Blog 7: What and who is Italian?

When coming to Italy, I did not know much about the culture, government or values. I had always thought of Italy as a country as developed and elite as Germany, United Kingdom or France. After spending two months in Rome, I have been able to grasp a greater understanding about Italy, in particular what it truly means to be Italian. In class, we have focused on the topics of education, immigration and religion to better understand this issue of Italian identity. It did not take long to discover that Italians are very selective in who they consider an Italian. From looking at a variety of different topics of identity in these past few weeks as well as my experiences living here in Rome, I have found that Italians do not have open arms to any idea of a changing society. This can be seen through looking into youth and education, the South and North divide, the Jewish presence in Rome as well as my own experiences.

            The Italians are very prideful in preserving and honoring those who are “true” Italians. This idea can be seen when looking at the education system in Italy. Education is not something that is given equally to all who are in Italy, but instead depends on your identity. As out guest speakers Fedelicia Bianchi and Anna Onorati brought up in their lecture on January 25^th, the Italian government has made it difficult for those in Italy who are not born here to receive equal rights to education. This can be seen in Gelmini’s new law in 2009 that made it so that Italian schools cannot exceed 30% foreign students of the total number of students in the class. As Bianchi and Onorati pointed out, this makes it very difficult for young immigrants to receive the education they need to become successful in Italy. Italy’s immigrant youth are forced to spend long hours commuting to schools far away in order to adhere to Gelmini’s 30% rule when a perfectly good school is much closer. This time spent commuting long distances takes away from the children’s time in the classroom, time studying as well as time with their family. Through looking at this new law set up by the Italian government, it becomes evident of Italy’s belief in secluding those who do not fit the Italian mold. In addition, this law further distinguishes what makes an Italian by outlining how those who are not born in Italy are not truly Italian and therefore can not get the same educational treatment.

            By looking into the arguments over the division of North/South Italy further solidifies what defines an Italian even within the country. The northern part of Italy sees the south as a major problem “incapable of pursuing modern and dynamic objective” as discussed in Gabriella Gribaudi’s Images of the South. This idea further expands on the definition of who is truly “Italian.” In the North’s eyes, you are not truly Italian if you are from the South. This idea can also be seen in Amara Lakhous’ book Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio. In his book, one of the characters named Antonio Marini from Milan spoke of his hatred towards those in the South. In Antonio’s eyes, those from the South are not true Italians. Overall, those from the North/South of Italy see each other as completely different people, not sharing unity of their Italian identity. Depending on where you are from determines your identity.

            This idea of defining what makes an Italian is seen when looking at Rome’s history with the Jews living in the city.  In our class tour of the “Jewish Ghetto” we learned how the Jews living in Italy were forced to live in confined space within a small two block area of the city. Conditions were tough since many were forced to live in cramped small rooms and have high security around the premises. According to the reading from the Jewish Social Studies Journal titled, “Narrative Over the Ghetto of Rome,” walls separated Jews from the rest of the population for centuries. This idea of exclusion of others by Italians further enforces the idea that the Italians did not accept people of different races or backgrounds even from early on. In order to be accepted into the Italian society, one must adhere to the cultural practices of Italians whose blood dates back to the start of Italy. In the minds of many, following such a religion as Judaism is not acceptable in terms of being able to call yourself an Italian. Through walking around this area of Rome still termed “Jewish Ghetto” it became evident through the food, location of the Synagogue and talking with the people that this area still had a high percentage of Jews. After learning about this subject, it has made me question whether once the “Jewish ghetto’s” walls were demolished if these negative ideologies towards Jews were still as enforced as they were in the past. Overall through looking at the way Jews were treated by touring the area of Rome’s “Jewish Ghetto,” it is apparent that any differences in cultural practices such as being Jewish were not acceptable in the minds of Italians. Being Jewish is thought of as different and therefore “not Italian.”

