3 Shocking Differences: Italian VS Italian American

[@nytn]

► Follow Luca here! www.youtube.com/@howtoitaly-2004 👕 NYTN Merch: www.nytonashville.com

[@tizioincognito5731]

Actually pasta Alfredo still exists in italy, but we call it simply pasta burro e formaggio (pasta with butter and cheese)

[@gazoontight]

It doesn't matter where your people come from, if you grow up in the USA you are different from those who stayed in the "old country".

[@nytn]

for sure, I always felt ashamed of that, and I realize now, no reason to be! We all have a reason for our story.

[@LuDa-lf1xd]

No hate. But I think that it's understandable to not like people that travel to a country, and don't make the effort to integrate into society. Plus if you were born in a country, even if you have heritage from other countries (because your parents raised you their way) it's shameful to identify as other.

[@Neoyorchese]

100%

[@ledatufarulo7316]

Of course they change a lot

[@experidigm3376]

Only certain cultures can hold on to the knowledge

[@kwtgjad]

I was born in Argentina, and my family has a strong Italian heritage from different parts of Italy. My mother told me that Italy was once a collection of small principalities rather than a unified country. For example, my maternal great-grandmother spoke Italian very poorly; her native language was Zeneize, the dialect of Genoa. She told my grandmother that, in her time, if you traveled as little as 30 minutes away (perhaps an exaggeration), you might not easily understand the local language. My ancestors immigrated to Argentina during the great wave of immigration in the 19th century, so they still carried memories and influences of the divided, regional nature of the Italian peninsula, even though they quickly adapted to speaking Spanish.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

this is a great comment!I want to make a video about Italian emigration to Argentina soon! Subscribe!

[@gj1234567899999]

Going 30 minutes and not understanding people is something I experienced myself and it’s not an exaggeration. When I went to Beijing to learn Chinese, I could understand Mandarin well enough when conversing with workers in restaurants, bank tellers and the like. One day, I decided to bike to the Great Wall about 70 miles away. My route went through some little towns. I got turned around and asked a local man a simple question. He said something in an accent so thick I couldn’t understand it. After a bit of study, your ear gets trained to hear “pure” mandarin - like the BBC presenter equivalent of mandarin. Hearing this man getting to speak to me and not understanding a word showed that China has a lot of dialects!and accents. Indeed, the different dialects, and rural accents is a source of a lot of conversation, and jokes in China. Just like in Italy I’m sure.

[@chrisventura1881]

​@HowtoItaly-2004 def interesting. I love the Italian Diaspora. Italians in Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Australia etc. We went everywhere. This Italian guy I know in NY. We were speaking and he told me his wife's family is Sicilian but they immigrated to Tunisia then France then to the U.S. There were Italians in Tunisia that's interesting in itself. Salute. 🇮🇹✌🏼🇺🇸

[@johaquila]

This phenomenon of people in the next village sometimes speaking a dialect sufficiently different to make communication difficult is very common all over the world. It is typical for languages in the regions where they originally developed. For example English has this in England, not so much in Ireland, and not at all in America. Spanish has it in Spain more than in South America. However, in the modern world, local dialects are getting weaker by becoming more and more similar to the national standard languages. Of course generally speaking, people in the next village speak _almost_ the same dialect anyway, so not understanding the people 30 minutes away from your home is far from typical. This phenomenon does exist, but it often has to do with former barriers which over centuries prevented people from communicating. This can be a wide river that used to have no bridge over it, or a mountain chain that used to have no tunnel through it, or a forest that was once nearly impassable. I think it can sometimes also be seen at (former) national borders.

[@bluesman1947]

Very correct. It was exactly like that. 30 miles is not an exageration at all, even today.

[@cassandraelliot7878]

When I was 19, I went to Italy with two of my Italian aunts and a female Italian cousin. Prior to going, I thought of myself as Italian. Once I was there, I realized that I was NOT like the Italians in Italy. I came home knowing that I am American. There is a frequency difference.

[@Ama94947]

The Italians did develop their own culture when they arrived in the USA some generations ago.. so I would say you are still Italian, with Italian-American culture.

[@cassandraelliot7878]

@@Ama94947 That would be nice but, people always assume I am a White lady. Plus, the immigrant Italians, at St. Peter's Italian Catholic Church told me and others that we are not Italians.

[@Alexander-rr6yn]

@@cassandraelliot7878We Italians are white. What are you even talking about ? 😂

[@grethi8110]

​@@cassandraelliot7878 you are a white lady ma'am

[@cjc2]

@@Alexander-rr6yn A few generations ago, Italian immigrants were not considered white in the US. They suffered terrible bigotry and discrimination by the majority WASP population. The feeling of “otherness” was common among Italian Americans. Even in the 70s I had a few Italian American friends say they are not white, but Italian. I had a few Greek immigrant friends who would feel the same. The definition of white was fluid over the decades.

[@giapetto2]

76 year old Italian American here and I never heard of “Alfredo sauce” until it became popular in some restaurants here. I guess there is a restaurant in Rome that has the “Original” Alfredo which is nothing like the popular version.

[@carlogambacurta548]

@@giapetto2 i thinkvt yes rhere is such a,restaurant for rich upper class people.well, some of them.

[@connorbrigante135]

In the Italian-American community I grew up in we always viewed ourselves as a subculture of America that came due to a hybridization of the Anglo American culture and southern Italian immigrants. When I visited some family out east and realized some people viewed themselves as Italian more than American I was incredibly shocked. I think it’s important to appreciate our culture of origins and where we came from, but also realize we’re our own sub culture with unique slang, traditions, and beliefs.

[@sarawoods7874]

My family is mainly Scottish but we have been living in multi generational homes for several generations because it's better financially for everyone. My grandma cared for me while my mom and grandpa and aunt worked. My mom and stepdad lived with my husband and I until they passed. My children have been in and out as needed. I feel like it's better so that kids are closer to grandparents and everyone can contribute so that financially the children are better off

[@cheesetoast8312]

Good stuff. I am 58% Scottish by way of two great grandfathers who did come on the same ship but never knew each other. Each in different states married and lived with and created empires with a whole community of other black people never to ever have any back;lash. Ohio and NY seemed to be a far better place for that to have taken place in 1890 and I thank goodness for it. The women owned land via family purchasing it in 1850. The empire grew and in the true vein of America it worked.

[@sarawoods7874]

@@cheesetoast8312 I'm from Ohio but my family settled in Appalachia first. I have one side of my family tree back to the 1600s. The other side said we were Irish yet I have none of that DNA 😂

[@josebanales6265]

I am Mexican-American(3rd generation) and see similarities with the Italian Americans in the immigrant experience that my grandparents had and my generation is experiencing. There is a difference from 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations experience living in the U.S.. The version of Mexico my grandparents brought with them compared to recent Mexican immigrants has been on my mind also.

[@nytn]

Yes, I think it is a very similar trajectory. My husband's great grandpa came over from Tijuana, and now they dont even speak Spanish!

[@josebanales6265]

@@nytn Amongst, the Mexican immigrants vs Mexican-Americans to Chicanos(liberal activist, identify themselves) we make distinctions of what we consider ourselves. My son doesn't identify with México at all because I never spoke in a fashion to make him feel proud of his heritage but identifies with mainstream U.S. culture.

