And so it begins...

Some time ago, I heard that if one of your ancestors came over from Italy and you could prove this, that you could become an Italian citizen. I believe I was about 15 at time and was told that the "program" to obtain citizenship would end soon, so I payed little attention to this "program."

Until recently...

Since I spent the Spring of 2003 in Turin, I've wanted to live in Italy for some time and experience more of the culture. Last week, I looked into the before mentioned citizenship "program" and discovered that I can apply for citizenship. The "program" didn't end years ago, as I believed, it is still in effect and I am eligible for citizenship.

According to expatsinitaly.com, I am eligible because:

"Your paternal or maternal grandfather was born in the USA, your maternal or paternal GREAT grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of his/her birth, neither you nor your father/mother nor you grandfather/grandmother ever renounced rights to Italian Citizenship."

Here's my link:

Great-grandfather:
Alfredo
Born: February, 1894
Town: Gissi, Abruzzo, Italy
Entered the USA: May 10, 1912
Manner: SS Taormina
Became US Citizen: April 27, 1935

Grandfather:
Nicholas
Born: October, 1920
Town: Revere, MA
Technically born a dual US-Italian citizen because HIS father didn't become naturalized in the US until 1935.

Mother:
Born: 1944
Town: Malden, MA
Technically born a dual US-Italian citizen because HER father was born a dual citizen.

Me:
Born: 1982
Town: Dorchester, MA
Technically born a dual US-Italian citizen because MY mother was born a dual citizen.

What do I plan on doing with this dual citizenship?

I really don't know yet. What I do know is that should I decide to move to Italy, I will not need to register with the police, get any form a visa to stay over 90 days, and get any special documents to work ANYWHERE in the 25 nation EU. As someone who has dealt with registering with police and EU border controls, having Italian citizenship is VERY liberating.

Why leave the US? This is the greatest place in the world!

I agree. Though I may not agree with many of the government's policies, that is not why I would move to another country. Here are some quotes about traveling:

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. Augustine

Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness. ~Ray Bradbury

I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself. ~James Baldwin

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. ~Mark Twain

To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries. ~Aldous Huxley

Things I need for Italian Citizenship:

• Great-grandfather's birth certificate
• Great-grandmother's birth certificate (CHECK)
• Great-grandparent's marriage certificate (CHECK)
• Great-grandfather's naturalization record (CHECK)
• Great-grandfather's death certificate
• Great-grandmother's death certificate
• Grandfather's birth certificate
• Grandmother's birth certificate
• Grandparent's marriage certificate
• Grandfather's death certificate
• Grandmother's death certificate
• Father's birth certificate (CHECK)
• Mother's birth certificate (CHECK)
• Parent's marriage certificate (CHECK)
• My birth certificate (CHECK)
  

The only document I need from Italy is my great-grandfather's birth certificate, and I have contacted someone in Italy to get this paperwork for me, for a small fee of €50, which is cheaper than flying over there and getting it myself, I guess. All the other documents that I need I can get copies of from the Massachusetts State Archives.

I will keep this updated, as I believe it is good information for other's to have if they want to look into dual citizenship.

A presto