How do Italian-born Italians view jure sanguinis citizens?

[aulus]

For anyone who has gotten their citizenship recognized and moved to Italy, or been in regular contact with native-born Italians, how did they typically regard you? Were you welcomed as one of the group, or did they generally treat you as though you aren't a "real" Italian?

[johnnyonthespot]

For anyone who has gotten their citizenship recognized and moved to Italy, or been in regular contact with native-born Italians, how did they typically regard you? Were you welcomed as one of the group, or did they generally treat you as though you aren't a "real" Italian?

I think you will find more potential responses at the ExpatsInItaly forum, http://expatsinitaly.com/phpbbforum

I have read positive and negative. Some people will be glad to see that you are embracing your heritage; others will resent you, especially in a time of governmental austerity and a poor job market. My own opinion: don't make a big thing about it unless and until you get good vibes from someone who inquires about your status or your ability to remain in Italy legally.

[jennabet]

Good question, Aulus. Having moved to Italy immediately upon being recognized and receiving my passport, I think I can answer it for you based on personal experience.

Actually, it would depend on the part of Italy you return to. If it's, as in my case, to the Region in Italy where all four of my grand-parents were born and where I have many cousins whom I never knew before but know very well now, you will be treated like a long-lost member of the community who has finally returned home. You probably will find yourself included in everything and with too many invitations to accept all of them. Family members, of course, understood why I returned. But non-relatives who became good friends, were often curious, occasionally asking, "Why did you come to live in your ancestral homeland"? More than once, when I answered, they became emotional and I saw some tears well up in their eyes. And then, "Of course, this (name of municipality) belongs to you". And I couldn't agree more.

However, I can't say how you would be treated if you went to a place where your family name is not known due to the fact that your ancestors were never a part of that community. But I can tell you that when I visited the usual tourist cities, i.e., Rome, Florence, Venice, there was no way for Italians in those places to realize that I was even of Italian descent, much less an Italian citizen and not just another American tourist. For sure you would never hear a Venetian telling you that, "Venezia belongs to you", if your ancestors didn't come from Venice.

[johnnyonthespot]

jennabet, would you say also that the reception would depend somewhat on the relative ages of the newly recognized and arrived citizen vs. the "born-in-Italy" citizen?

In other words, are older Italians more likely to be receptive to newcomers if they are a generation or two younger? Are younger Italians less likely to be receptive to newcomers who are a generation or two older?

[jennabet]

Well Carmine, here's the thing. There is really no baby-boom generation in Italy. Nearly all of the "older people" in Italy were born before 1944 due to WWII and the younger ones were born after 1960 because that's how long it took Italy to recover from the war.

The older people are more receptive because they have a lot of compassion in remembering that they were saved by the allies so if you're an American/Canadian, that's great. If you're an Italian-American/Canadian, it's fantastic. If your grand-parents were born in that town, stupendous and they will bend over backwards to help you and make you feel welcome.

Many of the generation born after 1960 have moved away from the provinces where they were born to live and work in the big cities. They just don't have the time or the inclination to be concerned with the past. The main goal for this group is materialism with a capital "M". When you're so busy trying to acquire things, it would just be natural to want to compete with a newly recognized Italian citizen, who might be viewed as a threat, instead of helping him.