[@azborderlands]

@@josebanales6265What a shame. On one side of my family, I am 3rd Generation out of Mexico. Another side, my family lived in New Mexico since the 1600’s, and still to this day. I identify myself as Mexican, as I am ethically a brown Mestiza. I know my language and embrace the culture entirely. But I wonder if I were born. castiza, or majority European, i would have simply blended into USA society and forgott my history. I’m so happy to be apart of a rich history.

[@josebanales6265]

@@azborderlands I understand and agree but my son recognizes his mestizo heritage, a blending of indigenous and European descent. He is not ashamed but identifies differently.

[@sicilianknicca_mickygreeneyes]

cuzzos brodie

[@claudioconti9466]

Ho 45 anni e sono già nonno, ho lasciato molto presto casa dei miei genitori perchè come tanti ho inseguito il mito della carriera e del "self-made man" , modello consumista di importazione anglo-sassone che ha premuto moltissimo sulla divisione delle famiglie per questioni di manipolabilità e massimo "profitto" sulla pelle dei soggetti costretti a lavorare per comprare tonnellate di pattume per compensare quello che la famiglia dava naturalmente senza dazi. Oggi vorrei tantissimo poter aver vissuto in una famiglia con nonni e bisnonni ma è tardi e mi resta di vedere mia figlia e mia nipote ogni tanto e chiamare mia madre per sentire come sta. Abbiamo perso tanto per essere sfruttati e vivere come schiavi viziosi ed edonisti.

[@carlogambacurta548]

@@claudioconti9466 bravo bravissimo in verità.! Apprezzo e sto con lei!!!

[@RuffiRaggaMuff]

Ciao Luca! Hi Danielle! Sono italoAmericana - one foot in the US and one in Italy. I never fit in with Italian American because I’m prima generazione! I love hearing this discourse. La mia mamma e Calabrese cresciuta a Milano mio papa e Siciliano provincia di Catania. I spend long weeks Italia and Sicilia in the summer. I feel at home there because Italian American culture is inauthentic to me. On that note, tonight there is Festa Italiana here in my city and they play bocce and eat meatballs but no one speaks Italian. I’d love to introduce granita or pasta al pistacchio but la Americano non e pronto e neanche lo vuole conoscere. Qua ce ancora la mente chiusa!

[@Neoyorchese]

I am Italian-Basque lombardian father, and Basque mother...i speak italian and spanish and also German, people here dont know where to place mw, culturally i am more Italian bur integrated into american culture either way and feel i live in two worlds. It is not a bad thing. I know history and geo politica well and no one can really fool me in convos. It also helps that i traveled a lot. Cheers and always be proud of your heritage while being americana! 🎉

[@RuffiRaggaMuff]

@@Neoyorchese Thank you 💕 I am very proud American! Glad to hear there are others in same boat. I love to hear immigrant stories. We are more similar than we all like to admit! 🥰

[@Neoyorchese]

@@RuffiRaggaMuff anch'io parlo italiano peró diventa dificile trovare quelli che vogliono parlarlo. Qui a NYC ci sono qualche gruppo per parlare. With work etc. It is tough to make time lol

[@RuffiRaggaMuff]

@@Neoyorchese e poi parlano dialetto! Molto dificile trovare la gente con la capacita. Io parlo soltanto con i miei cugini, zie, e genitori. E neanche lo so scrivere bene

[@Neoyorchese]

@@RuffiRaggaMuff ahhaha calabrese, e napulitano eh? si, ho capito. Purtroppo sembra dificile, pero' aiuta che conosco gente qui a NYC che sono arrivati poco tempo fa' e anche ho amici in italia e parliamo poco, pero oiu scrivere nel whatsapp. forse' mi scrivi e possiamo pratticare...crediamoci!

[@kaiyakershaw1028]

I loved listening to this great discussion and Prof Luca’s perspective is so enlightening! It’s so very important for Americans to recognize how we are enculturated and the ways that makes us different from others as well as the similarities we find. We are more monocultural than Italians, but even that is changing, which is critical in understanding current politics. I think the backlash against our increasing acceptance of diversity comes from the fear of the empire losing control, as the professor put it. Empires don’t historically deal well with criticism.

[@wgoconnor33]

I’m a relatively new subscriber to your channel Luca , but I really enjoy the topics you cover. I was interested in this one because I lived for two years in Italy ( ‘81 -‘83 ) at Aviano Air Base . I consider it one of the highlights of my life , I loved it over there.

[@nytn]

I hope to go, maybe one day! :)

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I want to malke a video about the Aviano base in Italy. It is the way the American Empire controls Italy!

[@elleanna5869]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 Sigonella too , right? Not only Italy , tho. Good American people freak out when I state that after ww2 US were the biggest colonial power in the west and not only there (basically everything that after Yalta wasn't directly occupied by USSR)- with other European ww2 victors and succesful colonialists (UK and France) having a word or two but basically being the US the leading act in the "Good cops caring for the world" movie... because in the US it's usually about the evil European whitey white blondettes , the narrative about colonialism- and US just aknowledge some level of cynical politics /white guilt et all only about Natives and Ados. But US military boots around Europe and the world it's def an interesting subject to say the least.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@elleanna5869 absolutely. I will work on that topic

[@Noneyabizbish]

I grew up Italian American and saw my family weekly. My grand parents lived with us. It’s horrible now compared to when everyone was living. I felt part of a family…now I cry daily and have been for years. That family togetherness runs deeper than I thought. 💜

[@italianspoken]

It really does...I come into contact with so many people who travel to Italy to embrace their heritage and feel at home. 💗 I do it too.

[@fabiofina7573]

Grande Luca! Non vedo l'ora di vedere il tuo canale. Mi e' piaciuto parecchio il primo video che hai fatto con Danielle. Da italiano, ho imparato molte cose pure io!

[@nytn]

yes! I hope you are doing well, maybe we can catch up at some point again!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@nytn Grazie mille!

[@fabiofina7573]

@@nytn Yes, still surviving the new stages of newborn, but I def want to catch up soon. Love what you are ding with the channel Danielle

[@JohnMinehan-lx9ts]

The Irish have similar problems. The "Plastic Paddy" phenomenon perceived by people from Eire. I thought David Chase said some interesting things about the issue in The Sopranos in the episodes about his attempts to develop ties to people in (as I remember) the Camorra. I will say I have found that I understand Italian spoken by Italians in Italy or spoken in Germany by Italians better than my Italian American friends and colleagues in the US.

[@jakinthebox7309]

Great stuff, Danielle!Very interesting and informative video. Thanks to you and your guest! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@creativecatproductions]

My wife is Italian-American and it is fascinating to me how the Italian America experience transformed her family’s self-identity as Italians. Their family is from northern Italy, not far from Switzerland. They came to America and started the Frigo cheese company in Wisconsin. Ethnically and culturally, her grandparents had more in common with the Swiss or the Austrians than anything. Her grandfather spoke German as much as Italian…. and yet, because of living in the US as “Italian Americans” they have absorbed all these customs and traditions which would have been utterly foreign to their actual Italian ancestors. They took on the Italian American identity and that means they absorbed a bunch of southern Italian customs from the early 20th century. And of course they sing all the popular Italian American songs at parties by guys like Frank Sinatra. It’s amazing.

[@PrincesSarah70]

Another great interview Danielle👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 This was very informative to me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you Professor Coniglio💜🌹

[@royhughes2854]

professor Luca Coniglio, I just LOVE listening to you! I just subscribed to your channel!!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

thank you so much!

[@Me2Lancer]

I enjoyed this post. I'm also pleased to say that I followed your KZbin page Luca.

[@rb98769]

I haven't even finished the video yet, but it's really refreshing to see an European address this topic in a respectful manner. There is a cascade of very condescending content on youtube relating to topics like this while ignoring all nuance of immigration patterns, and it's a real shame.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much! This is really appreciated!

[@brooklyn5755]

Such an interesting and educational discussion ❤❤❤

[@robertmariano]

As a descendent of family that came from Abruzzo and Molise, I absolutely loved this conversation on your channel and I enjoy the other videos very much. I look forward to watching Luca's videos on his channel. Thank you for this content

[@nytn]

My great grandpa went to college in what is now Molise (Campobasso to be specific)!

[@robertmariano]

@@nytn college in Campobasso?! Wow, that is awesome!

[@GianniPT]

My bisnonna was from Gildone. Her and my grandmother spoke the dialect from Campobasso.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@nytn i did not even know there was a college in Campobasso

[@nytn]

LOL! I believe he went for music. He was a bandmaster in the Italian Army in WW1

[@Inzo42]

My father's side came from Palermo. My mother's side came from Lucca. My mother's parents (American born), were always mean to my dad (also American born).

[@petunia4474]

That's because the Northern Italians always looked down upon us Sicilians and that extended even in the States sadly.

[@br8kadawn]

It's funny because my Italian family was always clear that we were SICILIAN. The usage of the word "Italian" was mostly limited to when identifying with other "Italians" in the US. Kind of like how "Latino" is often used as a catch all for multiple hispanic cultures. I am excited for Luca's channel and did you notice you both have similar art in your backgrounds?✌️❤️🙏

[@LuDa-lf1xd]

Well, if you learn about "Italian" history it makes sense. For that matter, i don't think it's right to say Columbus was italian. He was genoese ( at least that's the more likely birth place of him).

[@elleanna5869]

@@LuDa-lf1xd Italy / Italian as a peninsula sharing common aspects is a thing tho, Italian Unity didn't come from nothing and Mozart already complained about Italian musicians being everywhere and occupying roles in every court😂 of course this doesn't mean that a modern nation was always there, but as much Greece had Polis (meaning different realities , govts, lifestyles ,dialects etcetera) , it was rather appropriated talking about "Greek culture" and so about "Italian culture".

[@LuDa-lf1xd]

I'm saying this from Spain, from the iberian peninsula.😅 We had a few kingdoms here, and when we studied them in history they were clearly not-spain.

[@MarcoMenozziPro]

Claiming not to be Italian but identifying with one's local identity is the most Italian thing ever.

[@TheAtomoh]

​@@elleanna5869We only share the language. We were completely different countries until the Savoy expanded their territory. People from Sicily don't have anything in common with someone from Friuli or Piedmont. Until our government starts to recognize our cultural differences, there will always be a "northern italians feeling superior to southern italians" thing. But i guess this is one of the last issues of modern day Italy...

[@gloriathomas3245]

South American people who are of Italian ancestry (or any ancestry) are much closer their European counterparts than those are who are Americans. In fact those Latino Japanese (in South America) are much closers to their Japanese counterparts than Japanese Americans.

[@kwtgjad]

While it may seem that South Americans of European ancestry are closer to their European counterparts than those in North America, this isn’t always the case. Cultural digression happens everywhere, including in South America. For instance, Korean-Argentine culture has diverged from contemporary Korean culture. Many younger Korean-Argentines feel like they bring an older version of the culture when they visit Korea. The same might be true for South Americans of Italian descent. While there might be more cultural similarities between Italy and certain parts of South America than between Italy and the U.S., cultural differences still emerge. Immigrant communities often preserve traditions that feel more like time capsules, holding onto elements that may no longer be prominent in the home country. So, while some connections may seem stronger, the reality is more complex, and every immigrant community evolves in its own way.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

i completely agree

[@cjc2]

This is true. But I also think that South Americans of Italian descent do not place the same level of importance on hyphenated identity like people from the United States do. An Argentine or Brazilian of Italian heritage will just say they are Argentine or Brazilian. I think is because they assimilated much easier to South America due to the similar cultures, Roman Catholicism and Latin based languages.

[@delgi9551]

Yes it is bc of their Latin matrix and identity. ​@@cjc2

[@msjodh88]

I dont know about Asian cultures, but it makes sense for say Argentineans of Italian descent to seem more Italian still, because the mayority culture is a Latin one and therefore much closer, so there is less general adaptation to other norms. While the foundations for the US were obviously more Northern European-protestant.

[@tomhalla426]

A bit of history to remember is that the US as a united country is nearly a hundred years older than Italy or Germany being united countries, and there is a lot more geographical movement in the US than those countries. I am from California, but none of my grandparents were born there. I was unusual as a child as both my parents were born in California. And I no longer live in California.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

You made a great point!

[@rscaht]

incredible from my italian point of view it's unbeliveble ! a bit of History , Italy was born in 1861 , 21 milion peoples , the same year the entire USA was 31 Millions ... Naples and New York were about the same . The entire California 360 Thousend ...

[@JustFluffyQuiltingYarnCrafts]

I enjoyed Professore Luca when you first had him on your channel. I look forward to his content. ❤

[@nytn]

Yay, thank you!

[@chrisventura1881]

Our parents and grandparents from S.Italia and when they arrived to America and Canada and Argentina etc they created their own cultures. We mixed what we had w different regions certain things became popular. And some things sold more to Americans like Pizza and Chicken Parm etc. They are our creations w Italian Roots. Salute from Ny.🇮🇹✌🏼🇺🇸

[@jeffreymassey5541]

Great conversation. 👍🏾💯✅

[@nytn]

It is such a beautiful world we live in! Sometimes :)

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

thank you so much!

[@sbalsamo410]

This was really interesting. I’m 2nd generation American. My grandparents were first cousins from Sicily. I’d say our culture is definitely the old school vibe although we never had Alfredo sauce. Ever. Art was left off the list of Italian accomplishments, as was science. And Italy has brought us supreme representations of both. Some of my Italian relatives share this gentleman’s view of their country. There’s an appreciation for the culture but not for the country as a unified place, where we all believe in many of the same things, even if we don’t always get along. Even if we don’t always like each other, we love our country.

[@FCntertainr]

Most Italian American don't know Italian excellence in engineering Venturi fluid flow and Bernoulli's thermodynamics etc Marconi radio electromagnetic phenomena, concrete and marble work in all eastern seaboard USA train stations etc. I studied engineering!

