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.