L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano W i t h t h e millions of p e o p l e with Ital- i a n descent around the world— many of whom come to Italy to experience an emotional connection with their place of heritage—it is no wonder that 2024 has been declared a year of "Roots Tourism," an initia- tive supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Inter- national Cooperation. Visiting the country of your ancestors, perhaps even the town they came from, can be a surreal and rewarding experience. It is this kind of connection that Italian Citizenship Assistance (ICA) aims to help its clients establish through genealogical r e s e a r c h a n d c i t i z e n s h i p applications. The benefits of "Turis- mo delle Radici" By emphasizing a tourism based on familial connection, visitors can experience Italy in a s l o w e r - p a c e d a n d m o r e meaningful way that serves to connect with the country and its culture rather than check- ing boxes off of a list. While the popular tourist sites are, of course, popular for a rea- son, the incentive is to high- light the lesser-known places i n t h e c o u n t r y , w h i c h c a n equally provide a charming, historical, and relaxing expe- rience. T h e F o r e i g n M i n i s t r y ' s Directorate General for Ital- ians Abroad, in collaboration with ENIT, Raiz Italiana, and ASMEF, held a number of meetings between 2018 and 2 0 2 1 t o d e v e l o p c o n c r e t e i d e a s t o s u p p o r t r o o t s tourism. This has resulted in a multi-volume "Guide to Ital- ian Roots," studies on roots tourism and the meaning of it for those who participate, and even a new master's degree c o u r s e i n m a n a g i n g r o o t s tourism at the University of Calabria. The significance of all this i s r e m a r k a b l e g i v e n t h e amount of people of Italian d e s c e n t o u t s i d e o f I t a l y . Americans in particular cher- ish their roots and many are proud to know exactly when and where their family came from and what struggles they overcame to make the U.S. their home. The Italian-Amer- ican identity has remained strong through the genera- tions, even for those with great-, or even great-great- grandparents, who were Ital- ian. For this reason, the roots t o u r i s m i n i t i a t i v e i s a n important one and can help re-center tourists' goals in an age where it can be tempting to snap a photo to post on social media then skip on to the next site. Luckily, many p e o p l e a r e b e g i n n i n g t o e m b r a c e a s l o w e r w a y o f experiencing a new place when they travel, no matter their purpose for traveling. Where ICA fits in Here at ICA, our primary passion is precisely this: to help people connect with their ancestry. This does find its ultimate fruit in a success- ful citizenship application and Italian passport, but the value of helping people learn more about their families, tracking down records that could be a hundred years old, and establishing a traceable h e r i t a g e t h a t c a n e x t e n d down to future generations is no small thing either. In fact, it is these seemingly little s t e p s a l o n g t h e w a y t h a t make the end goal all that more meaningful. This is also why, on our website, you'll find numerous success stories that provide a window and personal insight into our clients' experiences with the citizenship process. We love to hear them recount the journey from their per- spective, and often the inter- est in researching their fami- ly history had gone on for many years—even decades— before they finally contacted ICA to delve deeper into the process. Why apply for Italian citizenship in Italy? Many people don't know that they can go through the citizenship process directly in Italy and that there is even a r e s i d e n c e c a r d a v a i l a b l e specifically for these people so they can remain in the country longer than the 90 day limit for non-EU citizens. Applying in Italy is also bene- f i c i a l b e c a u s e o f t e n t h e process can be shorter than going through a consulate, m a n y o f w h i c h a r e o v e r - whelmed with the number of applicants and can have quite l e n g t h y w a i t i n g p e r i o d s ( u p w a r d s o f t w o y e a r s o r more). The first step would be to collect all the documents needed to file your applica- t i o n . T h i s i n c l u d e s v i t a l records, the ancestor's natu- ralization record (or proof of non-naturalization), Apos- tilles, and translations. In most cases, you will not need t o m a k e a n a p p o i n t m e n t ahead of time at the relevant office in Italy to apply. Upon arrival in Italy, there are two things you will need to do right away: obtain a codice fiscale (tax code), which you can get from the local Agen- zia delle Entrate. You will also need to establish legal residency. Once you apply for citizenship at the municipali- t y w h e r e y o u r e s i d e ( i t d o e s n ' t n e e d t o b e w h e r e your ancestor was from), you can then apply for a residen- cy permit which will allow you to stay longer than 90 days while you wait for an answer (permesso di sog- giorno in attesa di cittadi- nanza). How ICA can help If any part of this process seems overwhelming, ICA can walk you through every step of it. We offer a number of customizable packages to suit individual cases and lev- els of involvement. Over the ten years we have been in business, we have helped thousands of clients obtain citizenship. For those who choose to apply in Italy, we can assist with finding a place to stay in, getting a codice fis- cale, applying for the resi- dency permit, and other fine details to make your wait for citizenship easy. Our team also conducts genealogical research, can take care of document collection, transla- tions, as well as communicat- ing with the relevant offices. We encourage anyone who is interested to reach out for a consultation: we can offer a free evaluation of your eligi- bility, so from there you can make an informed decision on how to proceed. Contact us at info@italiancitizen- shipassistance.com or by vis- i t i n g o u r w e b s i t e , w w w . italiancitizenshipassistance.c om. STAFF Italian Citizenship Assistance and Roots Tourism: together to make you Italian! A fishermen's village in Calabria, just like many others our ancestors left to find fortune in America (Photo: Alexander Mertz/Dreamstime). Bottom left, Marco Permunian, the founder of Italian Citizenship Assistance (ICA) (Photo courtesy of ICA) LIFE PEOPLE REVIEWS ADVICE TRADITIONS

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