[@ronpulcer2511]

This is a great conversation. My mother was born in Tuscany. I am also half, I'll say Polish, because that's what my Dad's family identified with. But actually I am mix of Kashubian and Silesian. It's amazing the regional differences in countries. America for some reason tries to homegenize or dumb down history. Although I identify as Italian American I like to talk with people who are half Italian and half something else. It's fun to learn how othes grew up in mixed ethnic families and how they assimilate or integrate or struggle with that process. Also, the differences in generations within families and connections (or not) to relatives back in the old country, as they say, is very interesting. Best of luck with both of your YT channels. 🇺🇸 🇮🇹 🇵🇱 ✌️☮️

[@FrancescoRossi-q4s]

From Lombardy, Italy: I would like to hear your opinions on the difference between racism in Italy and in the US. In my opinion, racism in Italy is - or was until recent years - a form of xenophobia, which started from the people in the next village and was expressed in sayings like: “Meglio un morto in casa che un (mantovano) alla porta”. “Better a dead person at home than a person from (Mantua, for example) at the door. It has - or had until recently - very little to do with the person's physical characteristics. In the USA, instead, racism is concerned with whether people are “Black”, “White”, “Asian”, “Hispanic”, etc. but not directly connected with actual skin color, so some “Blacks” are lighter skinned than some “Whites”. I would be interested in your opinions from an Italian viewpoint and from an American viewpoint. Thank you. Grazie Professore … 😉

[@lunasky5029]

Lol glad you asked over here they throw the thing about race around that it's lost it's meaning because the media says your racist if you don't agree with them...😅 Blacks think that they were the only people that were ever slaves because our history classes don't teach the truth... So they've dumbed down the population they no longer teach true history...

[@paestum70]

Thank you Gabrielle, I enjoyed this video. Bravo Luca, I loved your insights and your humor as well!! In my family we had a very different situation because my father came to the US in the 1960s-- on one side via Argentina (though born in Italy) and my mother directly. Probably more similar to the Italian-Canadians I met. I grew up with my grandparents in the US, they were an integral part of my life. I never identified with Italian-American culture, it seemed like Americans who had a vague notion of Italy, who didn't speak Italian and didn't understand regional differences.1000% agree with you Luca on American assimilation...this is a key point in understanding not only Italian-Americans but Americans as whole. And Italian Americans, like most Americans, don't really have a good understanding of the world. Thanks again for this!

[@NONANTI]

Marginalizing someone by not calling them by the correct name is a microaggression.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I think Italians have a wore understanding of the world than Americans.

[@paestum70]

@@NONANTI uh no. No marginalization or microaggression on my end. That comes from you--- picking fights is aggression. Cheers!

[@paestum70]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 I don't know about that Luca. Americans are pretty bad... but in any case...

[@mattikarosenthal3298]

It seems like everyone I knew were northern Italians, mostly blue eyed blondes, I think they were called Italian Swiss colony Italians. And a lot of Jewish Italians as well, seeing as that I am Greek, of northern Greek Jewish descent, so there was a real mixture of Italian And Greek Jewish citizens. In fact, the entire island of Rhodes, used to be an Italian island, the entire population spoke Italian, not Greek. This is a very interesting podcast, and I find a lot of similarities between my own first generation upbringing, and the topics that you are speaking about in fact when I went to UCLA to improve my modern Greek, my professor told me exactly that my vocabulary seemed like it stopped at 1945. Of course, my parents came here soon afterwards it’s not as bad today of course because we have television and cable that screens popular programming in both languages, so people do update their vocabularies, that was not the case in the 1940s and 1950s.

[@MartinaValla]

Actually there's quite a bit of blond, blue eyed Italians in the South as well, since the Normans settled there. I'd say most northern italians have fair to medium skin tone and brown hair. :) Let's say on 20 people one is a redhead, two are blonde, one has black hair, the rest is shades of brunette ;)

[@ruisgallego3239]

There are many Italians in the South with blue eyes and green eyes and red hair and blonde hair

[@dialogos585]

This is a wonderful conversation. Grazie! My great grandparents came over from Toscana and Lombardia (separately, an arranged married in the US). I grew up with them, my grandparents, and all my cousins, aunts and uncles, etc. We lived in a medium town that had an Italian neighborhood and everybody spoke different dialects. My great grandmother never spoke english, and all the kids of my grandparents generation spoke Italian and english, but they were very careful that all their kids spoke only english. So, sadly, my parents never learned Italian, thus neither did any of the kids in my generation. Finalmente sto imparando l'italiano! I only started a few months ago, even though my Italian heritage has been important for me. Non vedo l'ora di andare in Italia, praticare e imparare di più sulla vera cultura. I am so grateful for all those moments of piling everyone into my great grandparents' tiny kitchen with their homemade wine and swooning in conversations I never understood but felt deeply in my bones. I am following you both and looking forward to learning more.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Amazing story! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@MichaelMancuso-v2s]

We never made Alfredo at home.

[@John-gz4zh]

Finally some respect for American italian culture thank you ,it's funny I went to naples where my grandfather came from I connected immediately to naples especially Sunday 2pm ziti and red sauce and meat

[@italianspoken]

Being a big part of the Italian-American culture in New York myself, I can attest that above all, trying to connect with your roots and embrace your heritage is everything. You never know the opportunities you'll have just by reconnecting :).

[@richardwilliamswilliams]

Hi neighbor lady, caught this one late, but I'm tuned in for the program. Thanks!😊😊

[@anthonyforfare7223]

War between the States also known as the War of Northern Aggression. From a transplant from New Jersey to South Carolina for 13 yrs. Great content 👍😆 God Bless you and your family 🙏😇❤️🇺🇸🇮🇹

[@nytn]

yes that is right!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

thank you so much!

[@NONANTI]

IDK phonetics but pronounced "Wah of Naw-thern Ah-greshin".

[@nicholasholiday941]

The north/ south divides indeed exist in both countries but but the American South was fighting to support the state right of legal slavery specifically .This relationship is well documented in papers related to secession. Southern Italians were sick of dominance by colonizers, then the middle class revolutionaries that came mostly from the north, from whom they greatly differed from in culture but also language. But you are right, this north/south divide seems to pop up a lot and not just in these two countries.

[@bryonbiondolillo6545]

Very important conversation....

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Thank you so much!

[@bryonbiondolillo6545]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 just subscribed

[@bryonbiondolillo6545]

@@HowtoItaly-2004 If you were to watch and analyze the video called L'alleanza tra CIA, Mafia ed Estrema Destra per manipalare l'Italia by Nova Lectio I would be very curious to hear your thoughts on that.

[@alicetwain]

A friend of mine lives in the UK, and for a period of time his parents lived in the US (his mom was a university teacher, his father was a retired teacher too). When he told his English therapist that he called his parents (or received a call from his parents) nearly every evening, the therapist was horrified, saying that he probably had an excessive attachment to his parents, then Carlo proceeded to explain the therapist that in Italy hearing your parents less than 2-3 times a day, unless you actually live with them, is extremely uncommon.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

it is absolutely right!!!!!!!!!!!!follow me!!!!