            As one can see, the lines of what makes an Italian and what doesn’t are very fuzzy. The only thing that becomes evident through my experiences studying this subject is that Italians make it very difficult for one to truly call themselves an Italian. As discussed through looking at youth and education in Italy, the government plays a role in this definition by making laws that make it more difficult for children not born in Italy to get equal access to an education. Gelmini’s new 30% rule further reinforces how difficult it is to be truly Italian. In addition, through looking at the North and South divide within Italy, it becomes evident that even where one is from within Italy alters one’s identity. Finally, the ideology behind Rome’s “Jewish Ghetto” was examined to further solidify the idea that ones cultural beliefs and background play a role in who can be considered a true Italian. Although I have been able to lay out what makes an Italian and what doesn’t in a few circumstances, overall, there is no clear definition of an Italian.  After my examination in these different fields, it has made me wonder if there is any hope of Italy becoming more accepting of people from other backgrounds and nationalities. 

Multicultural Literature in Contemporary Italy Short Story Responses

“Return”

            Fatima Ahmed’s story titled “Return” was focused around a girls story about traveling back to her home country. She talks of the treacherous journey from the Vietnamese countryside to Cambodia, her homeland. When she was twenty-one she was taken from her homeland of Phnom-Penh to Somalia by her father, “to save our skins.” The violence made it unsafe to stay. She reminisces on saying her goodbyes to the ones she loves in addition to her interactions with local upon her return. Throughout this story, her reflections and memories of her loved country kept resurfacing making her overjoyed to be back.

            In particular, Ahmed speaks of the instance when she returned and had a jug of freshly squeezed sugarcane. She states, “I will never forget that juice, delicious, fragrant and fresh” (pg 32). This love for the food and drink from home is similar to a character described in Amara Lakhous’s book Clash of Civilizations over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio. The character named Parviz had a serious hatred for Italian cooking. He greatly preferred the tastes and spices of his homeland and spoke of them often within the text. Both character’s love of their homeland’s food can be witnessed in each of these texts.

“Give Me Back My Coat”

            This short story entails a very depressing tale about a man so enthralled with the idea of death. He has encountered tough times as far as unemployment and debt and loathes on the fact of ending his life. Sadness and disgust for life are the themes found throughout his short story. He talks about his reasoning behind his thoughts and methods of death. These include such things as taking pills that would not suffice due to the amount of anxiousness he would feel in addition to falling which he feared because he believed that he would uncover the meaning of life mid-fall. In the end of his short story he talks about going out and getting a drink on a cold night. While out his coat, which is one of his very few last meaningfully possessions, gets stolen. This is when, as he sees it, things couldn’t get any worse.

            In the beginning of this short story, he talks about death. The author states how “Death is the only things that can save me from all of my struggles” (pg 38). This theme of struggle and sadness can also be seen in many of the faces of those I work with at the Refugee center. It is obvious that the people at the refugee center have gone through many rough struggles and display their hardships on their faces and work in solitude at the center. In both of these circumstances, the theme of pain can be seen.

“Light Beer and Peanuts”

            In this short story the idea of finding ones identity is a common theme found throughout. An Indian girl was forced to give up her identity due to her fathers strong beliefs that India was, “a place to be avoided with care, a place to not get to know, to be erased” (pg 46). With no identity found in the ethnicity she found home in, she found it even more difficult to fit in and relate to the Italian society. She constantly straightened her hair and bathed in sun lotion in order to try and fit in. In the end she realized that she is too white while also being too black to ever fit in. There were just too many differences for her to find identity within one culture.

            This story brought up interesting ideas surrounding acceptance within a culture. The author states, “ I wanted a whole population to accept me and put aside its traditions, its dogmas and its castes” (pg 47). This idea of wanting acceptance can also be seen in the want of the Immigrant population to be accepted into Italian society as we have learned in class. In Italy, immigrants are strongly looked at as outsiders and integration into Italian society is unheard of. This similar idea of wanting to be accepted into a culture can be found in both circumstances.

“The B-Line”

            This short piece was rich in metaphors talking about borders the strife of language. This theme of language can be witness throughout by looking at the language of the musician, the wordless exit as well as the reference to their native language being, “the boat that ferries my thoughts” (pg 54). Words, as seen in this piece, are an important factor to any society. This is evident in our discussions in class about what really makes up an Italian. This topic of conversation can never go too far without the issue of one’s language being an integral part. It is the basis for understanding ones roots or if someone fits in. In the end, language is the key to ones identity and Italy is no exception.

