Latest news with #ItalianAmericans
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Rule Change Hits Americans Seeking Italian Citizenship: 'Real Gut Punch'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Italy's decision to tighten its citizenship rules, blocking applicants from getting recognized through their great-grandparents, has been "a real gut punch" for descendants of Italian migrants in the U.S. hoping to formalize their connection to the European country. "I've always been very interested in my Italian heritage, and was excited to have the opportunity to call myself a true Italian and to someday perhaps live and work in Italy," Jesse Hughes, a Pennsylvania resident, told Newsweek. "The rule change was a real gut punch for me." The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was contacted by email on Friday for comment for this article. Italy's decision to tighten its citizenship rules has upset some Italian Americans hoping to formalize their connection to the country. Italy's decision to tighten its citizenship rules has upset some Italian Americans hoping to formalize their connection to the country. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty Why It Matters Until last week, Italy allowed foreign nationals with an Italian ancestor alive after March 17, 1861 to apply for citizenship under what is called "jure sanguinis," or citizenship by descent. But growing criticism of the rule, which many said allowed people with little connection to the country to get a convenient passport, and a surge in applications in recent years have led the Italian government to change its application requirements. Last week, Italy announced that only foreign nationals with Italian parents or grandparents will now be allowed to seek citizenship. "Being an Italian citizen is a serious thing. It's not a game to get a passport that allows you to go shopping in Miami," Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani said during a news conference in Rome on March 28. While there is no official data showing how many U.S. nationals have obtained Italian citizenship through this process, the number could easily be in the thousands considering that over 4 million Italians had made their way to the U.S. by 1920, when immigration from the country started tapering off. The Italian Ministry of the Interior estimates that there are currently about 80 million individuals worldwide of Italian descent, with about 20 million in the U.S. What To Know The rule changes announced on May 23 not only restrict the descendant bloodline route to citizenship to parents and grandparents. Rome also announced that Italian consulates will no longer process citizenship applications, which will instead be handled by the Italian government online. In-person interviews will be mandatory for applicants, forcing them to travel to Italy as part of the process. And finally, those who obtained Italian citizenship could lose it if they "don't engage" by paying taxes, voting, or renewing their passports. These changes took effect immediately on May 23, though they do not affect the 60,000 applications which are currently pending review. For the Italian government, the changes were a way to respond to criticism that the system was being abused by people "without any cultural or linguistic ties to the country," Tajani said. Applications have skyrocketed in the past few years, especially in South America, where Italian migrants flocked in the 19th and 20th centuries. The changes were also a way to put an end to what critics have denounced as an inherent injustice within the Italian legal system, which allowed foreign nationals with distant Italian ancestry to seek citizenship while the children of immigrants born in the country are denied birthright citizenship and can only apply for it after reaching the age of 18. But for Americans with Italian blood who were in the process of seeking Italian citizenship, the rule changes have caused "a lot of panic and heartbreak," Joseph Spinelle told Newsweek. 'Families Ripped Apart' Spinelle, who was born in Chicago but now lives in Lecce, southern Italy, describes himself as "one of the lucky ones" who managed to obtain Italian citizenship before the country decided to change its rules. In 2023, Spinelle and his wife "blew up their lives" in the U.S., selling their cars and their home and quitting their jobs to take the chance of a new life in Italy, where he was hoping to get citizenship. "I moved out to get recognized for citizenship, went through that process, and stayed. My goal was always to stay in Italy. So we went out there, bought a house, and now we are restructuring it," he said. One of the big reasons why Spinelle and his wife decided to stay in Italy was the 2024 election. "We've been watching what's been happening in the U.S. and it's just been heartbreaking for us to kind of watch how our country is being torn apart," he said. "We wanted to live somewhere that just didn't have the strife. We wanted to get out in advance of all the toxicity, to be honest." Spinelle has Italian family members on both sides, so he was recognized as a descendant of Italian nationals through his father as well as his mother. Seeking citizenship through "jure sanguinis," he obtained it within nine months, after moving to Italy and studying Italian for years. Joseph Spinelle with his fourth grade class in Lecce. He teaches part-time in a public school in the southern Italian city. Joseph Spinelle with his fourth grade class in Lecce. He teaches part-time in a public school in the southern Italian city. Joseph Spinelle Others were not as lucky as Spinelle. "There are so many people that, because of the timing or whatever, don't know what to do now," he said. "There are families being ripped apart, people