My American Immigrant Experience in Italy

I’ve experienced so much in the last few months, and actually feel like an Italian resident rather than just a visitor. I’ve made some great friendships and enjoyed living in Reggio Emilia, a progressive city that has everything from theatre to bookshops to cafes. There is a ton of green space and the recycling system is more advanced than in any other city I’ve lived in. Strangely, very often I found myself defending Reggio to the natives. “You came from New York? Why are you here? It’s so boring!” I think the city is great, and secretly many of them must, too, because for all their lamenting, they don’t leave.

Italian Unification Day

On March 17, My roommates and I went to Dimmelotu in honor of Italian Unification Day, but really it was just an excuse to go out. No Italians I know care that Italy has been a unified country for 150 years, and they only celebrate this fact every 50 years or so. The Festival of the Republic is much more important and is recognized annually on June 2. In 1946, Italians voted to end the monarchy (which had backed Mussolini) and become a republic.