In Beverly’s words…
Growing up in the United States with Italian ancestors is an interesting experience. We were encouraged to assimilate to all things American. As we aged, we wondered about how our lives would have been different if we’d grown up in Italy—it became the big “what if…” question.
My grandfather came to America for work. He was earning money to help the family back home. He did bring his wife over too, after a period of time. My grandparents wanted their children to be accepted as Americans. To that end, they did not allow them to speak Italian outside of the household. The family lived in a neighborhood that was predominately Italian for a few years but later they moved to a neighborhood that was multi-ethnic. The children went to Catholic schools. Christian holidays were celebrated as well as all American holidays and traditions. Meals on Christian holidays were Italian dishes. Family reunions served Italian dishes.
Thanksgiving was the most traditional American meal. I remember all my aunts, my mother, and my grandmother being fantastic cooks, along with many of my siblings and cousins. They prepared all homemade meals, not processed foods. Most my memories of my grandmother include images of vegetable gardens and hard work.
My generation continued to go to Catholic schools but we were definitely American. The only identifying trait for me and my siblings was our last name ‘Brignoli’. People would ask me how to pronounce it and others would ask if it was Italian. My generation thankfully did not experience any anti-Italian treatment or called any names. Our neighbors and friends treated us respectfully.
Our grandparents had a better life economically here in America so they were proud to be Americans. We were encouraged to be educated, get good jobs, and lead respectful lives.
Some relatives traveled to Italy and shared stories but it was not on a regular basis. My grandparents continued to help with money, and they were the only ones who wrote letters home.
Later, as the family’s second generation grew, there was more interest in connecting with the Italian culture. Cousins were learning the language, visiting the country, and making contact with relatives.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, there was time to pursue the question, ‘Did we have a right to Italian citizenship?’ This would give us and our future generations the chance to really connect with Italy by being able to spend extended periods of time there. For the younger generations, they see an opportunity to be digital nomads. It is very exciting. So having the time that the pandemic allowed motivated myself and my daughter to pursue Italian citizenship.
We decided that it would allow us more opportunities to be a part of the culture and not just visitors. When we did some browsing, we discovered ICA, and their staff did it all. Just to briefly summarize some of the services they provided to us, they:
- Gave a thorough explanation of the entire process: steps, cost, timing;
- Researched our ancestors and chose the most viable path;
- Set appointments with the consulates here in the States;
- Prepared all paperwork in English and Italian;
- Provided constant feedback with dates, answers, appointment preparedness;
- Organized application documents thoroughly and completely. They also included step by step instructions on how to present the information and included any discrepancy explanations;
- Answered all questions promptly and courteously.
Throughout our correspondence and work together, we could sense that they really wanted this to happen for us. They were so supportive. After citizenship was granted, they even helped us acquire our Italian passports with the same level of preparation.
Now that we have citizenship, my goal is to spend time there, and take language courses there. I have taken language courses here, but without daily use of it, it is easily forgotten.
We are extremely grateful to Alice Rocca and Lara Munari in particular, and to the entire staff for making our dream into reality.
Beverly has agreed to serve as a subject of this success story and has granted ICA the right to use her name and image.
