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Chris Romagni shares his family’s history as an Italian American with Syrian heritage.

My maternal grandfather’s parents emigrated from al-Mishtaya in the Wadi al-Nasara region to New Kensington, Pennsylvania, US in the early 1900s. They joined a growing Syrian and Lebanese Christian community.

My jiddo was born shortly thereafter in 1914 where he married an Italian woman. However, my grandmother quickly assimilated into the family. My jiddo’s mother and sisters taught her how to bake bread and make kibbeh and shanklish, and she became an adopted Syrian in a sense.

My mother (half Syrian half Italian) married an Italian as well, but growing up I saw very little difference between my two sides of my family – the upholding of traditions and of course the importance of cuisine was central to both of them.

Despite traveling extensively throughout the Middle East, I’ve unfortunately still never been to Syria. I hope to be able to visit someday when things are more stable and visit my Syrian cousins who still reside in al-Mishtaya and own the al Wadi Hotel near the Krak des Chevaliers.