Reflection 1

 The introduction of the book “Multicultural Literature in Contemporary Italy” offers some very intriguing points of view regarding immigration. The author discussed the idea of learning a new language every day and that people are in constant migration – a migration that is specific to none, but one we all share. In order to understand the struggles of people in which one shares a world, literature must be written to tell the story. In Italy, specific literature written by migrants is a crucial aspect of understanding of Italian contemporary literature. Hearing the voices of immigrants tell their stories through literature is vital in changing stereotypes and social constructs held by many Italians.

“Salvation” begins with a lot of anxiety, then calmness, then back to anxiety. This guy just cannot seem to catch a break. First he is making a call and nearly wetting his pants then arriving home and feeling as though he would suffocate at any second if the window were not opened immediately to let in fresh air. I am amused by his feelings towards cell phones. I understand where he is coming from when he says the world has become a 'total cell-land.' People have become so dependent on their cell phones that if they were all taken away people would not know what to do with themselves! He talks about going into the police station to renew his paperwork and receiving unwarranted disrespect from the officers there every single time, 'like he had just arrived.' Things like this are something people like you and I will never experience and cannot fully understand because of the privilege we have as Americans. Every day I realize more and more how hard life really is for many immigrants all over the world.

Assignment 5

 When I arrived in Rome I was terrified. I was terrified before I even got on the plane! However, my fears began to subside as my taxi passed the Colosseum and I made my way to Compo de Fiori. I knew very little about Italy before I left the states – which I feel was a main factor in why I experienced so much fear in coming here. I knew the food would be excellent, I knew to say ciao and I hoped the people were friendly.  

Honestly, when I was in the taxi coming from the airport I was no impressed with what I saw. However, after learning about Italy I realize that I felt this way because of the socially constructed ideals of what Italy is supposed to be like. The media shows Italy as a flawless land with rolling hills covered with vineyards, beautiful plantation homes and gorgeous little farms. In fact, that is Tuscany, not Rome. I was not prepared to see factories and industry; yet, after living here I find what I see on the outskirts of Rome to be beautiful. This image that I had when I arrived in Rome is a stereotype developed by Hollywood that I have been fed through movies and television my entire life. This stereotype, unlike many others, is not offensive or painful, but proves to show that stereotypes are taught to you in ways you don't even notice. 

 

When I arrived in the Compo I was taken aback by the view of the dome from the forth floor window outside the Rome Center office. I thought, “wow. I am really in Italy!” The next day class started, I made friends and we began taking random excursions around the city each day after class. The first thing that truly stopped me in my tracks was Palazzo Venezia. To me, this is the Gates of Rome. This gigantic, breathtaking, white building is my point of reference and (other than narrow cobblestone streets with cars trying to squeeze down them) one of the first things I see in my mind when I think of Rome. 
 

The Napoli skyline was different than that of Rome. When we arrived on the train one of the first things I noticed were the high rises in the city. In Rome the skyline is riddles with the tops of churches and tan-colored marble. In Napoli, it all just seemed a bit “darker.” There was great beauty in Napoli, just a different type of beauty than what is seen in Rome.

Before I left the states, people would ask me about my program – where we were going to travel, what we would study and so on. Every time I told someone I was going to Napoli their reaction was the same: 'oh no! Don't go there! People are rude and mean and you'll definitely get robbed.' When I asked Italians about Napoli I received the same reaction. 

 

In class Alex told us about the trash problem, which made me think it was going to be extremely gross. In fact, I did not think the trash was that bad. I am sure we didn't see the worst of it but away from the amount of trash near the Roma camp, in the streets it was not nearly as horrendous as I had imagined. However, in class Alex told us about why the trash problem is so bad. He said that “the problem was so severe because they have nowhere to take all of it.” If I did not know this was the cause of the problem, I may have gone to Napoli and thought “ugh, southern Italians are so dirty, they must enjoy living in garbage.” This is how stereotypes get started. This experience has reinforced to me the importance of learning about a person or a place before meeting them or traveling there so that any stereotypes that can be made or that have been established do not continue to grow. Ignorance leads to the spread and development of stereotypes.

