"Tu vuò fà l'italiano o l'italoamericano?" Scelte identitarie di giovani italiani negli Stati Uniti

The essay examines two aspects of recognizing and identifying Italian cultural heritage in the United States. The first discusses the significance given to heritage by second and third-generation young Italian Americans. The second delves into perceptions and experiences associated with the notion of Italian identity by recently arrived Italian immigrants in the U.S.A. The author draws conclusions based on research conducted in the US context and situates them in a theoretical framework concerning Italian migrants in the current global landscape. The essay also briefly analyzes the American society that views immigration as a fundamental feature of its nation. Additionally, the essay investigates how young Italian Americans perceive and interpret their origins and compares this with the representation of Italy by young Italians who recently migrated to the US. In conclusion, the essay demonstrates that new Italian migration can be defined as transnational and highlights the need to examine the notion of community, which must transform itself after its seeming dissolution in recent years. Finally, the essay revisits and discusses the notion of Italianness through the critical concept of “italicità”, which refers to a global community that extends beyond the concept of national identity and reaches that of a metanational identity with multiple loyalties.