“The Beggar”

            This is a story about an old blind man who spends his time begging in front of a church asking for words. He is a poet who is in search of the words to fill his poems. Such words as “family,” “glory,” and “unconstitutionally” were some of the words he would receive in his box. The meaning I took from this short story entailed the importance of words in life. In addition, it is important to understand that every person has their own experiences and their own “words” to share and teach with others. In this the language and diction one choses is a representation of one’s identity. This idea of linking one’s identity to their language stems from many of our discussions in class. Based on one’s diction, it becomes apparent of where a person is from, their background to an extent and their lifestyle. This can be seen when we studied the North and South divide in Italy. We talked about how there were differences in the language between North and South that divided the country. Similar to how in this story one’s word they give to the blind man symbolizes who they are, one’s diction and way of talking signals to others information about themselves.

My Own Interpretation...

In my piece that we created in class, I depicted the separation of ideas and the confusion that comes along not having a sense of home. This idea is drawn from the “Light Beer and Peanuts” piece in the Multicultural Literature in Contemporary Italy. On one side of the separation there is Italy while on the other there is India. The main themes of the short story can be depicted in the bold words “Anger,” “Family” and “Borders.” The overlying theme in this piece is the questioning of one’s identity as the main character is doing in the story. Confusion circulates her identity which therefore explains its’ location within the question mark. Quotes are drawn to depict each setting and written on each of their respective sides. All of this helps depict the idea of confusion of one’s identity that can be seen in the “Light Beer and Peanuts” short story.

Blog 6: Exploring Rione Trevi

            Even after living in Rome for almost two months, I do not know much about the rione Trevi. All I know is that this area is home to one of the top tourist attractions, the Trevi Fountain. One goes there to take a picture, throw a coin in the fountain and then moves on. For this assignment, it was enjoyable to be able to go back to explore and to interact with the people of this area instead of just going to see the fountain. My initial impressions as well as my experiences in the interviews with the people of this area helped shape my views of the Rione Trevi. Before further exploring the Rione Trevi I was faced with many questions. I wondered what beyond the fountain the Rione Trevi offered? In addition, I was curious to know who the residents of the Rione Trevi were since from my first visit, all I could really pick up on were the large amount of tourists.

When Marson and I visited our rione, we were able to really dive into the area and get a better understanding of the environment. We decided to head to the area around the Trevi fountain and explore from there. Of course we chose the one day when it was torrentially pouring rain the entire time. This led for probably a skewed view of the area. The streets and shops were mainly empty and tourists were hiding out inside. Instead of taking in the surroundings on my walk there, I found myself with my head down trying to avoid the monstrous puddles that were becoming good friends with my socks. I did notice that as we neared the Trevi fountain, more and more shops were becoming tourist oriented. There were souvenir shops galore, gelato stands at every corner and English menus waiting outside every restaurant. Once at the Trevi fountain, street vendors worked hard to catch your eye to sell you umbrellas and toys. This particular area was very tourist oriented but once we wandered back a few streets the area looked vary familiar to the neighborhood where we live. Small jewelry shops, clothing shops and bakeries were on every block.

Through talking with others we were able to get other’s perspectives on the rione Trevi. We first set out to speak with a resident of the Rione Trevi in order to get to know the area better. After wandering around awhile, we found ourselves at a gelato store around the corner from the trevi fountain. Here we spoke with an Albanian female whose store served as the perfect hide out from the pouring rain outside. She had immigrated to Italy from Albania ten years ago and was a student here studying international relations. She spoke of the high population of immigrant workers in the area due to the low pay they will take compared to Italians. We thought it was fitting that the person we decided to interview fit well with our program’s ideas since she was an immigrant youth. When we asked her about the neighborhood she talked about how the Trevi area was mainly focused around the tourists and the fountain. There were many commercial buildings most of which were very tourist oriented. Tourism and the fountain are very important aspects to this area since they bring in a lot of money. The fountain draws the tourists in and the stores, restaurants and gelato stands reek the benefits through making dents in these tourist’s pockets. Due to the rione Trevi’s location in the historic part of town, living there is very expensive. Many who worked in the Rione Tevi lived outside and commuted to work. We then shifted to talking about her views on the rione Trevi. Overall, she really liked the area due to the character of the buildings and the location in the city. I found myself wondering if others in this area had similar impressions of the rione Trevi.

