Whatever one’s opinion may be, it’s hard to deny that since January of this year, transatlantic relations have entered a new phase. This has happened without changing the underlying sentiment: the relationship between Europe and the United States has always been, is, and will continue to be essential for both sides.

At We the Italians, we have always been committed to promoting and strengthening the relationship between Italy and the United States, with a special focus on the nearly 20 million Italian Americans. Today, in this new global context, the Italian American community is more important than ever: it is the only recognized, influential, and active ethnic group that fully belongs to both sides.

They are Italian by blood and heritage, and American by birth and culture. Their European roots make them representatives of one of the most important countries in the EU; their continued activity throughout the United States makes it impossible not to recognize their specific and well-documented ethnicity.

For this reason, Italian Americans can play an even greater role in this new era of dialogue between Italy (and the European Union) and the United States.

That’s why We the Italians has created a new tool to further enhance our role as a platform for listening to and discussing the interests and opinions of this community.

We’ve launched an observatory dedicated to this mission, where we will involve a significant number of distinguished individuals both in Italy and the United States.

We began by surveying the Italian American community on a particularly sensitive and important issue that has recently been the subject of a controversial reform: dual citizenship. The title of this survey is: Two passports, One heart.

Under the new law, the transmission of citizenship by jus sanguinis is limited to two generations, with the possibility of a third for minors. This change affects millions of Italian Americans - many of whom have spent years committing time, money, and energy, making sacrifices and conducting research to obtain an Italian passport.

We asked our audience whether they agreed with the new law. Of the 350 responses received, 35% agreed, while 65% disagreed.

93.3% of the responses came from people living in the United States, 5.6% from Italy, and the remaining 1.1% from other countries.

The U.S. state with the highest number of responses was New York (18.7%), followed by California, Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, then Texas, Illinois, and Michigan.

53.9% of survey participants were men, 43.1% were women.

In terms of age:

• 9% were born before 1965
• 8% between 1965 and 1980 (Generation X)
• 4% between 1981 and 1996 (Generation Y)
• 8% between 1997 and 2012 (Generation Z)

Among women, 30.5% support the new law, 69.5% oppose it. Among men, 39.7% are in favor, while 61.3% are against it.

By age group:

• Born before 1964: 39% in favor, 61% against
• Born 1965–1980: 9% in favor, 70.1% against
• Born 1981–1996: 5% in favor, 74.5% against
• Born 1996–2012: 2% in favor, 71.8% against

From Italy, 55% support the law, while 45% oppose it. From the U.S., 32.9% are in favor, and 67.1% are against.

Looking at different regions of the United States:

• In New England, 23% are in favor, 6% against
• In the New York area, 4% in favor, 65.6% against
• In the East, 1% in favor, 63.9% against
• In the South, 9% in favor, 60.1% against
• In the Midwest, 9% in favor, 57.1% against
• In the West, 5% in favor, 70.5% against

We gave respondents the option to leave a comment, and 295 people did so. These comments are a treasure trove of opinions and reflections - sometimes emotional, sometimes strikingly clear, but always respectful. We will make sure to share this valuable content with Italian institutions, following the spirit of President Mattarella’s recent speech to the representatives of Italian communities abroad (CGIE).

This is just the first survey: we’re working to involve key Italian American and Italian institutions to give this initiative an even broader scope.

Two Flags, One Heart