Autoethnography I've always been proud of my family heritage. Growing up Catholic isn't always easy, and growing up Italian has its own set of difficulties on top of that. However, the love and camaraderie that I experienced as a child will always remain with me as I get older. For an Italian, family takes priority over all other things, and there is a strong sense of respect for our parents and elders. However, this also entails frankness, openness, and honesty, which can lead to lost tempers or heated arguments at the dinner table. After all, Italians are known for their emotional natures. Furthermore, I realized growing up that our family's parties always centered on a lot of food; food served an ultimately social function in our family. Food is also almost always fresh and delicious. Another pleasant side-effect from being Roman Catholic and Italian is that I befriended many people who I might not have known otherwise. Because of family and church connections, I made friends with many kids who didn't even go to the same school as I did. These things may seem trivial, but they are an integral part of my identity. Being Italian means several things to me, but mostly it boils down to family, friendships, and food.

A learned from my parents early on that family takes precedence over all other things. Not only did my parents tell me this in words, but they also showed me through their actions. If one of my uncles, aunts, cousins, or grandparents needed anything, my father or mother would deliver. Family...

I also noticed that Italians tend to be quite honest with one another and will not hesitate to point out each others' failings or faults. My parents didn't necessarily like all their family members; I remember my mom didn't get along with all her sisters and my dad and my mother's mother often didn't see eye-to-eye. However, underlying all the personal differences was deep love and respect. No matter how many times my parents argued or fought with their own parents or siblings, they always made up. Fights were heated but usually didn't last a long time. I did witness grudges being held, but that only reminded me that so much is expected of family members that often people feel hurt over relatively minor things. This attitude toward family taught me many things about forgiveness and will help me approach my own children in the future. The Italian view of the family is often depicted in films and on television as being both volatile and tightly-knit, and I can more or less relate to these images.
Friendships often take on as much meaning as familial ties. Especially with other Italian families, my parents had dozens of close friends who would have us over to their houses and vice-versa. Frequently we would go on day trips or short vacations with other families and this helped me to forge many lifetime friendships. However, my parents did not limit their friends to only other…