Becoming Italian in Rijeka: Minority Belonging Beyond Formal Definitions

This essay examines whether formal membership criteria for Rijeka’s Italian minority adequately reflect contemporary forms of belonging. Drawing on interviews with Croatian-Italian bilingual speakers, it shows that linguistic proficiency, education, cultural participation and emotional attachment can produce strong identification with local Italianness even without Italian ancestry or mother-tongue status. The essay proposes understanding minority belonging as a gradient rather than a binary category. It recommends creating alternative membership pathways for new speakers, expanding participation rights within minority institutions and strengthening education about Rijeka’s multilingual heritage, while acknowledging the political sensitivities surrounding voting and representation.