One of the first things I noticed about Napoli was the difference in people. Living in Rome, I feel, is not quite 'real life.' Many of the people we see in the Compo and around the city's center do not live in this part of town and are most likely here shopping or working during the day. In Naples, things were very different, especially in the part of town where Alex took us. You could tell that people were living their daily lives and not just dressed up to go on a fancy shopping trip. The way people dressed and acted, to me, seemed more realistic in a way. I really enjoyed this. I thought Napoli was extremely beautiful, especially on the water.

Our tour guide, Alex, was from Napoli and very proud of his heritage. He had not been in Napoli all his life but identified with the city and its culture more than anywhere he had lived before. He was proud of where he lived and shared an attitude similar to that of Gianmarco – both individuals are able to look past the stereotypes, know good parts of town from bad, and enjoy Napoli for its culture and beauty. 

 

Every city comes with its stereotypes, Napoli just seems to have some that instill strong fear into tourists. In my opinion, Napoli is just as dangerous as Rome, New York, Seattle, or any large city. Yet, since Americans are often targets for robbery, many of the negative stereotypes about the city are reinforced by what happens to them or their friends while visiting Southern Italy. 

 

One of the first articles we read this quarter was about the North and South divide in Italy. I began asking Italians who I met at bars and restaurants about these stereotypes of the South and everything they said went right along with the article. They would say that Southern Italians are dirty, rude, speak a weird dialect, they steal, and are just unacceptable people. I am not sure how such stereotypes originated. Possibly from industrial growth and strong influence of Milan and other large cities in the North. 

 

This experience has taught me to keep a very open mind about traveling to new places and meeting the local people who live there. There are stereotypes about nearly every place in the world but the important thing is to become knowledgeable about what is fact and what is false about a place before going so you do not hurt yourself or anyone else. It is very important to have such knowledge in order to not carry on the spread of negative stereotypes. I wish I could explain why certain stereotypes exist but I cannot. The stereotypes of Napoli and Neapolitans I believe are from very long ago when the North and South divide began. Long before any of us were even born. Now all we can do is work towards spreading truth about the region.

I am thankful that I was not affected by everything I head about Napoli before traveling there. Despite any bad that happened in Napoli, my time there was very good and I truly enjoyed being there. I feel very lucky that I got the opportunity to travel to Southern Italy.

assignment 3

Assignment 3

Piazza Vittorio is a very different part of town that what we are used to. We have been spending the large majority of our time in or near the Campo di' Fiori, which is full of nice shops and white people. Here, there is very little diversity and VERY few restaurants of any type other than Italian. In Piazza Vittorio, there were restaurants of all kinds! There was Indian food, Asian food, and so on. There were also all kinds of shops selling traditional goods and clothing. 

The large majority of the venders at the market were from Bangladesh, Africa, and the Middle East. Anthony and I immediately began walking around and trying to talk to people. I bought some beans and vegetables and tried talking the a few venders. My first couple tries were pretty unsuccessful. Many of the men did not speak english and if they did speak a little, did not understand what I was asking or why. 

Finally we found two men to talk to us. One was from Egypt and the other from Bangladesh. The man from Egypt was in his late 20s and the man from Bangladesh was in his early 30s. The man from Eqypt had been living in Italy for 4 years and the man from Bangladesh for 6 years. They had been working as butchers in the market for almost as long as they had been in the country. The man from Egypt told us that he came here with his family and did not like it in Italy as much as he liked living in Egypt. He said it was just different there, better. The man from Bangladesh came here on his own and hopes to make a lot of money over the next year and by this time 2012 move to America. A lot of what these men told us go along with what we have been learning in class.

The local Italian we spoke with was a 22 year old female student from the university down the street from the market. She said she lived with her parents near the piazza vittorio. Anthony and I were surprised to hear from her that she and her family were very open to immigration and really enjoy living in this particular part of town. She said that she understands why some Italians are against immigration, but her herself does not see the point of so much anger and hostility. This opinion was a first for us to hear. I have talked to other Italians near the Rome Center and the responses have been very different. Anthony and I agree that it may be a possibility that she held some of her negative thoughts back from us about immigration, but in all honesty, she seemed like she meant what she said. Another way of looking at it is that she may had not known about the current controversy surrounding immigration.