[@jvio5437]

I used to spend a lot of time in Mexico as I had a girl down there. I used to see many Italians vacationing. I could never get it into this girls head that I wasn't half Italian...She thought because I was born American, but had ancestors descended from Italy that made me half. I used to tell her no, I'm Italian American..I told her in the states we say our ethnicity followed by American. In any case, her sister met this Italian guy at the resort we were staying..She got all excited to tell him that her American bf was Italian...Of course the Italian guy just smirked as they don't tend to recognize us as Italian...Long story short, we didn't quite hit it off...At one point he asked where my ancestors were from..I told him mostly Sicily and he said yea I can tell...It was kind of lime yea, not only are you not really Italian, but your Sicilian on top of that...I had to explain to her later that Italians from Italy don't really embrace us much...

[@blablamilkyway]

as an Italian, there are different kinds of Italians and the further north you go, the more the heat goes down, if that Italian in Mexico had been Sicilian he would surely have been more courteous

[@jvio5437]

I would agree that he probably would have been..However, he was completely cool with the two Mexican girls...You woukd think we at least had somewhat of a link, but nope..

[@blablamilkyway]

@@jvio5437 women are a separate category for them there are no boundaries

[@parabelluminvicta8380]

because youre not italian, youre just american why you call yourself italian american? no point of doing that I burst in laugh every time any americans consider themself half italian.

[@jvio5437]

@parabelluminvicta8380 Its not possible to erase our genetic make up just because our ancestors immigrated here. I do find the arrogance of Italians to be funny...Your not above us in anyway because your families stayed.. I understand that our cultures are different, but at least the Americans care about our roots. You would think that Italians would be proud of their cousins in North or South America...instead you all like to act like we have no link to Italy.

[@cuginoeddie8677]

Luca you should perhaps visit South Philadelphia because those things still exist here amongst Italian American culture. The majority of our elderly are still out on the streets, they meet up at bars or other social events like playing bocce often and the live here till death, in many cases they sell their house and move in with one of their children and their family. Most of us stay in these neighborhoods or move only 10 mins away to the suburbs and visit often. There are rare cases of us moving to FLA or somewhere else after retirement. If anything they will buy a house on the Jersey shore and stay there during summer.

[@Percept2024]

When I was growing-up in southeastern Pa. , one of the small stores that we would patronize was owned by a couple from Milan. The owner ( Mr. Raffaelli ) was a courtly man. Almost all of the other Italian owned businesses were owned by Sicilians. The Sicilians WERE NOT courtly !!

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

you are absolutely right

[@JohnnyLodge2]

I am Italian American and I have been to Italy half dozen times. It doesn't matter which region I have visited and I have never had a less than friendly encounter except for the ine indifferent shop girl at intimissi uomo near the duomo in Milan. I have even made friends who have come to US to visit me. But I behave and make efforts to speak only Italian to them.

[@hirsch4155]

Haha I went to Milan and I thought the girls working at Intimissimi were friendly , as well as the other high end shops . I was expecting more snobbishness , this was 20 years ago so maybe there weren’t as many tourists back then to get annoyed by lol.

[@MartinaValla]

Laughing at this cause Intimissimi,s commesse are notoriusly snobbish! So, stereotype confirmed haha

[@JohnnyLodge2]

@@MartinaValla in Palermo they were super sweet and helpful. Genoa she was helpful. Verona she was helpful but only wanted to speak English to me. Milan the new girl was helpful but the manager on duty I guess was very impersonal and managing an order on the phone. so to rate experiences: Palermo > Genoa > Verona > Milan.

[@LuDa-lf1xd]

Question to the "3rd generation of something" people in the USA. All your 4 grandparents are from the same country? Therefore your parents that were born in the USA both had the same culture, and that culture was passed to you? That's how it goes? I would say that for that time you can rightfully say that you are an "American/from the USA" without adding anything.

[@LuDa-lf1xd]

If it isn't like that. I would find it quite disrespectful to your others grandparents. I say this because i've found people that say that they are "latino/hispanic" because one grandparent was from Mexico. What about your others grandparents, and your parents that were USA born. If you have heavy mexican heritage because for some reason only the culture of one grandparent was passed down, it would make a bit of sense, overall all seems shady to me.

[@giapetto2]

I would add that my immigrant grandparents could often not get the foods that they grew up with in Italy. For example in the northeast you can’t grow olives and imported cheese was a luxury. My grandfathers made wine and grandmothers made pasta. They often had to adopt available ingredients to make traditional dishes.

[@claudevictor3621]

First Italy is a geographical region occupy by people coming from all around mediterranean sea, which explain the extraordinary culture wealth from south to the north !

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Absolutely!

[@rscaht]

From all the mediterranean and from noth and east europe . We are ALL the people of Europa , middle eastern and some north Africans . Eritage from the ancient greeks , celtics , the populations of the old Roman Empire (the new has capital in Washingthon) , then Germans , Slavi , Arabs . Now also sub saharians, indians , cinese ... many American turists ... Hip hip hurrà Mr Crisoforo Colombo and Amerigo Vespucci !

[@annatomasso5226]

Love this! I have been to Italy three different times and I have multiple stories of American pissing an Italian off simply because of how the USA views Italy. Ex: I kid you not someone asked for pineapple and ham pizza. Another time: someone became upset because they were greeted in Italian. Passa uno splendido fine settimana!

[@tomhalla426]

“Hawaiian pizza” was created by a Greek immigrant to Canada, BTW.

[@annatomasso5226]

@@tomhalla426 I am aware. There are so many dishes that Italian-Americans love but Italy doesn't have. Another example, would be garlic bread.

[@goaliemojo4310]

did he say the pasta shapes the presents? 21:00 why is this show making me so hungry!

[@cuginoeddie8677]

Also to follow up on my previous comment about south Philadelphia and both of your comments about us having the traditions of our grandparents here in America, one tradition that is very strong here in SP is Bocce. We have numerous bocce halls, courts and leagues here and it’s played by not only the elderly but also a big percentage of guys in their 20s in these leagues. Recent Italian immigrants as well as a cousin of mine who visited the USA for the first time laughed at me when I told her I played in a bocce league saying nobody plays that in Italy anymore, maybe someone who is 90 years old lol.

[@eziocerlienco6395]

In order to really understand the similarity of the gap between north and south of both the US and Italy i suggest you see a classic Italian film a masterpiece in its genre which his Il Gattopardo (the leopard) by Luchino Visconti and compare it to Gone with the Wind. You will find it extremely interesting. You will see the death of two systems and way of life The south in both cases and the underlayng feeling of the southern people to this day.

[@nytn]

I loved reading Gone with the wind ! (And movie)

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I think you made an amazing point!

[@TerryMcKennaFineArt]

To some extent, an American version of pizza has become a world food - with adaptations for each country. Spaghetti and meatballs is also an Italian American food that is popular in other countries - the Irish eat it for example, even with a red sauce.

[@Bgrk]

Man be proud of Italy it’s an amazing place with so much history. It gave birth to one of my favorite Kings ever Marcus Aurelius he was an amazing man. The story’s of Romulus & Remus is cool and amazing a little dark but still cool. It even has hints in modern time “Remus” Lupin from Harry Potter and “Romulus” from Marvel the names are still shaping stories. You guys have an amazing history to be proud of take pride that it’s yours.

