On Dec 21, 6:39 am, mels...@aragorn.rgmhome.net (Robert Melson) wrote: > In article <8bfcefe2-7d0b-4867-8b5a-6e0b886ea...@d21g2000prf.googlegroups.com>, > matthew <matthew.ciuc...@gmail.com> writes: > > > > > Hello Everyone fast easy question, I bet, for you folks in the know > > about these things. > > > My Mother's Father is from an Albanian community in Bari, Italy. > > > He has told me this community has been there for hundreds of years, > > and he says he is Albanian. Although he has never been to Albania in > > his life (nor had any of his family for many generations). > > > So does this make him Italian, since the community is in Italy, that > > is what I think, or Albanian as he claims? > > > I kind of think of the question as if a Chinese person is born in > > Chinatown in New York City, they are, American, although culturally > > Chinese. > > > Any insights into this is would be great, I wonder what the "official" > > ruling is on this question. > > > Thanks in advanced for anyone who could help. > > > Sincerely, > > Matthew > > Don't confuse where he was born (Italy) with whom he was > born to. Unless the Italians deny Italian citizenship to > the Italian-born children of foreigners living in the country, > then he's Italian by birth. That's nationality and a matter > of law. On the other hand, if his progenitors, back to when- > ever the family came to Italy, consider themselves Albanian and > he has been brought up steeped in the culture, traditions and > language of Albania, if he believes himself to BE Albanian, then > he's Albanian. This has nothing to do with nationality, but with > culture/ethnicity. > > What do you call him? I'd say Albanio-Italian or some such other > hyphenated description combining the ethnic with the nationality. > > Bob > > -- > Robert G. Melson | Rio Grande MicroSolutions | El Paso, Texas > ----- > Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable > reason so few engage in it. -- Henry Ford Thank you all so much for your reply gives me a lot of food for thought. One of the reasons I ask this is because I am getting married this Sunday, and well, my family tree will be merging with my finances. On this I like is to say I am 75% Italian (My dad's mom and dad's dad are both from Italy and my mom's dad, the Albanio-Italian in question is from Italy) and well grandma Murphy gives me 25% Irish. SO I like saying I am 75%/25% Irish and Italian. My finance get 100% Italian from her mom and dad's family. Therefore, in short, it seems out children would be 50% Italian from her side my side they get 37.5% Italian and 12.5% Irish giving them a grand total of 87.5% Italian and 12.5% Irish. I know this is highly simplistic, and doesn't go too many generations back, but I suppose it works for now. I just really wanted to see if I needed to be in the Albanian percentage. So I suppose when I say I am 75%Italian and 25% Irish that is nationally for sure, culturally, I get a dash of Albania. Ok thank you everyone! -Matthew