Help Me Claim My Italian Citizenship and Rebuild My "Home"

Since 2017, I’ve been on an arduous journey to have my Italian citizenship by descent recognized—a journey marked by challenges and setbacks yet fueled by deep family ties, unshakable determination, and a yearning to embrace a life enriched by northern Italy’s history and culture. But this dream goes beyond ancestry or geography. It’s about finding and establishing roots in a place that truly feels like “home.”

As someone who experienced the painful rejection of being kicked out of her "home" at the age of 14, the word home felt elusive for much of my life. It was a concept I could not truly grasp until a visit to Europe awakened something profound in me. For the first time, I understood what it meant to be at home—not just physically, but in a place where my soul felt rooted, connected, embraced, validated, and alive. That feeling was deeply transformative. Since then, I have carried it with me like a beacon, guiding me--even now, in my fifties--toward a life where I can finally be at home in the truest sense.

Holding dual Italian and American citizenship is a necessary step in making this dream a reality. I’m reaching out for your support to help me achieve it.

The Challenge: A 1948 Judicial Case

My pursuit of Italian-American dual citizenship commenced with years of painstaking research across three family lines, beginning with paternal and maternal grandparents born in Italy. After countless documentation detours and roadblocks, I focused on my maternal grandfather's lineage, which initially met the legal requirements for Italian citizenship recognition. However, a recent reinterpretation of Italian citizenship law invalidated this administrative path, leaving me with one remaining option: pursuing my Italian citizenship recognition through a judicial process known as a 1948 case.

This judicial case arises because my mother and maternal grandmother were born before 1948, the year when Italian women were constitutionally granted equal rights. Before 1948, unlike men, Italian women could not pass down their Italian citizenship by right of blood (jus sanguinis). Recognition through this line therefore requires retroactively applying the constitutional law through a court decision. For this purpose, I have engaged a highly skilled Italian attorney with extensive experience in 1948 cases to represent me and my children, but the legal fees for this process amount to $8,000, exclusive of additional processing and filing fees. With your help, I am seeking to raise an initial $7,500 toward this total.

Funds will be used to offset the following legal expenses:

While $7,500 may seem a modest amount to some, it poses a significant hurdle for me. I am asking for your support because circumstances beyond my control have left me unable to manage this cost alone.

A Road Marked by Resilience

The path to this point has been anything but smooth. Over the years, I’ve faced significant personal and financial challenges, including more recently:

-- Caring for my parents through serious health crises, including cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

-- A devastating layoff in 2023, which wiped out my savings and brought me to the brink of financial collapse.

-- Rebuilding from nothing by working multiple jobs, 120 hours a week, to support myself and my family.

-- Battling a debilitating illness, which left me isolated and further delayed my plans.

Despite everything, I’ve remained steadfast in my goal of having my Italian citizenship recognized—of reclaiming my dual heritage and establishing the roots that will enable me to meaningfully contribute to the vibrant culture and community that calls me homeward.

Why Your Help Matters

Your support will allow me and my children to proceed with a judicial path toward Italian citizenship recognition and finally overcome the bureaucratic and financial barriers that have stood in the way. Funds raised will go directly towards legal fees, ensuring I can fully pursue the only viable line to dual Italian-American citizenship that I have left.

The Dream: To Live My Best Life

This isn’t just about citizenship, though. It’s about building a future where I, my children, and their descendants can realize the promise that comes with opportunity and cultivating a multi-cultural perspective. Recognizing our Italian citizenship will open doors to new opportunities for work, travel, and community in Italy as well as across the EU. It’s a chance to honor my ancestors’ legacy and live a life deeply connected to my roots here and abroad.

How You Can Help

Donate: Any amount, big or small, will bring me closer to my goal.

Share: Spread the word about my campaign on social media, with friends, or within your community.

Encourage: Send words of support or advice—your encouragement means the world to me.

Together, we can make this dream a reality. Thank you for believing in me and for being part of my journey.

Most sincerely,

Anne Marie CHAMPAGNE BODOIRA

www: ancestorally (website under construction)

Visit me on Instagram

Credits: The banner image for this GFM campaign was created by AM Champagne Bodoira (2024) and features images of her Italian ancestors, including, in no particular order, her maternal grandfather Luigi Sabbadini, maternal great-grandfather Quirico Ziraldo, paternal great-grandmother Catterina Milone, paternal great-aunt Vittoria, paternal grandfather Francesco A. Bodoira, and an interpretive rendering of a family homestead in San Maurizio Canavese, Italy. (My paternal ancestors are from the Piemonte region, whereas all of my maternal ancestors are from the Friuli-Venezia Giuglia region of Italy.)

Me as a baby with my grandfather Luigi, who was born in Fagagna.

Page 1 of my great-grandmother Valeria DE GIORGIO's birth certificate. She was born in 1895 in Plasencis, Mereto di Tomba, Italy. It is her line of descent -- from her to my grandmother, then to my mother on down to me -- through which I now must apply for Italian citizenship recognition.