February 22nd, 2011 (Tuesday): Today me and the other Iqbal Masih girls (7 total) woke up pretty early to start our morning at our service learning sites. The school is located on the outskirts of Rome and it takes us about an hour on public transit to arrive at our destination. We spend about two hours in designated classroom observing the teacher & children - more specifically their teaching methods & techniques, the special needs children, immigrants, minorities & the native Italian kids. Our main perogative with these service learning visits is to gain a broader understanding of the educational environment of the Italian youth. We are placed in these different service learning locations based on our particular interests, whether it be a local refugee center, a public Italian school (Iqbal Masih), an Italian art gallery, or an Italian gay rights activist group (Archigay).
Today, me & Sha were observing the kids in Simonetta's class (the English language classroom), and the 3rd graders were learning how to read time using illustrations of hand clocks on the black board. In previous service learning visits both Sha and I have participated in class skits where we helped reinact characters in the English language guide book. We have also read outloud to the kids in English, and walked around to individual students asking them simple questions like: What's your name? What's your favorite subject? What's your favorite Italian food? Color? Game? etc. We have also played "shop" with the kids were they come up to us while sitting at a desk and they attempt to order food items in English and then proceed to "pay" for it :) It's super cute & some of the kids are extremely shy but these kinds of interactive games are so helpful in learning the English language. Btw, the are many differences between G.B.'s English vocabulary and America's English vocabulary. For example: they say trousers, we say pants; they say jumper, we say sweater, they put a plural of math (maths) and a singular on sports (sport). I mean, I knew they used interesting terms for swear words and the toilette but i never actually realized how many differences existed until i started observing these classes.
Anyways, I'll usually spend an hour in the English classroom with Sha & Simonetta and then the second hour in 4th grade Paola's classroom (there are many Paola's). This past Tuesday we they were working on fractions & decimals for the first half of the hour, and then they switch to English language for the second half hour. Jenny & I will try communicating with the kids in English and they always have the opportunities to ask us questions about where we're from, what we're studying in Italy, our favorite foods... Some times the little girls will ask if either of us are married or have boyfriends. Haha! Jenny & I will just grin at each other and then respond honestly, (heck) no.
The teachers are all very welcoming, supportive, friendly & helpful and the TA's and "special needs" assistants are also extremely gracious and open to trying to communicate with us (though some are not as fluent as others in English). But we're worse!! My Italian is horrible & my pronunciation is God awful... However, somehow the kids and the teachers are able to understand our chopped up Italian skills (or lack there of) but most of the time we have to resort to English.
We'll usually get to the school aroud 10am (if we're lucky) but most of the time it's 10:15...ish. And then we'll meet up and leave around noon. It's takes us an hour to get back into downtown Rome, and then most days we'll either have class or an afternoon excursion planned from 2-5pm. This past Tuesday we had one of our favorite guest lecturers/ tour guides, Margaret Brucia, a Classics professor at Temple University take us on an afternoon excursion to Tiber Island!
Margaret was the perfect guide for our afternoon excursion seeing as how she wrote her graduate school dissertation on Tiber Island, including the myths and archeology surrounding it. Tiber Island is located in the Tiber River that runs through Rome. The Island is linked to Rome by two ancient bridges, the Ponte Fabricio & the Ponte Cestio. Tiber Island was the location of the ancient temple dedicated to the Greek God of medicine & healing, Aesculapius. This Greek God is identifiable by a snake adorning his 'healing stick' or staff. Margaret showed us where she believed was the exact spot for the Temple of Aesculapius which is now the location of San Bartholomew, the church dedicated to Saint Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. She gave a wonderful tour based on her research, findings, expertise on relatable topics and knowledge of the site.
After this late afternoon tour we made our way back to the Rome Center located in Campo di Fiori for a little break before our scheduled guest lecturer. At 6pm, Dean Ed Taylor took center stage for an incredibly fascinating discussion on Critical Race Theory. Professor Taylor is the Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and specializes the areas surrounding "higher education, policies and programs servicing disenfranchised groups, and the construction of race-based policy". I don't know exactly what that means, but he did come and briefly lecture about CRT (critical race theory). CRT is "an intellectual and politically committed movement in American legal scholarship that studies race, racism and power". Anyone who has taken a theoretical concepts course understands the difficulty in comprehending these theories and then implementing them into our daily lives. He made his lecture personal, interesting, and easy to follow. I appreciate that :)
Finally, following Dean Taylor's lecture and a small reception in his honor, all of my peers, instructors, our guest lecturer, and a few other friends from another UW study abroad program shuffled into our conference room for a surprise birthday celebration for our dear little friend, and fellow study abroad companion, Brenda Martinez. We were celebrating her 21st birthday with cake, balloons, streamers, and, for some, other festivities that lasted well beyond the twilight hours. I, on the other hand, because i'm severely behind on my school work due to a hectic schedule here in Rome and an even more hectic travel schedule on the weekends, decided to hang around the conference room until 1am and do my graffiti poster. Originally, I was supposed to have done this in class this past Monday but missed it because i was exhausted, had a cold, and decided to sleep in until 3pm (a total of 15hrs). It took me nearly 4 hours to complete (because i'm an idiot & an "over-achiever). However, the important thing is that i finished the damn thing & now it's done, with "artist summary" to follow.
