The family is moving to Italy because they are tired of living in the USA.

CNN - As dozens of Italian cities sell old houses cheaply, foreigners rushing to grab one often seek a sunny rainbow, a place for relaxation, or simply a chance to live their Italian dream. But one American family did it to start a new life far from the United States.

In 2019, the Dawkins family - Nadina, 59, her husband Kim, 61, and their children Lorenzo, 29, and Deney, 27 - bought a charming house in the town of Latronico.

This small town with 4,000 residents is located in the pristine Pollino National Park and is surrounded by hot springs. They were excited after reading a CNN article about the initiative in Latronico to sell affordable homes that are already livable, rather than ruins for one euro or a little more than a dollar. The town announces available properties on a special website.

Nadina Dawkins, who was at home in El Paso, Texas at the time, a former soldier and businesswoman, felt the call of her heritage.

Her great-grandmother was Italian and came to America in the 19th century. "After listening to my nonna's stories, I always felt a connection to Italy," she tells CNN. "As a soldier in that area many years ago, I vowed to return. Years later, my husband and I brought our children to see where they come from." Her Italian ancestor took an American name when he arrived in America: Clint Jeffrey. Nadina doesn't know much about her great-grandmother Lucinda, who was a slave on a plantation in Arkansas when Jeffrey "bought her and lived the rest of his days with her," as she puts it. "Unfortunately, I don't have any additional information about Lucinda. All I know is that she was a slave, and he bought her. My grandmother and great-grandmother never told me anything more about her. I believe it was because of such horrific crimes as slavery, and the memories of it, that they had for them; because, of course, being born in the 19th century and early 20th century was a tough time for all Black people in America."

Nadine and Kim Dawkins are planning to move to Italy.

The family decided to leave the USA in 2020, after the murder of George Floyd. "It showed the world how we, Black people in America, have been treated for centuries," says Nadina.

Their move follows Nadine's 30-year career in the military, while Kim Dawkins works for the U.S. government.

The family will soon move to Panama before taking the final step across the Atlantic to Latronico. Nadina doesn't know exactly where her ancestor came from, but buying one of the cheap houses in Latronico seemed like a good way to reconnect with her roots.

• Nadina:“I was in the middle of the night during COVID, with a lot of time to read, when I came across a CNN article,” she recalls. “We immediately emailed Deputy Mayor Vincenzo Castellano and looked at properties online. We didn’t expect it—he got back to us the very next day. We set up a video call, and he sent us a video of the house we chose. That sealed our fate: we bought the house without seeing it in person, without visiting Italy,” she remembers.
• Kim:“Vincenzo's team made everything very easy,” she says. “I trust them with my life and call them ‘my nephews.’ If any problems arise, I can rely on them.”

The family hired Castellano as their property manager. Doing all of this alone would have been difficult. "I saw the problems I would face on my own - for example, the language barrier. They acted as a spearhead." Nadina plans to actively implement a language exchange, teaching local young people English as soon as they move to Latronico, and intends to help draw attention to the village.