The love affair between Italy and the world brings more than 45 million travelers to the boot each year. Among them are thousands of Italian-Americans, generations removed from immigrant forebears, who come to bask in Italy's warmth and seduction — and, often, to find lost pieces of themselves.
The unequaled beauty of Italy's cities and countryside intoxicates. I have seen the Colosseum against the Roman nightfall uncountable times. It always amazes. I smile in awe at Florence, seen from the Ponte Vecchio, or Amalfi's stunning cliffs, rocketing from a sparkling sea. At such times, I wonder how my father could have left this magical place.

But hunger always wins over love of country. Immigrants left to create a better life where opportunities existed. Now we, their children, line up by the thousands, at Italian consulates across America, seeking dual citizenship in the country our ancestors left behind. Those who fled, however reluctantly, might surely wonder why we are so anxious to adopt Rome's red, white and green.

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Source: http://www.providencejournal.com