It’s official! Today I picked up my Italian Passport! 
I’m officially a citizen of both the U.S. and Italy!!
My Great-Grandfather, Francesco Tetro, was born in Italy in 1877 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1902. According to Italian law, if your ancestors were Italian, you, too, may be entitled to U.S. – Italian dual citizenship (there is no generational limit). But of course, it wasn’t that easy – the process took 3 years; from finding and ordering vital records from the US and Italy from my great-grandfather all the way down the line to me, to submitting the documents at the Italian consulate, to finally getting recognized as a citizen and coming in to pick up my passport.
Going into it, I didn’t know much about Francesco, his wife, Anna, when they arrived, where they lived, or his occupation. Now I do! I even visited the building in Hell’s Kitchen NYC where they lived at the time that my grandfather was born, in 1908.
Holding this Passport today means so much to me! It’s as if Francesco came and delivered it to me himself. Having Italian dual citizenship has its perks – both personally and professionally. I can now stay in any country in the European Union for longer than the 90-day limit we have as American citizens (or even move to any Member country).
Considering how much I love Europe and traveling – I’m sure I’ll want to stay for longer than 90 days at some point – but in the meantime, I am just going to enjoy this feeling of being reunited with my Italian roots. 😀
If you have Italian ancestry and are interested in seeing if you qualify for U.S. – Italian Dual Citizenship, I highly recommend speaking with the mother-daughter team at Italian Citizenship for Dummies. Paula and Emily helped me from start to finish and were as invested in my outcome as if I was a part of their own family.
Or, start by ordering their book: Italian Dual Citizenship: A Complete Guide
Hi, I’m Cassie! Imagine the gift of a frustration-free European vacation… to travel easily and confidently with tried-and-tested tips and advice, and a custom itinerary that will optimize your sightseeing – so you won’t miss a thing.
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