[@mr.archivity]

Luca, the Alfredo sauce is used even now in Italy. It is just “pasta in bianco”.

[@jharekcarnelian]

This is true of Irish Americans as well. Many of them hold onto a version of Irish culture which is extinct or very nearly so in Ireland. I once had an Irish-American woman argue with me that Protestants cannot be regarded as Irish people. I spent ages trying to explain why this was such a ludicrous statement but I could tell after a bit I was not making any progress.

[@lunasky5029]

Because people have a one track mind... They just don't get it...

[@jharekcarnelian]

@@lunasky5029 Some times it is best to just walk away when it looks like dialogue is not going anywhere.

[@lunasky5029]

@@jharekcarnelian your correct I'm going to do that from now on thanks 🙂

[@MIZRAIM1906]

American living in Rome Italy here.... There is NO SUCH THING as pasta Alfredo!!!!

[@johnperniciaro785]

I'll tell you one thing that I came to fully realize going back to my father's "paese' in Sicily--- how agricultural (& fishing) the culture at root is. I grew up in NYC , most Italian Americans grew up in very large cities surrounded by a tremendous diversity of cultures---this is a simple but enormous difference from the places where most Italians immigrated from. And remember that Italy was really quite poor, almost desperately poor. Italy today is part of "Europe' (though life is once again becoming harder...)

[@CGeeThompkins]

So much great info. I am an American product of slaves and my DNA is all over the globe after my 40% African heritage. I really loved the perspectives. I gyess we all have a story to tell. Let's keep talking!

[@rivobravo]

Italy is a cluster of different people, there is not an Italian stereotype, the differences between regions are deep and outstanding. To state that Italians can be characterized as pizza and pasta eater is a mischaracterization, Italians are much more than that. I for one was born in Venice mainland, when the Republic of Venice, aka La Serenissima, was overruled by Napoleon in 1796 was a thousand years old. What Venice has given to humanity over the centuries is unique and cannot be repeated. Furthermore there are excellent regional cuisines and I never eat pizza and seldomly pasta. Italian American should be compared with Southern Italian since the massive migration to USA originated from South Italy, for the same token Italian communities in Argentina and Brazil which originated from North Italy.

[@paologalliani4172]

Per gli stranieri noi italiani siamo tutti pizza pasta e mandolino

[@robertdiscipio243]

Or mafiosi dumb dark dagoes as tge racist MSM have endlessly portrayed us from "the untouchables to the Sopranos to Shark Tank to Jersey Shore .Of course more educated Italian Americans seek to distance themselves from thes obnoxious caricatures.This is a form of cultural genocide and mental colonialism.​@@paologalliani4172

[@lunasky5029]

​@@robertdiscipio243And we do 😊

[@gennaroferra]

I was born in Napoli and moved to Australia with my family when i was 9 months of age and i can tell you as Italians growing up we experienced a shit load of racism but it was also a great country to be free and do whatever your heart desired while being proud to be Italian. We moved in 1968 as did many Italians during that decade so food, culture and attitude was still very authentically Italian and we were encouraged to speak Italian which Im proud to say I still speak. I cant speak for other Italians who settled abroad but based on my experiences on visiting Italy on numerous occasions both for vacations and to see my cousins aunts and uncles, i can say that Italians in Italy are more sophisticated, well spoken and classy. I moved to NYC in 1997 and have had the pleasure of meeting many Italian Americans but to my surprise very few know much about Italy, its culture or language even compared to Italian/Australians. I just got back a few days ago from a fantastic 3 week trip and my goal is to continue to improve my Italian and learn more about this amazing and beautiful nation!

[@Leah-br6xu]

Omg I relate to him as a Canadian when he was talkin about just wanting America to protect if ever needed 😅

[@DCMULTIVERSECOLLECTORWESTCOAST]

I am Siciliano..I have never thought of my self Italian at all lol. And yes I am an American of Siciliano decent. I want Sicilia to be its own country.

[@JohnMinehan-lx9ts]

Florida is a big reason that you might see fewer older people in NYC. That also might not be true in Albany, Troy or Clintondale . . . .

[@Nissardpertugiu]

It depends, im native nissart and as corsican even before unification they had a huge conscience politically. Very jealous of their entity. Even in the tomorow of annexion. And before the brainwashing caused by france, both of us for centuries identified as part of peoples of italy as the italian sphere.

[@elleanna5869]

Yes , Italy was a thing not as much as a modern national entity but for sure a culture and language. While it is true they have since always plenty of different dialects, they shared a language enough. Even before Dante's times.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

@@elleanna5869 But language is not enough for nation Identity.

[@Nissardpertugiu]

@@elleanna5869 Its not just the language thing, but that people were recognizing themselves as part of the comunities that formed the geographic and culturals entities that formed italian peninsula back then. Of course for us, nissart was the local language, that had also a very old litterature from the trobador times, as old than the scuola siciliana, or genovese or piemontese and napoletan for exemple. Of course by our links and continuum, who was saying nissart had notions if they weren't also fluent in ligure or southern piemontese, for the most part ( because there was coming along the way with the porto franco, already in 1500, 1600...some corsican, calabresi, napuletani, sardi in exchanges, but also in the town's life) But quite soon, italian was used in arts ( 1376, by Luigi Lascaris, from the counts of Ventimiglia) and commercial situations, administrative even before that was becoming official in 1561.

[@Nissardpertugiu]

@@elleanna5869 And tuscan was very soon used by Corsican as official, also Monaco too around the 14th century. U Corsu, the language, is the grandfather of italian, its a twin of Pisan language from the XX, XI, before Dante, with variations. On north it have more tuscan and ligurian influences, on south its more popular latin, some varieties transition with Gallurese, corso sardinian type of thing, and others have some connexion with all that napoletan sicilian calabrese stuff.. Of course there was also a greek comunity in Cargese, and 3 places, Calvi and Ajacciu, where it was ligurian speaking but was crossed with others more tuscan corsican stuff, and Bunifaziu, which is the only place with a proprer ligurian speaking tongue in Corsica, from 800 years ago. But it was mainly oral, there s few writing in the 15th and 18th. Written Corsican exploded in the 19th.

[@MichaelMancuso-v2s]

Such snobs, the Italians have become. Perhaps one day they will find themselves again. Although I doubt it.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

me too, unfortunately!

[@marty8895]

We have always been like that. We won't definitely change for you my dear.

[@WinstonSmithGPT]

Money ruined them, and lack of discipline among millennials. Now they’ve lost the money too.

[@faustocoppi2073]

E vero siamo cambiati la colpa e del consumismo importati dagli usa e dai media ..globalisti

[@blueyomogi]

This is so interesting...and honest. I'm of Japanese ancestry, 3rd generation American.

[@trakkadda]

I personally love my region more than I love my country, but as an italian I definitely love and hate Italy at the same time and I don't see that as a wrong thing to do.

[@MORCOPOLO0817]

There are places in the U.S. where you can get by just speaking Spanish. In Florida, you can walk into a Walmart where you find employees that only speak Spanish and no English.

