In New York, Vincenzo Odoguardi, vice-president worldwide of the Italian Association Movement Abroad (Maie), criticized the new decree on Italian citizenship. The leader stated that "whoever has Italian blood is Italian" and that "Italy is not a country of jus soli (right of sole ownership)."
Odoguardi recalled that New York was one of the main destinations for Italian emigration, especially after the Unification of the Kingdom of Italy and the World Wars. He stated that he understands the motivations behind the proposal, but considers the wording of the decree “one of the worst possible”.
Culture and identity
For the director, Italian culture was promoted worldwide by emigrants. “If carbonara, pizza and tiramisu are known worldwide, it is thanks to the great Italian emigration,” he stated. He stressed that identity is not based solely on territory, but on a living culture, which includes more than 180 dialects, 5.800 types of food, 535 varieties of wine, 60 UNESCO heritage sites, as well as fashion, design and industry.
Odoguardi warned that the current decree represents a dangerous shift towards ius soli, a system that grants citizenship to those born in a given territory. He said it threatens the continuity of Italian culture among descendants abroad.
Additional concerns
The leader also criticized the technical note attached to the decree, which considers Italians abroad a “national security problem”. For him, the definition is “an unacceptable offense”.
Maie has presented amendments to modify the text in the Senate. One of the points is the removal of the requirement of two years of residence in Italy for children of Italians born abroad. “Without this requirement, the decree can still protect the Italian community in the world,” concluded Odoguardi.
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