Turi- I agree with you. I always wonder why people my age insist on saying they are Italian or whatever. Usually they can't speak a word of Italian and don't have a clue about the heritage or history of the country.

TIS seems to have a deep understanding of her family's heritage and it seems that her family really celebrates their background. That I completely respect. It's when people don't have a clue that annoys me. It seems like saying your Italian was the cool thing to do where I grew up.

I've always considered myself an American. My great-grandparents are from Italy and Germany, but I've never stepped a foot in either country, I don't know any of the languages, and I couldent tell you a thing about their history either than what I've learned about WWII in school. So I consider myself an American more than anything else.