. But his mom migrated from Friuli to Toronto, and then my parents met in Buffalo. I grew up seeing my family in Canada, speaking Friulan dialect and carrying on Italian customs but it was with my mom's more Americanized family that I felt this very Italian feeling, perhaps due to the fact I was closer with them but also perhaps due to the "cultural warmth" so to speak of southern Italian culture.

He has some great points

Hit the nail on the head ! Covered every nuance 🙌🏾🙌🏾 so amazing so much clarity !

awesome interview !!!! my grandparents immigrated to new york in the early 1900's from Abruzzo A town called Casoli---My Aunt & Uncle were actually born there also -- my father and my other aunts & uncles were born in New York. I have been to italy , but not to Abruzzo " Casoli" Hopefully someday i will make it to the town my grandparents are from* I am definitely AMERICAN --Not Italian--but its nice to Have Italian roots !!---- Can't wait to visit Casoli !!!

Would love to see this type comparison for every nationality. Not Italian but thoroughly enjoyed this!

Would be nice if you did something on the people of Puerto Rico. There is a lot of Italian in their heritage but many don’t even know. I’m from PR but I have ancestors tied back to Genoa Italy. There are also many Puertoricans with many Italian names such as Pietri, Santini, Altierri, Raymundi, Brignoni, Filipi and a lot more. The governor of PR last name is Pierluisi.

Excellent piece. Thank you. I am always amazed at the similarities of experience in the US between Italian- and Jewish-Americans.

Love the discussion. But what are those analog synths behind you ?

Thank you! Excellent video. I watched it because 1) I like history and believe that the study of history and knowledge of it adds to one's life experience; 2) because I just love my Italian American friends and believe that having known them has tremendously enriched my life. Also, I am an Immigrant myself and totally agree with your guest's belief about how the American patriotism is what guides us as immigrants and also as a nation. Unlike Italy, my ancestral/native country is not a 'new' country, and it is probably why my knowledge of its history had been told to me over and over again as a child and instilled a taste for all peoples' history in me. However, this America of ours is where I find my home. Thank you again for an amazing educational and perceptive discussion.

Prof. Coniglio was on point!

You should see the welcome Sylvestre Stalone and his whole family received when they visited the small town where Sylvestre's grandparents were from. Really beautiful in fact.

This is interesting stuff.

This one was great. I am really glad to hear another Italian's perspective (and a scholarly one). I'd like to ask you a couple of questions. Is there a way to contact you or send you an email?

Luca made very valid points. It was a way of survival to Americanize once our ancestors arrived here. It sucks over the generations, the culture got passed down very very little, but its great people are investing more into getting those roots back, especially now that it is okay to represent a culture from outside America. We do have Abruzzese here in NJ, especially in the northern counties, but I don't know which ones have those hotels and money haha.

While the USA received Italians from southern Italy, mostly men, Brazil, which has around 30 million descendants, received the majority from the north, where many still preserve regional customs and dialects in southern Brazil.

And I do not wish for you to ever forget your heritage because I am still learning about my dual heritage as well.

Great video,however nothing I haven't known since I have lived it as an Italian American. And had the stories from my father, grandparents, aunts and uncles. However, I felt a little squeamish about his (and I don't totally disagree with him) thoughts on the Juris Sanguinis process for Italian citizenship. First of all, you can't get, as he says, Italian citizenship in a snap. I started the process two years ago through a specialized Italian law firm. I've been living in my ancestral home in Calabria on and off for a year, and am still waiting for citizenship. Also he stated incorrectly, through this process, you don't have to go to your ancestral home. You can get the citizenship through applying to the Italian consulate in your country, or become a resident of any community in Italy. But I see many Chinese, Africans, and Pakistanis and other immigrants here that have to go through nationalization schooling to get citizenship. That includes learning the language, history and the civics of the country. And I don't have to do any of that.

Great interview! Very informative and easy to understand. I really thought they'd talk about the Griko people. I've mentioned them in several comments and I believe they'll be discussed eventually. In case you're not aware about them here is a quick explanation. In antiquity Greeks settled much of southern Italy and Sicily. This Greek culture and language was strong in those areas for a long time .... even fairly recently. Another wave of Greeks entered the Italian peninsula after the fall of Constantinople after 1453. Their descendants considered themselves Greek, and the Italian government from my understanding took actions to Latinize them and make them Italians. There are still villages today that keep the Greek language, but the language after thousands of years is dying. One interesting story from a video on the topic I recently saw ... tourists from Greece visited one such village that still holds onto the old language. An old woman heard the tourists speaking Greek, so she asked another villager who they are. She was informed they're Greeks from Greece, and the old lady became confused. She responded "Wait, what? We don't live in Greece?". Very interesting situation. Like the professor said in the video, the villages are beautiful! I've never been, but I've seen videos of them online and they are stunning. In such villages they have Greek writing visible such as Greek street name signs, they have Greek and Cypriot flags waving. Amazing. Also, supposedly there is a reawakening happening within the people. DNA tests are helping out with that and so is tourism and the learning of history since Southern Italy is filled with ancient Greek sites including beautiful temples and entire cities. They are discovering their Greek roots and people want to touch base with the forgotten culture of their ancestors.

My maternal grandmother was from the South and her family emigrated to Brazil. The richest man in Brazil was also a southern Italian, Francesco Matarazzo. But most families are indeed from the North. From Veneto, Tirol, from the Austrian territories.

I remember when I was still living in N.Y.C (in the late 90s) I got a long distance phone call from Italy from someone who had my last name which was Tozzi and he told me that we were probably related and I told him to please contact me if he was coming to New York and I was so excited and was hoping to have him meet our family. When 9/11 happened my husband made the decision to move to Central F.L with our children,sadly I never got to hear from my Italian relative.This is so interesting.