[@oldfogey4679]

Frank Sinatra parents were from northern Italy! My brother did grad work in bologna! And I studied the language with a southern Italian when I was talking with an Italian she remarked that I pronounced words with a sputhern dialect! It was them I realized that not all of Italy possessed a generic language or culture!

[@lorenzobianchini4095]

Frank's father was Sicilian!

[@elleanna5869]

Sinatra and Sinagra are Sicilian surnames par excellence

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

Only her mother was from the Northwest. The father was from Palermo, Sicily

[@oldfogey4679]

@HowtoItaly-2004 ur talking about the Sinatra? If it was the south that imposed Italian unification upon the north bitterly then why aren't the majority of immigrants northerners?

[@franz9573]

what annoys me is that not even Italian professors have any idea what there is to eat in Italian regions. “Spaghetti with Meatballs” spaghetti con le polpette or polpettine is available in the Abruzzo/Molise region, I come from there. Just ask the Riccesi (People of Riccia/Campobasso) there are many who emigrated to the New York area between 1880-1920. I wonder if this professer also knows that we even use English words in the dialect (Molise/Abruzzo) that Italian-Americans brought to Italy, e.g. instead of bus we say “Pulm" or ‘Pulman’ that was the American manufacturer of buses, or for ‘prendi’ we say ‘tekkt’ from ” take it ” and that was the end of the video for me. And I expect a professor to pronounce English better, even if it's not easy, but I expect it, especially when it's taught at university, poor students. You can also learn pronunciation. Saluti da un'italiano in Germania. What is true, however, are the variations of the pizzas, which differ worldwide. The Americans put a lot of cheese on it, the Italians a lot more tomatoes, the Germans a mixture of both. In addition, I expect a professor who comes from southern Italy (you can hear it in his accent) not to generalize everything. Because the south is a story in of itself. South is not always the same, every village has its own history, its own dialect, etc. Where I was born we use the Italian word “padella” for the word “pan”, in the neighboring village where my mother was born we use the Spanish word “sartain” which comes from “sartin”. For chewing gum, we used to say in our dialect "gomma merican" american gum.

[@drewncarolina6381]

Switzerland has 4 languages; Italian, German, French a d Romansh. This would be unacceptable in the USA. I found this out because I found some Swiss ancestry and began digging into Swiss culture and history. In America we have some people who are afraid of anything which is different because they don't understand it.

[@MonicaAmarillisRossi]

You have way too many prejudices against your fellow countrymen, Luca. The visions you expose, that make "the national identity" as soccer, food, etc, belong only to the less educated sections of the population and are changing during the last decades. I think that Italians simply know who they are, and don't need so much to explain that, unlike Americans, who are often searching for their roots, because they lack a real identity. Most north americans don't even know where their country is placed on a map or a globe.

[@Percept2024]

Monica , most Americans DO know where their country is on a map or globe , BUT unfortunately they don`t care where any other countries are on the globe.

[@Italianamericaninthesouth]

My grandfather came from San Nicola la Strada which is in southern Italy . Never met anyone whose family came from central or Northern Italy .

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

extremely rare

[@Italianamericaninthesouth]

@@HowtoItaly-2004It is very rare indeed

[@marty8895]

Northern Italians migrated mostly to South America, France and they were the first wave of Italian immigrants in Australia. Some people from my city migrated to South Africa to work in coal mines. I have some relatives in Argentina for example.

[@jojohns1949]

Very interesting thank you

[@morijohn503]

Americans of Italian origin are almost all from the South of Italy...

[@JohnShea-d2x]

There are US extended families. I am American not of Italian descent (Irish, Irish Canadian, French Canadian, German). Like Italy, Germans at the time of emigration was also divided into prince ruled estates. They did not identify as coming from Germany, but from Saxony. I grew up in a US extended family with my mother's mother. My father's mother lived with my father's sister. I now live in my 3-family home with my children, grand children, and great grand children. My 99 year old mother lives with my sister. No great great grand children yet but they could happen in a few years.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

thanks for sharing this amazing experience!

[@stevencucuzzella5979]

Have you ever considered that as Italian Americans, we didn’t fit in with the American society? So we don’t fit here and we don’t fit there. We are neither pig nor pork.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I might say that by now in 2024, you fit much more in the american one.

[@delgi9551]

Only in certain aspects. We are still outliers in the way we influence the nation. If we were purely American, there would be no celebration of our heritage. We run the food industry.​@@HowtoItaly-2004

[@msjodh88]

@@delgi9551 Who would you consider ´purely American´ then? Unless completely native, all are immigrants.

[@creativecatproductions]

Im interested in the topic of how Italians negatively receive Italian Americans and their claim to “Italian-ness”. It’s fascinating, but what makes it even more interesting to me is the fact that other nationalities in Europe did this same thing. Lots of Irish will complain about people abroad claiming to be Irish. Ive seen similar annoyance with the Polish. However there is one exception and I think I know why…..Germans. Germans have the exact opposite response to Italians when it comes to Italian Americans. Here in Texas, where I live, we have these little German communities that were established in the mid to late 19th century and which still maintain some real German identity, including speaking the language. They call it Texas-German. And there are tons of videos and TV specials that have been produced by Germans who come to Texas to see and experience Texas German as an oddity. Rather than reject Texas Germans as “fake” Germans or Americanize Germans, or not real Germans, they get all excited about how “look! There are REAL Germans living in Texas! Wow” They eat the food and instead of freaking out about how different it is they are pleasantly surprised by the similarities. They speak to Texas Germans and instead of freaking out about outdated expressions, they are like “wow, I understood every word…..even though it was a little different” It’s amazing and at no point do Germans conclude…..”these are fake Germans” And I think the reason why is that Germans have a much broader sense of identity than Italians, who are relegated to just that one peninsula in Europe. German speaking culture, however, is not just limited to Germany but is also in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Poland, Russia, etc. There are LOTs of different kind of “Germans” and Germans are just used to and open regarding who gets to be called a “German”. Even Germany itself was a divided country for decades…..but not so with Italy. Italians aren’t as comfortable with the idea that there could be other kinds of Italians, how could there be if there is only one Italy? Of course even that notion is silly since Italians are themselves divided, often deeply, between north and south. And that’s ANOTHER reason I think a lot of Italians are uncomfortable with Italian Americans, which is less talked about. Italian Americans are almost exclusively from southern Italy: Naples, Sicily, etc…..I don’t think some Italians like that very much But yeah, the German reaction to German foreigners is so much different. Italian KZbinrs panick about Italian American “gravy” meanwhile we have Germans flying out to Texas to try the Schnitzel (chicken fried steak). I love it. 😂

[@giapetto2]

Read “Christ Stopped At Eboli” by Carlo Levi.

[@CreolePolyglot]

the 13 colonies banded together, but once the US expanded beyond that, there wasn't such a sense of a unified national identity, which is why regional languages were suppressed from the 1920s-1970s. the same happened all over the world around the same time, which is why so many minoritized languages are experiencin a revitalization movement now

[@JohnMinehan-lx9ts]

I should know, but Italy is less federal than the US or the FRG or Ethiopia, but probably has more regional identification than the US or the FRG.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

I totally agree with you

[@mattikarosenthal3298]

And don’t forget Tunisia, they all speak Italian. It’s a former Italian colony as well.

