Since I was born in America, and so was my Italian Mother, but I grew up in Italy, I consider myself an Italo-Italoamerican; and one who had the best of both cultures.
As for voting in Italy's elections next week, I don't discourage anyone from doing it, but more than representive democracy I am for for participatory democracy, the massive partecipation of the people by means of plebiscitarian votes, outside of any partitocracy.
Look at what's happened in Italy, the leveling of ideals to get votes from everywhere,
has produced 2 massive Center parties, one of Right/Center, and the other of the 'Center with a human face' - led by one who called himself years and years ago the last of the Kennedians.
A last denial of one's ideals that causes the virtual disappearance of a so-called Left,
long betrayed as far as the 1930s, by the victory of stalinism. Vote if you must, if only to keep Berlusconi and his protofascist and racist allies from Palazzo Chigi.