Identity and Voting Among Second- and Third-Generation Italo-Australians
摘要
This chapter examines the perceptions of second-generation Italo-Australian voters about their Italian voting entitlement. Drawing on qualitative interview material and descriptive quantitative data, the findings show that second- and third-generation Italo-Australians are cognizant of the privilege of the right to vote at Italian elections. However, the analysis points to a latent challenge for the future of electoral participation of second-generation voters arising from the underlying basis of their Italian identity. Our participants professed their Italian identity in cultural rather than political terms, even though they reported interest in Italian political affairs. This raises questions about whether a strong cultural identity, even when it is accompanied by a legal entitlement to vote, is sufficient to induce subsequent generations to exercise their right to vote, and what kinds of interventions the Italian state may need to consider in order to encourage their full political participation.