[@mattikarosenthal3298]

lol, one of our favorite things was the Mickey’s hot combination sub sandwich in Hermosa Beach California! Try finding something like that in Italy it does not exist. But if you’re in Hermosa Beach, California, stop by and try the most fantastic sandwich you’ve ever had!

[@petunia4474]

Let me clarify this situation when it comes to food. I am Italian American yes we are different in some ways to the Italians in Italy but......we have ALOT of similarities and it all depends on where in the USA you are from and how you were raised. I believe, and in my opinion, the NY Italians are the closest to Italians in Italy because of the food and the way we were raised and of course closest to Ellis Island. As for the food. We did NOT grow up eating spaghetti and meatballs nor did we ever eat Alfredo sauce. Now some states including NY who have Italian Americans that do eat these dishes and think it's Italian food.

[@marty8895]

We Italians eat differently according to which region we are born in. I am Piedmontese and my cuisine is not similar to yours. This is what you guys fail to understand, we Italians don't eat the same food so it's weird to say your food is similar to "Italian" food. Similar to what food? What regional cuisine? Part of my family is from Piedmont and the other part from Emilia-Romagna and Veneto and I can see the great differences between the three food cultures. People in Italy don't have all the same way of raising children so again you are just stereotyping us all as if we were a monolith because you don't really know us. Why do you guys depict us all the same but you get angry when people say that Americans are all the same and forget about the differences between States?

[@marty8895]

You should have chicken Alfredo because there is nothing wrong with that dish, Italians don't hate it maybe some of us will find it weird at most, it is just not part of any Italian regional cuisine therefore we don't claim it. It belongs to Americans like many other "Italian" dishes you have. As an Italian from the North I don't even claim pizza because my people didn't invent it but instead I give credit to the Napolitains.

[@WinstonSmithGPT]

@@marty8895”That is what you guys fail to understand.” Italians in Italy have gotten a lot stupider since I was young. It’s impossible not to notice.

[@mejsjalv]

Language and culture keep evolving in the country of origin. When you migrate, then you start to get outdated as time passes by if you don't keep up with the culture. When you go back after let's say after a decade, then you realise the disconnect, even if you are fluent in the home language. It's a bit odd getting used to the slang of people your age that never migrated. It's basically dusting off your culture and start adding new stuff to it. Good thing that it is now easier to keep updated due to the internet.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

that is a great point!

[@mattikarosenthal3298]

In Greece, family life is still like that, there can be three generations living in I guess what will we call here in the US as a villa because it’s a very large home, with different entrances, and floors, but everyone lives on the same property, with Nona Victoria. The homes stay in the family for many many generations when we went to visit in Greece, the home was still there, and it was still occupied by Nonna and all the cousins.

[@HowtoItaly-2004]

we share a lot of aspects with the greeks. Especially southern italians.

[@cjc2]

So true. It’s is also very similar to other Mediterranean and southern European cultures from Portugal to Türkiye.

[@Neoyorchese]

I suggest for Luca to watch the Cabrini Film. I am forst gen so I did not suffer what prior waves of italian migrants sufferee. I am even free to speak Italian...

[@WhitePhoenixCrown]

I would love to learn about the food and how it changed to the American culture. Like in Louisiana we have a Muffelata sandwich it's Italian American but what was the original sandwich that influenced it.

[@marty8895]

It's called Muffelata sandwich because it uses the Sicilian type of bread called Muffuletta. In Italy we don't have the concept of sandwiches like in the us, we just call all of them panini and people can put whatever they want inside we don't have specific names for panini we just describe what's inside. For example panino pomodoro e mozzarella is just sandwich tomato and mozzarella. The guy who invented probably just put random ingredients according to his taste😂

[@creativecatproductions]

I think it’s less that the “past shapes the present” as much as it is our perceptions of the past that shape the present. Indeed, I think it’s even more accurate to say that “our perceptions of the past shape our perceptions of the present”. I think the concrete world we live in is mostly shaped by economics and necessity, but we tend to impose language on our circumstances in an attempt to give ourselves identity, meaning, and a place within the ever changing world all around us. It’s not ideas or remote historical realities that make us who we actually are, but its ideas and a historical narrative which we use to anchor ourselves within that reality. For instance, Im also interested in ideological movements like feminism. I think people often think that feminism CREATED contemporary social conditions like women in the work force, single parent families, and so forth. But I think in reality feminism was a way to sort of justify or make sense of major cultural and social changes that predate feminism as an ideology by decades. In short, feminism isn’t as much a movement as it is words being used to describe or give meaning to social changes that were already, effectively, real. Birth control, working women, and divorced/broken families already long existed by the time feminism became an idea or a body of literature…..it didn’t create these new conditions…..but rather it was a way of justifying those conditions. That’s what we tend to with history and cultural identity as well.

[@Sclero80]

Now many elderly Americans have emigrated to Italy, also because the cost of living no longer allowed them to live in a dignified manner! Italy is full of Americans and not only who have fallen in love with our lifestyle and our culture

[@findbridge1790]

I read that of the avowed masterpieces of visual and plastic art 80% are in Italy or of italian origin.

[@John-gz4zh]

Every Sunday 2pm Brooklyn ny ziti ,meatballs, sausage, then chicken and salad last

[@John-gz4zh]

I love my people Brazil, Argentina, Australia, America all italian by blood

[@johnperniciaro785]

I must commend Luca for the insight of "authenticity"--- if I go to Sicily & use the dialect I know ... only the most studied & eccentric ( & elderly also) will know it. Everyday people do not know the dialect as well as we in America ( I mean those who can still remember). This "deep" culture is largely lost now in mainstream Italy.

[@danioa9414]

You said many right things, in others you made a bit of a simplified caricature of Italian customs. Just one example among the many that I could bring to your attention: it is true that we are unpatriotic compared to Americans, but if a foreigner speaks badly of our country then you see the reactions, even resentful, towards him. Only we can speak badly of Italy (for the most part at least), Anyway a good job, see you

[@littlemouse7066]

Sorry but this guy says some things that are not exactly accurate he says it's common in Italy to live in the same building of your parents or grandparents and that's absolutely an exception of all the people I know (and I'm not talking about my friends but about people I know) nobody is in that situation and many young people go to university in another city and end up living and working there. Many italian-americans dishes were never a thing in Italy not even in the 19th century they are an invention of emigrants I guess often because of their poor condition. In my opinion there is nothing wrong if americans of italian origin have their own traditions dishes and so on but we get a bit irritated when they say they are italian because they are americans but I suppose it's a common thing in the USA since I've seen americans of irish or english origins say they are irish or english when they are not.

[@MarcoMenozziPro]

No one wants to deny a specific cultural identity to Italian Americans. The point is a matter of perception. In general, when Americans think of Italians, they actually think of Italian Americans. This misunderstanding leads to a number of problems that would be best avoided.

[@jstevenj1]

Super sit down …