See here-in lies something that irks me to no end is that somehow I am less Italian in culture or heritage because I am American and may not speak the language, at least in the eyes of an Italian born in Italy. What does it matter that I was born an American? Yes I do speak English and not Italian but the fact that I wish to learn more and speak it more isn’t enough apparently. I was raised with the traditions of the southern Italians, the feast of the seven fishes, the teachings of the feast of the epiphany, the whole nine yards minus maybe the smaller Italian holidays that are reserved for different saints and festivals, but the fact that still yet, another Italian would still say to me “you are not Italian” feels as if they wish to strip me of my ancestry just because my passport and citizenship is not Italian.