who can stay in Italy, people who can't. There's just a lot of suffering that's happening as a result of this, and I feel like the people who are pushing the propaganda don't know or don't care." Spinelle's family is among those that have been ripped apart by the rule changes. While he was recognized through his mother's bloodline, his mother has not been able to get an appointment at the Italian consulate despite trying for years—and now, she is shut out by the new requirements. "Because her claim has not been filed yet, now we're looking at a situation where I was recognized for my mother, but my mother would not be eligible," he said. "So now we have these split families where I was recognized as a citizen, but my mother, my aunt, my brother, my sister, my nieces and nephews, which all came from the same bloodline, now are shut out." Spinelle's sister was planning to retire in Italy, but now she will likely be unable to join her brother there. "Literally families are getting ripped apart," he said. Left, Joseph Spinelle, originally from Chicago, stands with his Italian passport. Right, Spinelle and his wife in Puglia, Italy. Left, Joseph Spinelle, originally from Chicago, stands with his Italian passport. Right, Spinelle and his wife in Puglia, Italy. Another family split by the rule changes is that of Jesse Hughes. "My mom's paternal grandfather, Giovanni Raccio, was born in a small Italian town called Gioia Sannitica in the province of Caserta. His parents brought him and his sisters to the United in 1912, when he was only six years old," he told Newsweek. "Although he assimilated well into American culture, he always dreamed of going back to 'the old country,' but never got the chance. Because he didn't naturalize until 1941, when my grandfather was still a minor, we learned that we were eligible for dual Italian citizenship by the jure sanguinis rule," he explained. Hughes, his mother and her cousin all applied for citizenship back in 2022 and have been working on it since. "We started studying the language, reading about Italian history, and watching Italian TV shows to learn more about the culture, in anticipation of being granted citizenship. I even memorized the Italian national anthem," he said. Then the rule change was announced. "My mom and her cousin are still eligible, but I am shut out because the link is my great-grandfather, not my grandfather," Hughes said. "I have respect for the government's concerns that new citizens are taking advantage of the system to get pensions, or to buy up unreasonable amounts of property. But I wonder why parliament can't just make stricter rules regarding those issues, while continuing to allow people like me to gain our citizenship." 'Unjust and Unfair' Marco Permunian, legal consultant and founder of Italian Citizenship Assistance, said that the change to the Italian citizenship law "was done in an unjust and unfair manner, affecting countless individuals who have been eligible to apply and had shown interest by taking significant actions to submit their citizenship application." These changes, he said, were made "suddenly and with no grace period, leaving many people now ineligible and without the right to Italian citizenship because the public administration made it impossible to submit their application." Several of Permunian's U.S. clients have expressed deep frustration and disappointment and are ready to fight the change in the court system, he said. Basil Russo, national president of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), told Newsweek that applying for Italian citizenship has always been about more than just obtaining a passport. "It's about heritage, identity, and justice for millions who have maintained a cultural and familial connection to Italy for generations," he said. "Closing the door on this process is a regrettable and mistargeted solution to a problem Italian Americans didn't create." "Of the 4 million Italian immigrants who came to America between 1880 and 1920, the vast majority of their 18 million descendants are now their great grandchildren and their descendants," Russo said. "The new law will prohibit all of these individuals from applying for dual citizenship." The rule change could deeply harm the relationship between descendants of Italian migrants to the U.S. and their ancestral homeland, Russo said. "Italian Americans are extremely proud of their heritage, but this new law sends the uncomfortable message that our ancestral homeland is not equally proud to claim us," he said. "This law only serves to undermine that strong historical bond." Jacopo Zamboni, managing partner at Henley & Partners, said that the change will likely bring a drop in applications. "International law is clear on this: it is each country's sovereign right to decide who is entitled to citizenship," he told Newsweek. "We would nevertheless advocate for the introduction of further mitigating measures for those members of the diaspora who will be willing to show the willingness for reconnecting with the country socially but also economically." What Happens Next The only thing that those shut out by Italy's new citizenship rules can do at this point is to challenge the changes in court. "We're gonna get the best lawyers that we can, we're gonna challenge the constitutionality of this, we're gonna challenge the implementation of this," Spinelle said. "And even though you know this particular law is not on our side, when you weigh in everything in the actual constitution, the history of the laws, hopefully we'll get a judge who can see that this is unjust and then take that forward from there. That's our only option at this point." While the Italian government said it was implementing these changes to ease the administrative burden on Italian consulates, the "exact opposite" is going to happen, Spinelle said, "because now everybody's going to challenge this." "We've seen this in the data, there's an explosion in the court, everybody is filing. So they've done the exact opposite of what they set out to do," he added. Hughes is holding hope that he will be able to obtain citizenship after all. "I just want to work and live like a real Italian and do what I can to contribute to Italian society," he said.