European-Americans Dropping Ancestral Roots - Except Italian-Americans
NCM Online, Paolo Pontoniere, Posted: Jun 19, 2002
The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) revealed this week that in the US the number of individuals who claim German, Irish, English or Polish roots as their heritage have dropped sharply since the last census of 1990.
According to the latest ancestry data, as reported by the United States census of 2000, individuals of European descend identify themselves as American rather than belonging to a specific ethnic group or ancestral heritage. Italian-Americans however at the Census of 2000 reported an inverted trend. Rather than diminishing, individuals listing an Italian heritage among Americans increased seven per cent when compared to the figures of 1990.
NIAF Chairman Frank J, Guarini believes that Italian-Americans constitute an exception to the European tendency because they prefer to remain attached to their culture of origin, and their ethnic heritage. Guarini noted that a renewed interest among second and third generation Italian Americans in their ancestral language has made Italian the fourth most studied foreign language in the US.
"Italian Americans are a highly visible group of professionals in business, politics, sports, entertainment, and the arts," declared NIAF President Joseph R. Cerrell commenting on the recent census discovery, "They continue to contribute a great deal to the US while never forgetting their heritage. Today, the bond between Italian Americans and Italy is perhaps stronger than ever."
Patricia Delacruz, a demographer and population analyst with the Ethnic and Hispanic Branch of the Census Bureau, believes that there is more than one reason at play for the fact that Americans are forsaking in growing numbers their European heritage. "Individuals completing the census are several generations removed from the first immigrant groups," comments Delacruz. "They have fewer ties to the nation of origin. The first generation immigrant group is dying off while there are a decreased number of recent immigrants arriving from these nations; and intermarriage among different ethnic groups is increasing."
The US Census Bureau "Ancestry Brief" detailing the different demographic trends taking place among specific ancestral groups, including Italians, will be released in December 2002.
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