One of the most visible European-American ethnic groups in the United States is Italian-Americans.
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Whether or not you’re imagining a reel of Jersey Shore scenes and fist-pumping, you might be aware of other Italian-American traditions. From Sunday dinner with the family to gatherings for major Catholic holidays, they’re a fairly familiar cultural quantity throughout the US.
In fact, most cities also have an Italian-American neighborhood, from Little Italy in Manhattan to the Hill in Saint Louis. (Saint Louis even has its own spin on the term guido; in the Lou, they’re called dagos.)
And in many parts of the US, Italian-American communities like these work to keep their ancestral knowledge alive. If you have an Italian-American friend, you’ve probably heard where they come from in the Old World.
And if they’ve made the trip across the Atlantic to their place of origin, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ve seen the pictures and heard the highlights of their visit.
But what about Italian-Americans who have lost touch with their roots?
Given that the majority of immigrants came over during the late 1800s into the early 1900s, millions of Americans are losing track of their ancestral roots. And although they want to visit Italy, they might only have a vague idea of which region to explore—no village names or family records.
That’s where the National Italian American Foundation comes in. In 2023, they penned an official partnership with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to help more Italian-Americans trace their roots.
In 2024, they launched a ‘2024 – Year of Italian Roots’ campaign—and it’s still going strong.
Here’s how you can join to rediscover your Italian ancestry and use that knowledge to visit Italy.
Meet the NIAF
The National Italian American Foundation was founded in 1975 with the goal of uniting Italian-Americans, keeping heritage alive, and promoting the advancement of Italian-American achievements. In other words, it’s a cultural club with tens of thousands of members across the US.
The NIAF mostly works with young adults and youth by raising money for scholarships, sponsoring ‘voyages of discovery’ trips to Italy, lobbying for Italian-American causes, and expanding cultural initiatives.
Speaking of expanding cultural initiatives, one of NIAF’s greatest accomplishments was an official partnership with the Italian Foreign Ministry of Affairs. Over the last year, they’ve worked together to promote Italea, a service that is helping diaspora Italians learn about their ancestry. (More on this below.)
Inside the Roots Tourism Initiative
Last year, the NIAF announced a Roots Tourism Initiative, which was rolled out with the purview of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the goal of promoting a new program, Italea.
The initiative builds on one of Europe’s most booming travel trends: roots tourism.
Roots tourism is huge for Americans who are looking to reestablish ties with their heritage; it’s also a big win for small communities in Europe that could use an economic boost via tourist dollars. (It’s also viewed as a sustainable form of economic growth.)
So, what does all of this mean for Italian-Americans?
In short, rediscovering your Italian-American roots is simpler than ever before, even if you have little information to go on.
On top of that, you don’t need to join NIAF to research your Italian roots and plan a trip (back) to Italy. Instead, you can use Italea, the program that NIAF was helping promote.
(By contrast, if you’re interested in joining NIAF, they can help you take your ancestry research to the next level, and also hand you the keys to joining an Italian-American community.)
How to take part in the Root Tourism Initiative with Italea
As mentioned above, Italea is the official travel program from Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is a robust ancestry resource and travel guide.
You can use the website to research your roots and put together a meaningful, memorable trip—even if your ‘hometown’ is out in the boonies.
I can’t recommend Italea enough. Though I didn’t end up using it (I know where my family comes from), Italian-Americans who have more questions than answers are likely to find helpful pointers.
Even if all you have is your surname to point you toward Italian ancestry, Italea can help you uncover your past and visit Italy to see where your ancestors came from.
From there, you can learn more about life in that village or region, along with how to put together a bucket list trip. Best of all, the website is used by Italians around the world—meaning you could find a long-lost relative who immigrated to Argentina way back when.
