This post is an exciting one to write, as it introduces a new venture we're embarking on to help you visit your ancestral towns, and even meet your Italian relatives! More details are at the end of this post! I remember the first time I went to Italy at an age when I was aware enough to take in what I saw. At an age when I was able to compare and contrast, New York, my home, and Southern Italy, my ancestral home. My parents took me to their villages, of course. To where they had been … [Read more...]
IAP 34: Dual citizenship and exploring your roots with Laura Lee
In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we air a conversation recorded this past summer in Sicily with Laura Lee, founder of Digging Up Roots in the Boot, which specializes in heritage tourism and genealogical research throughout Italy for Americans, Canadians, and Australians of Italian descent. The conversation covers attaining your dual citizenship, discovering and reconnecting with your Italian relatives. In our Stories Segment, Anthony speaks with Rita Richardson, an Italian … [Read more...]
The first of many life changing conversations at grandma’s kitchen table
The following is an excerpt from my book, Forty Days in Italy Con La Mia Famiglia. - - - - - - As I walked up the stairs to my grandmother's apartment with my laptop under my arm, I felt like I was about to uncover a treasure that I should have started looking for years ago. That doesn’t matter anymore though I thought; the time is now. She had warm eggplant parmigiana and a loaf of Italian bread on the table, the perfect way to start the afternoon. The two of us, along with my … [Read more...]
When you know you’ve found your Italian roots
I’ve written pretty extensively about my trip to Italy this past summer, where I visited the ancestral towns of 7 of my 8 great-grandparents. However, recently I have been once again looking through my photos to re-live the memories, and I remembered one instance where I felt extremely connected to my Italian roots. One of my stops on the trip was Sarno, Italy, which is in the region of Campania. This is where 3 of my great-grandparents were from. Growing up, my grandmother always used to … [Read more...]