Strange Party Bedfellows: Comparing the Political Rhetoric Regarding Second Generation Citizenship in Italy and the United States

This paper proposes a comparative analysis of the recent, cross-party alliances that are developing in relation to second-generation naturalization policies in Italy and the United States. It will focus on how "deserving subjects" are described by political party actor in cases where there is vigorous, often polarized political debate. In the United State, the subjects will be those covered by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, (DACA), children brought to the United States by their parents. In Italy, the topic will be the reform of citizenship law regarding how the "children born in Italy to non-Italians, or who arrive before their 12th birthdays and spend at least five years in formal education, could be declared citizens.”

The focus will be on the rhetoric of the political coalitions supporting naturalization legislation, which, while polarizing, has also seen a history of cross-party agreement both in U.S. and Italy. The paper will focus particularly on the role that populist parties and politicians (Trump in the U.S. and the Movimento Cinque Stelle-M5S in Italy) have played in constructing new coalitions and new ways of discussing these issues. These discussions will be grounded in the debates regarding the rise of populist parties and their connections to traditional visions of nationalism and xenophobic politics. It will draw on the anthropological literature regarding deservingness as it has been applied to the debates regarding migration and immigrant incorporation. By tracing and comparing the changes in rhetoric, it will seek to contribute our understanding how populist actors influence political discourse.