Is Joe Bastianich Italian All he talks about is his Italian Heritage when you look him up he has two Croatian Parents?

If you research the area of present day Croatia where his mother (Lidia Bastianich of PBS Cooking Shows) was born, you'll find it's a portion of Europe that has changed hand quite often. It has been part of Austria, Italy, and Croatia. Joe was born in the United States, but both his parents and his grandparents all identify themselves with Italian heritage. The Croatian situation was a political change. The habits and language and culture of the area is still Italian.

His parents are ethnic Italians from the Istria region, now in Croatia. The "ich" ending of their last name, an added suffix, is part of their Yugoslav connection. But they're a fully Italian family.