My Heritage

I think that it is definately important for someone to stay close to their cultural roots and really get to know what their heritage is. People today have really lost a sense of cultural identity and have ignored where their ancestors came from. Everything from learning through books and photos to hearing stories and visiting homelands are great ways to never really forget who you are as a person of a cultural background.

I am of Italian decent and my family definately makes sure that I never forget it! My family is really not your average Italian family because they pride themselves on being not Italian-American, but Italian! We still make our very own tomato sauce and wine seasonally, and curate our own olives and prosciutto in the garage of the house. My family believes in doing these unique activites not only because the food tastes good, but because it keeps a family very close together. In the process of doing these things, the younger generation gets to sit with the older ones and learn of past events and history that made the family who it is today. Through cultural activites such as these, I have grown to appreciate being an Italian and what the Italian people have to endure to become the close-knit community they are today.

When Italians do things, it is always in excess! There is never a dish on Sunday afternoon that is not over-flowing with pasta, and never a household that is not playing an Eros Ramazzotti cd while they are getting dressed. I have been to plenty of weddings and parties where the host went above and beyond to show everyone that they had every intention of hosting a good party. One thing I have noticed though, is that Italian's are genuine people who just want to get the most out of life.

I have been to Italy more than a handful of times in my young life, and have already had the opportunity to live there for just about 2 years on my own. This was a great experience for me and really gave me a sense of what being a true Italian really consists of. The ideals and values of the italian people are extraordinary and the lifestyle is so different that the American one. I loved getting up early in the morning and having a freshly brewed cappuccino and hot pastry, while reading the daily sports newspaper. Just walking through the streets, surrounded by such ancient culture, evokes these inexplainable feelings. I wish that all Italian-Americans get a chance to experience what I did, and they would finally really love every aspect of the Italian way of life.