Enter the internet… fast easy access to information on how to get dual citizenship for Americans with Italian heritage. I sent away for information, after reading confusing accounts of what you needed and how to do it. I read this stuff over and over and over again, even up to the very end, trying to figure out whether or not I even qualified.

After my father's home was ransacked by family members the day after my stepmother died, there was very little left of any value. Of any value to anyone except me, that is. I was given, out of everything that had been in that house, two things. My own daily Missal from my youth, and a little black steel box. Inside of it were absolute treasures for me but of no use to anyone else. I have no idea why they weren't tossed as trash.

Inside the box: my grandfather's birth certificate, two certificates of matrimony for my grandparents (one for the church and one for the city of Newark) and three certificates of Naturalization. My grandfather's, my grandmother's and my great grandfather's.

Meanwhile, in 1998 I went to the County deeds department in Newark, and got copies of my grandfather's declaration of intent. Since I had his Naturalization certificate, with all the dates and numbers on it, it was easy to get these papers. I still had no idea how important this stuff was, I was just doing it for genealogy, family history, hoping to glean a few facts from papers that my grandfather filled out nearly 100 years before. Sometime in 1999 I contacted the consulate's office and got their official directions. It explained who could get their citizenship recognized, and which documents were needed to prove your line of descent from an Italian family.

Wow, I had almost everything. I needed: Birth certificate for my father and mother, birth certificate for my grandfather, my birth certificate, a marriage certificate for my grandparents and for my parents and my own marriage certificate, which had a little name problem... So I sent away for the ones I didn't have. Got them. That vitalchek website was very convenient for this, you can get certificates ordered from most states instantly, and they come quickly.

Then the Apostille. An apostille is a specific authenticating certificate that is required by certain countries, including Italia. Each state has a different price. The only thing that is the same, is that you have to send your newly acquired certificates AWAY in the mail to the Secretary of State of whichever state that the birth or marriage certificate was issued in.

For me, that was, one in Idaho, and 4 or 5 in New Jersey. New Jersey charges $25.00 for EACH ONE. When I was calling around trying to find out how to get an apostille, I was told that they would only accept certificates with the current county assessor's seal on them or less than 2 years old! Oh no. My grandparent's certificate was over 80 years old! So then I had to write and get all those certificates anew. That is, new ones.

Did I need an apostille for the certificate of naturalization? Some said yes, some said no. So I investigated that. I finally sent that precious document to some office in Washington DC with a check, certified overnight air; terrified of losing it in a federal vault somewhere. It came back. Quickly in fact. I was told it had to go somewhere else.

I decided to visit the Naturalization department right here in Seattle and ask someone in person. THAT was an experience. I had to stand outside in a line for an hour. It was 45 degrees out and sunny (fortunately). The people around me were a veritable rainbow. All different faces, languages, dress.

My turn finally came up, and I explained my problem. I needed documentation, I needed an apostille. Was this the correct document? I handed the leather bound certificate to the guy, and he cradled it in his hands. Oh, he said, "this is ours. I've never seen one this old! This is wonderful" he asked how I got it, etc, etc. He assured me it was the right document, and that it was all I needed and sent me on my way.

Time passes. I called Dr Luciani in San Francisco, because I thought I was ready to submit all my documents to her and she said, "By the way, we want birth certificates for your mother, your grandmother, and your husband too. but they don't need apostilles!" How nice! And neither does that naturalization certificate of your grandfather's and by the way, everything needs to be translated by an OFFICIAL translator".. that only cost $52.00, the translator charged by the word.

I went to Italy in September, 2001. One of the last things I did was get my grandfather's NEW birth certificate in the Comune office. Cost nothing. Very pleasant. I wished I had more time there.

Finally I flew to San Francisco. I sat before Dr Luciani. She looked at the papers, writing down dates, names, numbers. She got to the certificate of naturalization, which had more than 1 typo on it, including my grandfather's name, and the date of naturalization. She crossed her arms, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm afraid we have a problem.....". what's that?

"This name and date, they're not right, they could be anyone" So I pulled out the declaration of intent that I had obtained just for fun in Newark. Filled out by my grandfather. The name spelled right, the right dates. "ah," cried Dr Luciani "This is very good! it's a good thing you have this."

That was in October 2001. She called me the following January to tell me I needed my grandfather's birth certificate. "WHAT! I cried, you have that already!" I could hear papers shuffling. "Oh, here it is"

Next thing, February, she lets me know that all my stuff was going to the consulate in New Jersey because most of my documents originated there, and they needed to do some checking. So more anxiety. Now I am dealing with TWO consulates!! Imagine the possible amount of damage that could occur with two of them!

I waited until June and finally called New Jersey. Paper shuffling. Ah, yes, we have your application, no we haven't done anything with it, but we will soon!

Then finally, in July, comes a fat envelope. For my son Tom, who had applied with me. Where was mine? Almost 3 weeks later, mine showed up. They had had the address wrong!

In this packet were several forms. I had to fill out 3 separate applications. One for my town in Italy; Sersale, the town where my grandfather was born, is where my birth certificate will be kept. One for passport, and one to be an Italian citizen abroad. I thought I would be getting something else official, besides the passport, but I was told that the Identity card that all Italians have is only issued to Italians living in Italy.