My grandmother was the chattiest person I’ve ever known — always pulling memories out of nowhere, even late into her 90s. Occasionally, she shared tales from her mother-in-law about growing up in Italy. By some lucky chance, she remembered the name of the town: Conflenti.

This speck of a town in Calabria was where my great-grandparents lived until 1903, when they crossed the Atlantic by ship to reach the United States. Eager to learn more about our family’s roots, we planned a trip to visit in 2019. I’ve shared more about the trip here.

During the visit, we had the chance to see the records of my great-grandparents, which kick-started our journey of being recognized as citizens. Italy allows those with Italian ancestors to claim Italian citizenship by Jure Sanguinis or “right of blood.” The process is not always simple, but somehow the stars aligned for us.

Uncovering the Proof:
Because my great-grandfather moved to Wisconsin and remained there, his archives were surprisingly easy to find. We needed to check the naturalization and census records to prove that he did not naturalize, which meant he retained his Italian citizenship. Thankfully, with his Italian status intact, it could legally be passed down the generational line. So my dad, brother, and I were all able to apply for citizenship.

Gathering Documents:
The next step was to compile all the documentation. The record keepers in Conflenti provided my great-grandfather’s birth certificate, officially stamped by the comune. We also needed his marriage and death certificates, but we ran into a few hiccups along the way. My great-grandparents could not read or write, so the spelling of their names was inconsistent on many files. We petitioned the county court for an order amending the documents. After several amendments, my mom and the clerk for the court were practically besties! 

Organizing certificates for my grandfather, dad, brother, and me was the easier part. Once everything was together, we had all the documents Apostilled (a certification that allows a document issued in one country to be recognized as valid in another country) and then translated to Italian.

Applying through the Consulate: Finally we could apply to be recognized as citizens through the San Francisco Italian Consulate. Appointments were hard to come by, but after many late nights refreshing the website, we managed to secure three within six months of each other.

Navigating the Consulate Interview: My dad was first up with his appointment and interview, which took place over the phone since it was during the peak of COVID. The consular officer asked him why he wanted to become a citizen and even grilled him on his efforts to learn Italian, but overall it went well. Everything looked good except for one file, so we had to get it amended (again!). Thankfully we knew the routine and resubmitted the forms quickly. Once my brother and my interviews rolled around, we felt confident about the process. About six months later, everything was approved and we were officially recognized!

Securing the Passports:
The final step was an appointment to get our passports, which we did through the honorary consulate in Portland, OR.

The whole journey took about two years from start to finish. It was a lot of work, especially for my mom who was an absolute research queen through all of it, but totally worth it! 

Resources:
We took the DIY route, but many people hire genealogists, lawyers, or translators to help them navigate the process — and a huge resource for finding reputable help is through this Facebook group. We referenced it many times and it was an invaluable tool.   

Final thoughts:
I feel incredibly grateful to be recognized as an Italian citizen and realize the immense privilege it is. I also want to acknowledge that many people who grow up in Italy face significant challenges gaining citizenship, often due to restrictive laws that make it difficult for children of immigrants to be recognized. While my spot does not take theirs, I hope for future reforms to create a more equitable system for everyone.

If you are on your own journey to becoming an Italian citizen, I would love to hear about it! Be sure to follow along on Instagram, and sign up for my newsletter (coming soon) to stay in touch. 

xo