Grass Valley School Children Write letters to Italy

On March 22, 2005 The Grass Valley City Council adopted Resolution No. 05-14 supporting the twinning of the City of Grass Valley and Limana, Italy.  In early May 2005, then Mayor Gerard Tassone traveled to Limana to finalize our Sister City relationship. Fast forward 5 years to 2010 and the formation of the Nevada County Italian Cultural Foundation. Cultural committee co-chair Valentina Parkman envisioned a greater relationship with Grass Valley’s sister city in Limana, Italy through a children’s pen pal campaign. Oscar Fistarol, former restaurateur of Villa Venezia and long time resident of Nevada County with family ties to Limana assisted in making the N.C.I.C.F.’s connection a reality.  During his May 2010 visit to Limana, Oscar supplied Valentina with a Limana teacher’s email. The Limana Middle School Teacher, Patrizia Carlin’s, email was then given to  Paula Roediger, Grass Valley School  District Trustee who then supplied it to Lyman Gilmore Teachers Dave Lawell and Scott Mills. These wonderful Grass Valley teachers promptly got to work and had their Lyman Gilmore students compose letters to their new friends in Limana.
 


Limana School Children.
Here is what the Lyman Gilmore School children said about the experience:
 
“ I've never been outside of the country, so it was neat to make friends with kids in Italy."
 "I'm learning about their families.  Our pen pals seem to be very proud of their 'mums' and 'papas' and the work they do.
 "This makes me want to learn more about their culture.  It makes me want to visit them."
 "It's neat to see how other kids in a different culture dress like we do....we're learning about their interests too."
 "With pen pals, you get to make friends all over the world."

Teacher Dave Lawell said, “It’s a good experience for our school children. I think it is pretty important for them to realize there is a much larger world out there.  I do get the feeling that many of mine will keep up their communications after this year.”

Teach Scott Mills said, “Our school children are really enjoying this exchange and he hopes to make it happen again next year.”


Lyman Gilman School Children and Teachers Scott Mills and Dave Lawell.

Dual American and Italian Citizenship

People have asked for more information about how they can use their Italian lineage to gain citizenship in Italy. 
Please click on this link for further discussion and information.
www.nevadacountyitaliancenter.com

Italian citizenship is based on the principle of ius sanguinis (blood right) by which a child born of an Italian father or mother is Italian; nevertheless, it must be kept in mind that the mother citizen has only transmitted citizenship to minor children since January 1st 1948 as a result of a ruling by the Constitutional Court. Italian citizenship is currently regulated by Law No. 91 of 5 December 1992 and Law No. 94 of 5 July 2009, which, unlike the previous law, re-evaluates the importance of individual desire in the gain or loss of citizenship and acknowledges the right to hold citizenship in more than one country, except in the case of the various provisions of international agreements. 

WAYS TO BECOME AN ITALIAN CITIZEN AUTOMATICALLY 

1. By having an Italian parent(s) (restrictions apply); 

2. by being born in Italy, 

when the parents are unknown, stateless or do not transmit their own citizenship to their child according to the legislation of the State to which they belong, as well as children found abandoned in Italy and for whom it is impossible to determine status civitatis (citizenship); 

3. through paternal or maternal recognition while the child is a minor (in cases in which the child recognized is no longer a minor, he/she is obliged to elect to become a citizen within one year of recognition); 

4. by adoption, both if the foreign minor is adopted by an Italian citizen by means of the Italian Judicial Authorities, as well as in the case in which adoption is granted abroad and made effective in Italy through a writ, issued by the Juvenile Court and registered with the Civil Registry. 

If the adoptee is no longer a minor he/she can become a naturalized Italian citizen after 5 years of legal residence in Italy (see How to Apply: Naturalization). 

HOW TO APPLY 

1. Declaration of desire to become a citizen; 
If the foreigner is of Italian descent (up to the 2nd degree) he/she can obtain citizenship in any of the following cases: 

- by serving in the Italian armed forces; 
- by becoming a subordinate employee of the Italian State, even abroad; 
- by residing legally in Italy for at least two years after reaching legal age. 

If the foreigner was born in Italian territory he/she can obtain citizenship by residing legally and uninterruptedly in Italy from birth up to legal age.