I am from Staten Island and we periodically visited Meucci's house where he lived and Garibaldi stayed for a while . My grandmother from Palese in Puglia ensured that we knew.

Thank you again for your videos, always very important information, knowledge is king! Thank you for mentioning that the country of Italy is a very young country. I know that the "Italian" peninsula was made up of many smaller countries/provenances? You mentioned that many of southern European do not know alot about their history? I think that's so true for so many ethnicities. Now, I'm a New Yorker by birth, East Harlem, I have an "Italian" sur name, but it is also an Iberian name, I wondered for so long why this was. When I started DNA testing, I was inspired to study more, that's when I learned that the Spanish empire had conquered and controlled southern Italy and Sicily for over a hundred years? What do you know about that? Ive learned through my studies that my fathers people have roots in north America going back to 1620, i found a birth registration. I am native american from my mothers side so basically I'm an "American American"! But inspite of my history/ancestry anglos, and other European americans seem to think im a foreigner in my own land!

Fascinating. Please continue to make videos.

Great video, will share with my in-laws! 🇮🇹 😉 😎 😉

Is a very well put interview between the man and the woman in this video. I'm Puerto Rican drscent and I love Italian. This interview sometimes remind me of what Puerto Ricans think of stateside Puerto Ricans in the United States.

His right good going👍

A lot of italians identify by their regional cultural specifics. But im native nizzardo from a south piemontese family. I have a lot of old nizzardi books, and even from guys from others kingdoms like this book " Herculano battaglia della lingua italiana ". Its 1545, and it was written as others stuff from nizzardi themselves, that " Nizza una città d'italia ". Its the same before and after in 17th, 18th and 19th even before unification. Nizzardi identified as part of italy and italian as geographic and cultural ensemble within that peninsula.. But great nizzardi of the past felt Nissard first too. There 's a lot of italian great litterature ( used since 1300, official since 1561-1871 ) in italian made by Nissart , but the litterature in vernaculaer was as rich. From 1075 with the religious men ans lords, , to the " trobador ", mathematicians, musicians, poetry, you name it. And especially by 17th -19th the poetry in Vernacular was as huge and shared the same place than in italian etc... Giuseppe Garibaldi was Nissard ( Nissart the rt was a contraction over the years that made rd sound rt ), Enrico Sappia , diisciple of Mazzini , was Nissard, known in southern italy as italian teacher and writer under the.E.Simone Serpentini name ( he was researched after trying to kill Ferninand II in 1848 , beign underage, send by Mazzini, but volontary ) . Gian carolo Passeroni was Nissard, from the Cuntea. Giuseppe Bres was too, Francesco Barberis also from Sospello. Giulio Torrini and Andrioli and Fulconis as Pellos / Pellozi were more on the Tinea aera. Giovanni Badat was a chronicles man and poet who reviewed some events of the 1543 war against the Franco turkish , while writing some stuff in the Genoese float. Thoses events is where the figure Catarina Segurana became an heroin. Santa Reparata, which' s body went here, is one of the guardian of Nizza as it is for Firenze. Some prestigious nobility but also writer, poetry, such Lascaris family. Very old in Nizza / Nissa, they were counts of Ventimiglia and Briga too. Giuseppe Andrea, also co director of the local news papers, resistant to the french " Il Nizzardo ", in Italian language and Nizzardo. There re others, older, from the same time, such Il Pensiero Di Nizza, La Voce di Nizza... I mention that maybe for others italian to remember some things because with annexion and attempt of acculturation for 100 years and bit less than haklf, esoecially today they don't make the connection. So to say that maybe not everywhere but before the unification and annexion some italian regions identified as italian in what ive mentionned, maybe not in the modern sense. To make clear that the " italianity " as geographic and cultural ensemble within is not from 1860/61, but from the antiquity. Pasqual Paoli, father of the Corsican nation said in 1760 that " Siamo Corsi di cuore ma per nostri costumi, nostri tradizione e lingua siamo italiani ". Anyway, Nice video, very interesting points and enjoyable .

I grew up in North Jersey...right across the river from NYC. There was lots of people of Italian descent where I lived. First thing I realized when I visited Italy is that the 'Italian' food and furniture I experienced in New Jersey doesn't exist in Italy.

First thing, I want deeply to get to Napoli with my birth certificate to get my citizenship. My grandfather was born there. I am a little embarrassed that I only went to tourist destinations but my trip was still sublime and life changing. Ms. Romero, you must go. And may I say the one you go with is the luckiest alive.

When I was studying Italian for opera, I wished we could have received at least a semester of Italian history.

Oh so true. Most Italian-Americans speak dialect, not Italian. Some of these dialects do not even derive from Italian but from the languages of the countries they either border or are just across a body of water. Tuscany is the only region without a 'dialect' because their 'dialect' became standard Italian. I live in lower Manhattan. There has been a San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy for many decades.

I am in Canada for over 40 years, before that I was in other countries. Even though I consider myself fully integrated in the mainstream, still preserve my heritage and feel proud of. I took my classic studies in Italy, Veneto region, in the sixties and find them still rewarding despite we live in high tech times, marvel how the texts are still unsurpassed today, at least from my view. Anyone interested in the Italian culture should learn the language first, the step is necessary to go back to origins. Italian diaspora is not limited to USA but it is widespread in other countries and spans for lengthy period of time.

I was watching Italian videographers about 15 - 20 years ago. That summer people were calling in. Someone from USA called in. You could see the disdain on their faces while he was inviting them to his 4th of July feast.

Here in Argentina there are.lots Italians....So many, that in each argentinian family you find Italian ancestry.