The Italian emigration. One look from 1876 to nowadays The Italian emigration in the world has rappresented one of the most characteristic features of contemporary history of our country. An interest for this topic remains strong, for recent wide-spread fenomena of xenophobia that we can observe within a nation which has been the protagonist of flows abroad for a long time. There is the strong interest for the debate regarding voting of the Italians abroad too. Since the question is complex, an individualisation of different demographic and social phases seems to be an appropriate approach. The most well-known classification deals with 4 phases: 1) the first, from 1876 to 1900 2) the second, from 1900 to WW I 3) the third, between the two wars 4)the fourth, post WW II period to the 60-70s Pioneers and prejudices A dramatic failure of 1815-1816 harvest and following strong hunger proposed for the first time an alternative to "Merica", but it became unpopular soon because of government's opposition and a good harvest in 1818. However, the USA became a popular migration solution. And this first contact aquired an increasing influence from the 40-50s of the 19th century due to the precise typology: "shameful" emigration. In this category enter the poor and street musicians. After the mid-century, the participation of children in this market increased: at this point the opinionof the European bourgoisie paid its attention on the phenomenon, charged to be too "visible", and with a some dose of hypocrisy, too marginal. The European bourgoisie however got an insight neither into the causes of the phenomenon, nor into appropriate laws (the law on emigration was published only in 1888). The participation of women was scarce in this first phase.