The next people we talked with were a Swedish couple visiting Rome for the first time. They were only in Rome for four days and were hitting all the top sites on their visit. The only reason for their visit to the rione Trevi was to check out the fountain. They didn’t know anything more about the area other than the fountain. When asked about their initial impressions on the rione Trevi, they mentioned how the weather had definitely made an impact. Instead of really being able to enjoy the sites on their walk from the pantheon, they were rushed and trying to avoid getting drenched. The husband stated how once he rounded the corner and got a view of the fountain, that he was surprised by the sheer size of the fountain. They said that overall they liked the area and if given more time in Rome, they wouldn’t mind spending more time exploring the area. Since many don’t really explore the rione Trevi other than the fountain, I think it would be interesting for tourists to try and escape the tourist traps around the fountain and explore more of the surrounding area. Hopefully tour books will include insights on exploring more of the area around the Trevi fountain since there are a lot of cute shops and beautiful buildings with a lot of character.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed my experience exploring the rione Trevi. It was great to go back to this area that I don’t really get the chance to go to other than visiting the fountain. Talking with both people that were familiar with the area and those who were just passing through was interesting to get their differing viewpoints on the region. It is a gorgeous area that never really gets explored other than the immediate area around the fountain. After leaving the rione this time I was only left with more questions. Why was this area filled with wealth? How much money does tourism bring into the rione? Where are some of the resident’s favorite places to spend their time in the rione since they are hard to spot in the region directly surrounding the Trevi fountain? In order to find answers to these questions I will need to return to the area and speak with more knowledgeable people as well as do research online.

Response to Intro and Salvation Chapters in Multicultural Reading

The “introduction” and “salvation” chapters of Multicultural Literature in Contemporary Italy by Marie Orton and Graziella Parati made for a very interesting read. Many of the issues followed closely with the topics discussed in this program. The “introduction” segment talked a lot about migrants and in particular those in Italy. There was a lot dealing with the difficulty surrounding one’s identity as an immigrant in Italy. An interesting topic brought up dealt with how literature is the ideal forum for identifying the anxieties around the present and future Italian identity.  The topic of school children was brought up when the example of the text entitled, “Uno su trenon parla italiano ma qui nessuno e straniero” was used to demonstrate how text can be used in the issue of Italian identity. A few weeks ago we looked at similar topics when we were touring and learning about the Italian school system and how immigrant children in schools play a role in the Italian identity.

The second part entitled “salvation,” talked about an immigrant’s ideas and viewpoints on the issue of immigration in Italy. He talked about his cousin’s brother in law that was attempting to immigrate to Italy. He strongly advised against immigrating to Italy. It became obvious in this chapter that this immigrant had strong disgust for Italy and the government that made it hard to be happy living in Italy as an immigrant.  From my experience working in the refugee center and after reading the book Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio, it seems as if this anger and unhappiness as an immigrant in Italy is a common theme. It makes me wonder why so many are choosing to immigrate to Italy if there are so many unhappy immigrants. As stated in this chapter, the government likes the immigrants due to their aid with taxes so why doesn’t the government devise plans to make coming to Italy as an immigrant a more inviting experience?

Blog 5: Trip to Naples

            Upon hearing we were going to Naples as a part of our program, I was overcome with a mix of emotions. On one hand, there was my friend Gianmarco who is Italian and grew up in Naples. He does nothing but rave about his town. From the beautiful scenery to the outstanding food, he claims it is the best area in Italy. My mother, on the other hand, described Naples in a different light. She talked about her visit many years ago and the disgust she felt about the city. My mother described the setting of Naples as being a place no one would ever want to visit. She depicted it as dirty, unsafe and filled of unfriendly people. Her impression followed the lines of many of the stereotypes we have learned about in class of the south of Italy.

Prior to my arrival into Naples, I tried to keep an open mind by not labeling the city with either of their depictions. Our reading by Gabriella Gribaudi titled, “Images of the South” helped to alleviate the negative portrayal of Naples. She states, “It is a place of the soul and an emblem of the evil which occurs everywhere, but which in Italy has been an emblem of the evil which occurs everywhere, but which in Italy has been embodied in just one part of the nation’s territory” (page 73) By reading this before our arrival, it made it seem almost as if Naples was just labeled with these negative stereotypes and was maybe not as evil as a place as my mom had made it sound. I did however not let my guard down and decided to keep a heightened level of awareness of my surroundings in order to stay on the safer side. I tried to take in as much as possible to try and better understand these stereotypes as well as the fear in many tourists when visiting this city of the south.

As the train arrived I was instantly confronted with a major difference from the Rome I now know and other Italian cities I have become familiar with of the north. The skyline was dotted with high rises, modern buildings, and monstrous apartment buildings. Walking from the train station to our hostel I was able to see a trend in the architecture of the buildings, street shops and people that fed into my initial impressions of Naples. Things tended to be more modern, less colorful and the streets were less full of life compared to the Rome I am now familiar with. The area where I live in Rome is filled with small winding streets that are often bustling with people doing errands and window-shopping. Buildings are painted brightly and offer a more inviting atmosphere. In Naples, construction and plainly painted buildings filled the empty streets. I often wondered while wondering in this area why Naples was constructed in this manner. Was it because the culture of Naples did not value the architecture and vibrant life of buildings like those in Rome?

Even after keeping an open mind when in Naples and the south, I was able to see why people were labeling Naples with such a negative vibe. The amount of trash that was often in the streets and the experiences with the children at the Roma camp as well as Jenny’s mugging all tended to strengthen the stereotypes we had learned and heard about. Usually when I visit a city, I enjoy wandering the streets, especially after dinners to really get an understanding of the culture and atmosphere of where I am. Instead in Naples, I did not feel safe to even leave the hostel. Thinking back to Gribaudi’s words in her writing, it is important to understand that Naples does have crime that also exists in other regions of the world. Although, from my experiences during my visit, the stereotypes and fear that often come along with any discussion of Naples were only reinforced.

Maybe areas such as the ones I describe in Naples do exist in the north. From my experiences exploring the area I have gotten to know in Rome directly around the Campo di Fiori, there are vast differences from what I saw in Naples. It was hard to find the piles of trash and empty dark streets anywhere in Rome. In certain parts of Rome, specifically around Termini, I could find similarities as far as the bland architecture and less friendly atmosphere but nothing as vast and widespread throughout the city as Naples. Even as Charles Richards describes in his piece The New Italians, “Naples is a third world city” (pg 103). From these descriptions, my belief that Naples is unlike those cities from the north is reinforced.

Through my time spent exploring Naples, I began to feel as if I was an outsider. Being a middle class American student, I felt as if I did not belong. In Rome it is common to see school groups exploring the area, where in Naples I did not see anyone my age roaming the streets. Although I tried to dress casually in attempts of not standing out, it was obvious that I did not belong on the streets of Naples. I could even notice a difference in the way our tour guide Alex dressed in Naples compared to in Rome. When he visited Rome to meet our class, he was professionally dressed and it was apparent that he was of a higher status. When we met up with him on the streets of Naples, it was hard to even recognize him. He was wearing a full length jacket and scruffy hat which was a stark difference. It was obvious that I did not know how to dress to fit into the Napoleon society. In the end, I did not get the feeling that blended into the society in Naples. I began to get a better understanding of how immigrants must feel upon arriving to a new country as we had studied in class. This feeling of being an outcast and an outsider are similar feelings both immigrants and myself face.

On the other hand, I was able to see Gianmarco’s viewpoint on Naples. The city was filled with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean, outstanding cuisine, and impressive sights of mount Vesuvius from most parts of town. I believe that Gianmarco and our tour guide Alex, who are passionate about their love for their city, are able to look past the grunge and danger in the area and see Naples for it’s beauty. They grew up in the area and have the knowledge of who and where to avoid in order to avoid this danger. Visitors, who are often responsible for creating these negative stereotypes during their visits, stand out and are often targets of crime. It would be interesting to note changes in the stereotype of Naples if the city were to take a stand to clean up the trash and minimize the violence.

In the end, vast differences in style, people and architecture compared to Rome set up for an experience that definitely opened my eyes to seeing part of Italy not like the stereotypical Italian towns everyone seems to know so well. Although I would not be dying to return to Naples, I was able to appreciate its beauty, cuisine and different culture and architecture. Even with trying to keep and open mind during my visit, I was only able to have these stereotypes and fear reinforced. Although Naples wouldn’t be on my top list of places to visit, I am glad I went for the experience. Like in any city, there are both good and bad things yet in Naples I found that the bad did tend to outweigh the good.