This assignment was excellent. We were put in an area of town that we had not been to before and were able to explore and push our boundaries. We talked to a lot of interesting people and got to see into the lives of others who are not 'city people' living in Rome.

Assignment 2

Assignment 2

 

There are many factors shaping Italian identity, yet, identity is socially constructed and ever-changing and therefore hard to pinpoint. People are shaped by their environment. Here in Italy, the environment is strongly influenced by the church, immigration, northern/southern ties, food, and language.

Before coming to Italy I imagined red and white table cloths on tiny tables with a pizza and a bottle of wine. I knew nothing of immigration disputes or issues between the North and South. I knew of Jersey Shore and even though it sounds crazy, I was not completely sure how true or untrue the behavior of these “Italians” was! I had seen “A Walk in the Clouds” and knew of romantic tuscany and that people who come to Italy fall in love and make wishes in fountains. And when I heard we were going to Naples, I thought 'uh oh! Thats where the Mafia lives!' American media has an affect on nearly every country in the world – applying stereotypes, misinformation, and sometimes even fear. I asked Carlo, from ArciGay, about how Italians feel about shows like 'Jersey Shore' and he said that it is very controversial in Italy and the majority here does not really understand it. 

Immigration is another very strong sociocultural force shaping identity in Rome and Italy. A major player affecting immigration reform is Sivlio Berlusconi, Italian prime minister, and is extremely right wing. He refuses to reform immigration policy and as of now, the policy is extremely unjust and I a way, almost makes it ok to discriminate against immigrants/refugees/foreign-born italians/etc. The current laws and requirements of being “Italian,” I feel, are a very strong force shaping Italy identity. In their lecture, the G2 representatives discussed how hard it is to be an immigrant in Italy. Even if you have lived here since you were 3 years old, many do not see you as Italian. One on the men, from Buenos Aires, told us that to this day he still gets comments on how good his Italian is, even though he has live here his entire life.

My eyes were not truly opened to how closed off Italians are to immigration until Isabella came to talk to us about the Roma. The Roma, just like all other immigrants are seen as the “other.” The Roma are from all over Europe; some are born in Italy, some are not, but none of them are seen as real Italians. Because of this and because of their “crazy language,” they have been placed in camps far away from civilization. Will this happen to everyone else who does not speak the language or is socially different than true Italians? 

Italy has a deep, complicated history involving the North and South, ancient Rome and the church. Unlike anything I could ever truly understand (being from America, a fairly new country), Margaret Brucia taught us about the Italians' very deep roots involving Gods, war, and culture. Italians are taught about their ancestors and are expected to keep traditions and language alive. These teachings are very important, but often confuse people into thinking that anything or anyone challenging the church or old Italian traditions by bringing new traditions, religion, or language into Italy – must be stopped immediately. The Vatican is a very physical force in Italy that shapes national identity. In the year 2011 there are many outside influences affecting Italians, primarily Italian youth, that go against the church. Birth control and ArciGay are two examples of such forces. The members of ArciGay talked with us about gay rights in Italy and that there basically are not any. This was shocking. Carlo, from ArciGay, also talked to me about birth control and that some people do use it in Italy but it is very hard to get and severely frowned upon.

Tourism is another factor shaping Italian identity. I have heard from local Italians that Rome is truly Italian and that Rome is not truly Italian. One person I talked to from ArciGay said that Rome is just a tourist town that sells gelato in the winter months and true Italians do not eat gelato when it is cold. But on the other hand, someone else on the same night told me that Rome is one of the best places to find real Italian food. 

Finally, who are the “true Italians?” Well, that depends on who you are asking. According to the government, true Italians are those who are born to Italian parents are have Italian blood running through their veins. If you ask an immigrant who moved here when they were 4 years old, they will say that they are a true Italian. There is not real way to say who is a true Italian and who is not because like America, for example, Italy has become a mecca of immigration and diversity and it is only going to keep growing.

