Who am I?

The chapter investigates foreign youths’ integration within the host society and places particular emphasis on a neglected issue in Italian sociological literature: national identity. The findings reveal that foreign youths are more likely to express a sense of belonging to their country of origin, but other self-characterizations – such as “hyphenated” Italian identities and pan-national identities – emerge as well, whereas few youths describe themselves simply as Italian. Length of stay in Italy, language spoken at home, geographic area of origin (partially) and friendships seem to play a crucial role in defining foreigners’ national identities.