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Why Mike 'The Situation' Was Insecure About 'Jersey Shore: Family Vacation'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Jersey Shore, a reality television show that sparked backlash from politicians when it first aired, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a new season of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. And while Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is a fan favorite, after a six-year hiatus from reality television, he wasn't sure people would like the person he had become. "I was definitely a little bit insecure because the fans had grown to love 'The Situation' and he had abs and was single and ready to mingle," Sorrentino told Newsweek. "And at this time in my life, I wasn't single. I was going through this giant court case...I didn't have a six pack." "I was America going to love me again?" When Jersey Shore premiered in 2009, the cast became overnight celebrities, drawing both massive fan followings and sharp criticism. The New Jersey Italian American Legislative Caucus called on Viacom, MTV's parent company, to pull the show off the air for perpetuating negative stereotypes of Italian Americans. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie stated that the cast misrepresented the state and went so far as to block a $420,000 tax credit for the show. Despite the strong backlash, the show's support was even stronger. Premiering the same year that Twitter exploded in popularity, actor Ashton Kutcher actually created some of the cast's social media handles, Sorrentino said, and they quickly gained millions of followers. "It was definitely gasoline to the fire," Sorrentino said. "I was the GQ sensation of the year. I was on Dancing With the Stars, so to say my stock was soaring." But, as "The Situation" gained fans for his partying and pot-stirring, what the cameras didn't pick up was his serious problem with drugs and alcohol. Mike Sorrentino attends the People's Choice Awards in Santa Monica, California, on February 18, 2024. Mike Sorrentino attends the People's Choice Awards in Santa Monica, California, on February 18, 2024. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic In the years since the original Jersey Show wrapped, Sorrentino has opened up about his addiction and his road to recovery. He entered rehab in 2015 and has been sober ever since. At the same time, he was in the midst of a court case that would ultimately result in an eight-month jail sentence for tax evasion. So, when Jersey Shore: Family Vacation premiered in 2018, Sorrentino wasn't the same guy viewers knew when the show left the air in 2012. It forced Sorrentino to think about what actually made him a successful reality television personality, and he realized it wasn't his drinking or partying. It was his authenticity. "That's where I rebranded myself into Big Daddy Sitch and this person trying to find himself again and my love of food and my sobriety journey and all of those new things for me worked better than before," Sorrentino said. "It was more relatable to the viewer to be someone trying to grow up." Part of his sobriety journey has been helping to open the Archangel Centers in New Jersey, dedicated to helping people overcome their addiction. Launching this summer, Sorrentino views these centers as his legacy, and what once started as something to potentially save one person's life has transformed into something "really, really big." When the Jersey Shore cast returns to television for Season 8 of Family Vacation, viewers will see them travel to South Jersey and adopt a DTF lifestyle—although DTF now stands for "down to farm," as the cast will explore whether they can handle farm life. Sorrentino didn't reveal too many details about the new season, but he seemed confident that he does well on the farm because he actually has eight chickens at his house that provide him with fresh eggs every day. "Long story short, I think the producers got that creative and they were like let's throw these guidos and guidettes in that particular scenario," Sorrentino said. "And then a ton of comedy ensues from there." From the farm, the cast travels to Jamaica for their first international trip since visiting Italy, as Sorrentino has only recently gotten his passport back as part of his plea agreement. And while a lot has changed for the whole cast over the years, Family Vacation still features the stars drinking, partying, and being thrown back into that lifestyle, leaving Sorrentino feeling a bit nervous. "I remember thinking to myself, listen, I gotta do this for myself, I gotta do this for my future family. I gotta stay in my own lane and I gotta run my own race," Sorrentino said. "To be honest with you, I go to bars and clubs and I'm happier and dancing more than the people that are drinking." Part of still having fun in those environments and maintaining his sobriety was finding the new version of himself. He likened it to getting a new haircut. There could be an awkward period with the transition, but he urged people who are trying to socialize while staying sober to "stick with it, you're gonna find it." "I'm proof that you can rebrand yourself and be better than you were before," Sorrentino said. "You gotta believe in yourself that you can do this."
