He arrived in Italy at the age of one but “always felt Italian”. However, Khaby Lame, 24, the most followed TikToker in the world, only obtained Italian citizenship after he came of age: on August 17, 2022. The social media star too Press has his say on the Ius scholae debate between Forza Italia leader Antonio Tajani and League secretary Matteo Salvini: “Many deserve citizenship as much and more than me. They just didn't get the chance I got, so they're still waiting. I'm a lucky guy, I know.”
“If you grow up in a place, you belong there”
Today, Lame studies in Hollywood and learns English, advice given to him by the famous actor Robert Redford. And it is essential for the acting career he wants to pursue. But just a few years ago, he was living in Chivasso, 30 km from Turin, in social housing with his two Senegalese parents. He signed up for two films and a documentary on climate change, a complete revolution compared to life then. “I grew up in Italy, I went to Italian school, I spoke Italian, I had Italian friends. I was already Italian before they officially recognized it. If you grow up in a place, you belong there. It is not the others who have to tell you who you are,” says Lame.
Those who wait
But not everyone is lucky: “Too many people are still waiting. I was lucky enough to get citizenship. It's not fair that many children can't do it.” For him, it all started with his parents' trip to look for work in Italy, a choice that brought him to where he is today: “I know I owe them everything,” admits Lame, who with the first money he bought a house near Milan from his mother. My mind is now focused on studies and this dream of “winning an Oscar.”
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