Assignment 1

Assignment 1

My general impression of Italy thus far is based on what I have observed and learned about Italian tradition and lifestyle. Before coming to Italy, I imagined a community completely different than my own; however, what I have realized is that, generally speaking, we are all the same. The most prominent differences that have come to my attention revolve around lifestyle and diversity of the people in Rome. On the streets in Seattle you can observe people from ten or more nationalities just by walking down the ave. In Rome I have noticed that the demographic is predominantly white (even more so than in Seattle) and the immigrants can be seen doing specific jobs only, not just strolling around. Also, in regards to demographic, I have seen no same-sex couples and very few children and teenagers. Another very different part of Italian living is the way they eat. Italians eat on the go whereas Americans usually sit down for a meal, even if its a quick one. As for the long dinners, which I really enjoy, gives me a feeling of home because we usually sit at the table for a few hours talking and enjoying one another.

As far as youth in Rome, I have yet to have any direct interaction with them yet, I have made a few observations. One aspect of Italian life that is very prominent and visible is fashion. The younger people (teenagers) seem to dress more like a mash-up of skaters/hip-hop/pop trends with flashy sneakers and sometimes baggier jeans and extravagant hair styles. However, the young adults (early to mid 20s) dress more sophisticated but sexy, very GQ if you will. And the same goes for the older demographic. The men and women dress very nicely and are very well put together and are are in a way another step higher in fashion than their 20-something counterparts. I find it very interesting. It is almost like there is a ladder. This ladder shows social status, wealth, and wisdom.

In Seattle, unless you are a professional who must dress proper for work, many adults loose interest in fashion or for many other reasons do not keep up with the latest trends. Fashion in America is primarily followed by youth, 20-somethings, or the wealthy.

Assignment 4

Learning about the system of education in Italy has been extremely informative and surprising. Some aspects of the structure here in Italy are conducive to the future of young Italians while others are not. The most predominant factors influencing the position of doorways for people living in Italy in regards to education are immigrant/refugee/citizenship status, age, income and cultural expectations.

For immigrants, there are some doors open in Italy that are not open in America, particularly in regards to education. In Italy, students pay tuition based on their income. Immigrants with low income, pay little money. This money is still hard to come by even though it is not very much.

In America, access to and availability of government aid and scholarships is definitely a door we have wide open that is closed in Italy. Stephanie explained to me that scholarships are available but are not easy to get. In America, if one wants to go to college and has the determination to find funding for their education, it is out there for them and they will succeed. In Italy, as an immigrant for example, if college is their dream, it will be a tough road ahead because if money. As I previously stated, tuition is based on ones income – the income that must pay for rent and food as well as education. This is why many have to work while attending college and therefore take many years to graduate. This is also why many do not finish college – working is more important for survival and in order to build a family.

In Italy, a door that is open in regards to the workforce is the option given to high school students to being vocational school before they are done with high school. This also happens in some American schools but is uncommon. In Italy, students finish high school with skills allowing them to immediately join the workforce. This is a very good method for people who do not plan to pursue college. In America, this option is not always available. As a result, youth who do not plan to attend college still must go to a tech school or vocational program AFTER high school graduation, therefore, setting them back two years or so when they cold have been working already. Another point, vocational school in Italy is paid for by the government, as it would be in high schools in America (public schools).

In Italy, certain doors for immigrants are definitely closed. When young immigrant children move to Italy there are very few options for them to learn Italian. They are throw into class with everyone else (native Italians).Anna, from Caritas discussed the fact that ESL classes are only offered in elementary school, if at all, and in high school not at all. Because of this there are very few resources for immigrants coming to Italy as high school students.

In Italy, until 1994, children were not required to attend school. Still this law in not completely enforced. Brenda and some of the others who work at Iqbal Masih say that there are several children who do not attend school for weeks, even months at a time. Some children only come two days a week because of transportation or other reasons. Most of these students are Roma. This is not uncommon to hear because of where many Roma people live and because of their lifestyle. In America, the laws are very different. It is the law that all children are required to attend school. If children are not in school they are deemed truant and the family is investigated.

One thing I find very interesting is that in the Piscane School Chinese classes are taught. In Italy in 1998 a law passed making all languages respected in public schools. These classes, I believe, do not teach language language, but heritage and culture. It is very important for immigrants to build their knowledge of Italy and Italian and life in a new country, but also very important to maintain knowledge of their roots.