Mezza Italiana - Our half Italian Children

Mezza Italiana is described as “An Enchanting Story About Love, Family, La Dolce Vita and Finding Your Place in the World”

I’m reading Mezza Italiana , which means half Italian and it has me thinking about Carina & Luca.

It’s the story of a woman growing up in Brisbane Australia who didn’t want to ‘fit in’ with her Italian family, refusing to learn Italian and dying her hair blonde. Always with a feeling of being ‘half and half’, she later travels to Italy with her husband (who adores all things Italian) and finds a place to belong. Then the earthquake hits…

It’s even more compelling to me because our children could be described this way, Mezza Italiana.

I wonder how they’ll fare growing up half Italian and half Australian.

One of the many reasons I long to return to Italy is for our children. For them to be at home with their mixed heritage.

They have never had to suffer due to their Italian heritage. Unlike my Mother in Law when she arrived in Australia some sixty years ago as a young child of seven. My mother in law tells stories of being teased at school for her speech, her clothes and mostly for her very Italian lunch box filled with all kinds of Italian goodies.

Now the teachers say good morning to my son in first grade using numerous languages and have Italian days at school. People in Australia say ‘ciao ciao’ as if they invented the term.

Of course it is the dream for many Australians to live “La Dolce Vita” or renovate a house in Tuscany ala “Under the Tuscan Sun”…. now it’s trendy to be Italian.

Related Links: