What Makes You Italian?

In 15 years as an Italian resident in the USA, I have met thousands of Americans claiming to be Italian. All it takes is to have some far relatives in their family who emigrated to the USA long time ago and, voila’, it makes them Italian. Sorry, but it is not that simple! First, you are Italian only if you were born and raised in Italy, fed with Italian food every single day, and you studied in Italian schools for most of your life.

In my humble opinion a society or a human society is a group of people related to each other through original and unique relations or a large social grouping that shares the same geographical or virtual territory and that are subject to the same political authority, cultural expectations, and philosophic values. What makes you American cannot make you Italian, and viceversa.

There are too many common places on what it is and what it is not Italian, and it really bothers me when in many Americans’ imagination Tony Soprano, grubbing down his gullet without regard to time, temperature or taste, is believed to be Italian. Not to mention the boys and girls from New Jersey Beach, are those Italians, too?

I do not mean to offend anyone and I never thought that I own the Coliseum because I was born in Rome. This belongs to the whole human society. I believe that people everywhere in the world can prepare and eat authentic Italian food, learn and speak a perfect Italian, and travel and live in Italy, as far as they stop labeling as  Italian things that Italian are not. Have anyone of you ever ordered Chicken Parmesan or Fettuccini Alfredo in any restaurant in Italy? You should ask my wife when we first met in Rome. I will tell you the story another time.

On the other end, to prepare and cook authentic Italian recipes does not require any Italian citizenship, passport or special permission. Most of the Italian cuisine, as I will eventually write about, is based on simple, basic recipes which may date far back in history. Many of those recipes have eventually evolved and maintained the original flavor and texture through time. Provided that you find the basic ingredients, anyone can cook anywhere in the world authentic Italian food.

Buon appetito!


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