There are many native born Italians who have chosen to live in the U.S. I would like to know what the main?

Question

motive was for their choice. My sense is that economics and job opportunities were their main reasons, however, I wonder if it is worth giving up such a superior quality of life that Italy provides?

Answer 1

The quality of life may be higher in some areas, but many parts of Southern Italy are EXTREMELY poverty-striken.  There is simply NO WORK.  You can't have a high quality of life if you live in a place with no job opportunities.  The quality of life in a rural village on Sicily is much lower than anywhere in the USA.

Answer 2

You are right, economics and job opportunities are important.  Without adequate funds, you can't live comfortably at many places in this world.  However, there has to be more reasons for leaving their homes especially if the job and money are not that much more in the USA.  

I believe one big factor is the strangeness and newness of most things that are different from what one is used to or growing up with.  Hollywood also adds a lot of expectations and dreams to foreign movies goers.  A lot of foreigners and immigrants just simply enjoy American things and places.  They may be just fascinated by Las Vegas, desert, the Grand Canyon, Yellow Stones or New York City and LA while enjoying hamburgers and hot dogs!  They may be just tired of Italian food and gelato (which a lot of Americans just love to eat every meals).

People just like variations and the saying: the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence is so true!

Another reason may have to do with USA is relatively newer country.  Imagining Italy with long long history, Italians must have long tradition and culture as well as belief systems.  This can work against you, if you want to climb the ladder and move out of your social place.  Not only moving to America, but to somewhere different can be a big boost.  Sometime you have to start fresh!

Despite what others say about the USA, it is still a very good place to live.  There are plenty of nice and reasonable Americans.

Answer 3

What is so superior about it.  I was just there today, hot as h**l in a city like most others.  Nothing special except lunch, good food, I'll have to go back to that place.  I'm not a native born Italian living in the U.S. so it's probably annoying that I'm giving a response but I'm curious as to what is so much better?  Italy is so small by comparison with the U.S..   Maybe you live in a crappy part of the U.S. but I happen to come from a really great part called Maine, specifically southern Maine, (there is no place quite like it).  The only thing I think Italy really has going for it is that they dress better than most and have some really good food.  Other than that, what is so much better about it?

Answer 4

I don't think you can measure quality of life based solely on income..I left New York City and a fantastic job for Italy. I can honestly say for me the quality of life here is much better, the stress level is gone from my life, the aggressive - defensive behavior inherent to every native new yorker is fading away...I appreciate the beauty of life now, instead of being caught up in the rat race chasing success and money. I made it in NYC, now I can relax and enjoy life in a much simpler yet more fulfilling way. I will always love the chaos of NYC there is no other place like it, but now I simply love life. There is an expression Americans live to work, Italians work to live...whose to say which is right, but now after experiencing both...I'm sticking with the latter.

Answer 5

The same could be asked of native born French people. The quality of life is much better there, but still quite a few decide to move here and make this their new home.

Answer 6

America and Italy are both big places. The quality of life varies widely in both places.  Also, statistics about "quality of life" weigh things in a very arbitrary way, but money is the empirical value by which the world is measured.  

The economy in the US gives ambitious people the opportunity to live a much higher quality of life than elsewhere in the world, but we don't force those people to prop up those who are less ambitious, which makes it easier to succeed here if you are willing to work for it and take a few risks.