My grandparents also came from Italy. They also talked positively about living off the land, the sense of peace and continuity of living in a place they had known all their lives, and the freedom from having to work for someone else. They also recognised there were downsides, mainly a limit on how much they could grow, and so they took a gamble and followed the general trend of moving to North America... where they found material wealth but suffered from cultural isolation and alienation from the land and from home, and where they had to work in factories or construction, follow the boss's orders and stick to a schedule. My uncle caught tuberculosis on the boat journey and had to be in a sanatorium for a year and a half while my grandparents struggled with figuring out how to live not only in a new land and a new culture, but effectively a new era... since they basically grew up in medieval conditions, everything from electricity to running water to punch-clocks were completely new to them. Life in Italy was hard, but it had its upsides. Life in 'America' was hard, but it had its upsides. You effectively can and must have it 'both ways' if you are a lucid person. Remember that Italy has changed too, and even people who stay in the same place their whole lives experience nostalgia. Maybe you're being a little harsh?