What Italians Think About Americans: Parents

You Americans disrespect your parents and grand-parents. You want to move as far away from them as soon as you leave school. When they get old and sickly, you put them into old age homes with strangers. We Italians stay with our parents until we are married--often into our 30s or 40s. No matter. We are famiglia. We take care of our parents when they get old and we are still young and strong. After all, they fed and clothed us when we were young, correct? We usually live a short distance from our parents and might even live in our parents house. When our parents pass on we will inherit and live in the Casa di Famiglia, and our children will own it someday. The famiglia is important to us. Our parents and nonne and nonni are the most important and deserve our respect.