Frankie Grande and Joan Grande, respectively brother and mother of the American singer, songwriter and actress Ariana Grande, became Italian citizens.
The two published a photo on social media to celebrate the achievement, this Wednesday (22).
“I have been waiting for this moment for a long time… I am officially an Italian citizen”, andwrote Ariana's brother on Instagram. “I am so proud of my mom and I for finally getting these Italian passports. I love Italy so much and can’t wait to immerse myself even more in the culture and my heritage. What a great moment for us. To be able to share it with my mom later… it’s priceless. I cry with happiness,” Frankie wrote proudly.
His maternal great-grandparents, Michele Antonio Grande and Filomena Lavandetti, who emigrated to the United States, were from Gildone, in the Molise region.
But people on social media did not spare criticism. “An American who does not speak Italian, has never lived in Italy, has never attended Italian schools is considered more Italian than a person of Ghanaian origin born and raised in Italy just because the former has great-grandparents from Molise.”
And further: “Does the Italian State allow citizenship to be obtained so easily?”
“There are those who were born or grew up in this country and have to wait 18 years to obtain citizenship, while here we are giving citizenship to fourth-generation Italians.”
“It is absolutely unfair to people born and raised here, who have to go through a long and expensive process to obtain citizenship.”
The truth is that Frankie showed more love to Italy than many resentful Italians.
A Italian Citizenship Law Decree No. 91 of February 15, 1992 (Legge sulla cittadinanza italiana) establishes that Italian citizenship is transmitted by descent to the children of Italian parents, regardless of where they were born and regardless of the generation. It's in the law. The rest is... mime.
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