New York Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
This Italian Port City Transformed Its Identity. Here Come the Tourists.
Antonio Maria Vasile began working two years ago to connect the United States directly with Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot where many Italian Americans can trace their heritage. Mr. Vasile, the head of Puglia's airports, tried to convince carriers that they should set their sights not on Naples or Sicily but on Bari, arguing that the regional capital offered rich culture, history and cuisine worthy of their time and money. 'We don't want to be relegated to being the south,' he said, referring to deeply ingrained biases in Italy against the more economically disadvantaged regions south of Rome. His efforts paid off late last year, when the Italian carrier Neos announced direct flights between Bari and New York's Kennedy Airport beginning the first week in June, the first ever route linking Puglia to the United States. The seasonal flights will run once a week through October. Mr. Vasile sees opportunities for all of Puglia, from farmhouse inns to seaside villages, but also for his city of about 330,000 people. 1/8 mile Adriatic Sea Corso Antonio DE Tullio Basilica of St. Nicholas Castello Normanno Svevo Cathedral of St. Sabino Old Bari ARCO BASSO Bari Map data from OpenStreetMap Rome Adriatic Sea ITALY PUGLIA Bari Naples Tyrrhenian Sea SICILY 100 miles By The New York Times Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘SNL': Trump Signs Executive Orders Defending Bill Belichick, Chris Columbus and J.K. Rowling in Cold Open
President Trump (James Austin Johnson) celebrated the first 100 days of his second term in this week's 'Saturday Night Live' cold open by signing a new slew of executive orders in support of Columbus Day, Bill Belichik and 'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling. The president was joined by White House Deputy Chief of Staff and 'Lord of the Shadows' Stephen Miller (Mikey Day), whose remark that it is 'an absolute pleasure' to be in the Oval Office with him prompted Johnson's Trump to joke, 'Wow! Even the nice things you say sound like Kylo Ren!' Trump then announced he would be bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes in support of beloved Italian Americans like Tony Soprano and Childish Gambino. You can watch the 'SNL' cold open yourself below. Trump signs a new batch of executive orders — Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) May 4, 2025 More to come… The post 'SNL': Trump Signs Executive Orders Defending Bill Belichick, Chris Columbus and J.K. Rowling in Cold Open | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Christopher Columbus statue finds new home as Chicago Park District plans fresh start for Arrigo Park
The Brief The Chicago Park District reached a settlement over the 2020 removal of a Christopher Columbus statue from Arrigo Park. The statue will be loaned to a local Italian-American group for indoor display; it will not return to public park space. The Park District is launching a community process to select a new statue for Arrigo Park honoring Italian-American heritage. CHICAGO - After years of debate and legal battles, the Christopher Columbus statue removed from Chicago's Arrigo Park in 2020 will not return to its original location but will instead be relocated indoors. What we know The Chicago Park District announced Thursday it has reached a settlement with the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) over the city's decision to remove the Columbus statue from Arrigo Park during the summer of 2020. That removal came during a wave of nationwide protests, some of which in Chicago turned confrontational, prompting the city to take down several Columbus statues for public safety. Under the terms of the agreement, the City of Chicago, which owns the statue, will loan it to the JCCIA. The organization plans to display it inside a redeveloped building it owns in the city. The Park District, in line with recommendations from the Chicago Monuments Project, will also remove the plinth that once held a Columbus statue in Grant Park. That will open up space for public access and allow new art installations in the future. What's next The Park District says it's beginning a public process to decide on a new statue for Arrigo Park—one that honors the contributions of Italian Americans to Chicago's history. That process will include community input sessions and a call for artists to submit qualifications. "The Chicago Park District is committed to diversifying our statuary to ensure we are honoring Chicago's rich history and diversity," said General Superintendent and CEO Rosa Ramirez-Rosa. The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) will work alongside the Park District to manage the artist selection and community engagement. At Grant Park, officials plan to redesign the former Columbus statue area into a plaza that will host rotating public art. What we don't know Details about when the Columbus statue will go on display inside the JCCIA's building have not been shared. The Source The information in this article was provided by the Chicago Park District.