I would include a few other details which happened later in the night, after i made my way home, and which i now think back on as "funny" moments that me & my roommates have experienced here in Rome....but they would kill me & it's not school related! So, ciao!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Multicultural Literature in Contemporary Italy: Reflection
Introduction: "It takes time before the pain of leaving one's country transforms itself from a pain as obstacle into a pain as growth. This transformation is a characteristic of life itself and it works for everybody and it affects everybody: every day we have to leave the homeland of our certainties. Everyday we need to learn a new language. We are in constant migration." (Orton, 11). The author of this quote is calling attention to the fact that "migration is not the exclusive experience of a limited number of people". Migration is explained as "change in a multicultural context". Therefore, migration affects the life of every person daily when he/she converses in more than one language, views a foreign film, tours a foreign country, or interacts with people from different cultural backgrounds. Futhermore, It's the literature written by migrants that allows people to catch a glimpse of the experiences, hardships, and tragedies that they have gone through. This literature opens up dialogue between all parties by discussing themes such as exile, displacement, cultural fragmentation, and racism. Narratives, biographies, short stories and essays directly draw on the influences of the authors' life who, in turn, breathes life into the content of their work and thus produces the fruit of all their labours in the manifestation of migrant literature.
Salvation: "the West only wants them for the humblest jobs, those requiring hard labor. They keep the good jobs for their children. I can understand that, as long as they don't come and deprive us of our resources, and as long as those strange nongovernmental organizations don't come and teach us about human rights in our own country and allow those of the 'los tero' to prevail. That would cause of nation to collapse." (Dekhis, 70). The protagonist of this story is explaining the vast similarities between two entirely different countries, those of 1st world nations and 3rd world nations, who are sharing emigrants/immigrants and are entirely dependent on one another for economic stability & resources. In other words, it's the classic master/slave relationship in which neither is the mastor or the slave.
Furthermore, his own story also sheds light on this situation. He himself who is a legal immigrant who has been living in Italy since the 1980's and who is constantly "bothered" by his distant "relatives" who are seeking the same dream he had once had: to "better his life" in a country with endless possibilities. However, his dream was shattered by bittter reality and his life turned more into a living nightmare. Now he is battling both anxiety and depression and is seeking his own salvation from his unemployed status, creditors, government, and relatives. He says to himself: "They had come of age, they were ready to run any risk, but they denied their own history, mired the nation in violence, ruined its economy and erased the distinguishing aspects of its culture... No, no, stay home cousin, at least this unfortunate experience will be a lesson to you that will help you to think more reasonably about the future." (Dekhis, 73). Therefore, he feels as if the lie he told his cousin that ultimately changed his mind in tyring to immigrant to Italy is justified in helping him avoid the same disappointing fate as himself. A fate in which he achieves his only salvation through death.
Salvation: "the West only wants them for the humblest jobs, those requiring hard labor. They keep the good jobs for their children. I can understand that, as long as they don't come and deprive us of our resources, and as long as those strange nongovernmental organizations don't come and teach us about human rights in our own country and allow those of the 'los tero' to prevail. That would cause of nation to collapse." (Dekhis, 70). The protagonist of this story is explaining the vast similarities between two entirely different countries, those of 1st world nations and 3rd world nations, who are sharing emigrants/immigrants and are entirely dependent on one another for economic stability & resources. In other words, it's the classic master/slave relationship in which neither is the mastor or the slave.
Furthermore, his own story also sheds light on this situation. He himself who is a legal immigrant who has been living in Italy since the 1980's and who is constantly "bothered" by his distant "relatives" who are seeking the same dream he had once had: to "better his life" in a country with endless possibilities. However, his dream was shattered by bittter reality and his life turned more into a living nightmare. Now he is battling both anxiety and depression and is seeking his own salvation from his unemployed status, creditors, government, and relatives. He says to himself: "They had come of age, they were ready to run any risk, but they denied their own history, mired the nation in violence, ruined its economy and erased the distinguishing aspects of its culture... No, no, stay home cousin, at least this unfortunate experience will be a lesson to you that will help you to think more reasonably about the future." (Dekhis, 73). Therefore, he feels as if the lie he told his cousin that ultimately changed his mind in tyring to immigrant to Italy is justified in helping him avoid the same disappointing fate as himself. A fate in which he achieves his only salvation through death.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Assignment # 5 - The Naples Experience! Don don don....
Prior to our arrival in Naples I had no preconceived notions about the city or people. By reputation, Naples is notorious for theft and robbery and they are known to usually target tourists but I had heard similar things about Rome. Honestly, I was really just looking forward to experiencing my first authentic Neapolitan pizza, and exploring the unique culture and atmosphere of Naples with everyone from my program.
When we first walked out onto the streets of Naples from the train station, I immediately noticed the differences in architecture from Rome’s. Rome is a deeply historical city in which the Roman’s take pride in their many ancient sites and buildings. Particularly, how it coincides with the ancient Roman culture. You can’t walk down a street in Rome without being aware of the beautiful decorated fountains, many of which were designed by celebrated Renaissance sculptors. And then there several historically significant churches in which many were constructed between the 7th – 13th centuries. However, Rome is primarily known for their famous sites & monuments including the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and many more.
Naples, though also historically rich, is noticeably more modern in their architecture and skyline. Our tour guide, Alex Valentino, who is a native Neapolitan as well as an architect and activist, brought all of us too many of Naples more famous sites and attractions including: the historic centre or Centro Storico where you’ll find Piazza Garibaldi, the city's main walking path in front of the station. Also nearby is Piazza Plebiscito where many beautiful, ancient churches can viewed, including the Sansvero Chapel, a church built in 1590 and adorned with ornate religious decorations. We also visited Naples’ Royal Palace and the Galleria Umberto.
Not only are the Neapolitans more modern in their architectural designs but the native Neapolitans also dress in more urban/ pop culturally influenced clothes. The stores seem to focus their advertisements to a certain demographic: young adults between the ages of 15 – 30. The clothes draped on many of the mannequins were “thuggish”, and shall I say, even, “ghetto”. The mannequin’s usually bore stupidly contorted facial expressions with pursed lips and raised eyebrows which, I’m guessing, were specifically designed to appeal to that age bracket of Neapolitan thugs and gangsters. Even the female mannequins were designed with equally stupid expressions and dressed with “skanky” frocks like higher than thigh high mini-skirts, fish net stalking, belly bearing shirts, puffy metallic jackets, and studded ankle boots. Therefore, the apparel outfitters were definitely aiming for the Neapolitan urban scene, and, from what I observed from the natives, their advertising campaign was successful J
The urban scene that seems to drive Napoli is vastly different from the high end labels that are well known and very popular in Rome. Wealthy Romans, specifically Roman women, are easily noticeable because they like to wear fur coats and other expensive apparel. They also drape themselves with lots of jewellery and dowse themselves in expensive perfume. I’ve noticed this type of Roman on several occasions walking along the Piazza de Spagna (where the Spanish steps are located). That specific area caters to all the famous fashion and jewellery houses including Valentino, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Chanel, Prada, Cartier, Hermes, Swarovski, Louis Vuitton, and many more. Rome, in my opinion, is geared more toward the working professionals and the wealthy because it’s a richer city. There are certain areas of Rome that have more urban influenced clothing shops, markets, and apparel stores but they usually exist on the outskirts of the major metropolitan area. The outskirts of Rome, places like Piazza Vittorio, are where the communities of minorities are commonly located. I think it’s a safe assessment to make that the reason for the change in location for both the kinds and clothing and the prices are based purely on the demographics of people: the wealthy vs. the working class, and the Italians vs. the minorities. Therefore, unlike Rome who sweeps these social-economic roles “underneath the rug” by establishing perimeters around the downtown area that keeps all the ethnically diverse people on the outskirts and in their own communities, Naples doesn’t seem to run their city on the same system. There are slight differences between the Napoli downtown area and the “projects” but not much. Diversity is all around, there isn’t a noticeable class distinction between the two areas and it seems to suit them well. However, this does attribute to a more dangerous atmosphere than Rome, and, like I stated earlier, is probably a major contributor for their notorious reputation of theft and robbery. It’s not a rarity to be pick-pocketed or robbed in Rome but it definitely seems to be more common in Naples and even happened to a girl in our program on our last day there.
Naples struggles many stereotypes that are plaguing their reputation. For instance, the streets are dirty with noticeable grime around some of the buildings and sidewalks. However, considering the sheer size of Naples, and also being an incredibly busy port city, it’s is somewhat understandable the difficulty in maintaining the overall cleanliness of the city. But, it appears as if the streets are full of trash that the trash workers are failing to collect due to the strikes. It has been an on-going issue in Naples that the sanitation workers would refuse to collect trash while negotiating for better wages, hence the strike. Although it is known that these strikes primarily affected suburban areas – tourist centres are now experiencing the consequences. Another stereotype is that Naples is a “crime centre”, and from what the people in my program experienced based on our visit, this would be true. It is universally known that Naples has a larger problem with organized crime. The city has entities that are controlled by the Italian mafia, but those aren’t something you’d ever notice as a tourist. However, there is a high risk of purse snatching and jewellery theft in the city. And, as I stated earlier, a girl from my program experienced this first-hand…unfortunately.
So, although Naples and Rome are two equally important, culturally and historically rich cities in Italy, perhaps Naples is just personified as a grittier and more dangerous location because their isn’t such a noticeable social-economic divide that separates the have’s from the have’s not’s. They are all inhabiting the same area and they are all sustaining themselves the best way they know how, to whatever means necessary.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Verona, Naples, the Amalfi Coast & Pompeii!
Hello luvs,
Sorry it's been a while since i've last posted a "personal blog". Shit's been hectic & crazy ;) Anywho, 2 weekends ago me and a couple of friends from the program spent 2 days in Verona, aka "the city of Shakespearean love". It was very picturesque and lovely but incredibly small and best utilized as a day trip. Furthermore, we made the mistake of turning it into a long weekend, and even more frustrating, our hostel was a 20 minute bus ride to the outskirts of town... wah wah. Nonetheless, we had a great time and saw many beautiful museums, churches, and other architectural fetes including: Casa di Guilietta (Juliet's house from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet) where we got to touch her right bronze-y breast and make a wish, Castelvecchio & the Ponte Scaligero (amazing medieval castle turned museum and connecting medieval bridge), the archeological museum and roman theatre, the arena, and some fantastic churches. We had every intention of visiting a few more tourist attractions but got stranded out by our hostel for over two hours on our way back into Downtown (because public transit is pretty much non-existent on Sundays), and ended up getting a taxi back to Verona's airport where we literally chilled for almost 5 hrs until we were ready to board our flight back to Rome... So, all in all, not a very great way to end our trip but still a great experience and now i can make suggestions about what to avoid when visiting the historic city ;)
Last Thursday our entire program made our way towards the southern belt of Italy...Naples :) Or Napoli in Italian. This interesting city has a notorious reputation for theft and robbery (we heard many frightening stories), and sadly one girl from my program had her purse ripped off of her by some a$$hole on a motorcycle when walking down a street with heavy foot traffic and in a group with 4 other girls! So, this crap happens often and goes to show that Naples lives up to its reputation. Other than that incident, however, we still had a great visit. Our instructors sheduled a two day walking tour with a native Neopolitan and professional guide to show us all the great sights and scenery that can only be found in Naples. We ate, ate, ate like none the other & walked until our feet nearly bled (just kidding...kinda).
After our two days in Naples a group of 7 of us decided to go on a day trip around the Amalfi Coast :) This was absolutely spectacular, and definitely tops the list of things i've experienced so far in Italy. The weather was perfect with sunny & bright blue skies, and around 60 degrees in the middle of the afternoon (which is actually quite warm from what we have been experiencing thus far). We hopped on the SITA bus which took us from the Naples port through the mountains and to our first stop - the coastal town of Amalfi. The views of the coast line and the Gulf of Salerno far exceeded my expectations. The water was a clear turqious blue and the backdrop of the white Mediterranean villas and other architectural buildings that line the Amalfi coast was breathtaking. I honestly couldn't have dreamed of anything more pristine and alluring as Amalfi & Positano (both coastal cities). The last stop of our day trip was on the opposite side of the peninsula - Sorrento. We only stayed there for a few hours but Sorrento lays on the same bay as Naples so we attempted to catch a ferry back but apparently they stop running at 4pm during the winter months...meh :P So we decided to grab some gelato instead and hop on a train :)
Finally, we left bright and early Sunday morning for Pompeii & spent the majority of our day exploring the ruins and excavation site before we all "hit a wall" & decided to head back home to Rome. It was when we arrived back in Naples and were heading back to our hostel to grab our bags when the girl from our program was robbed of her purse (which included her camera, i-pod, phone, cards & cash...boo!).
Anways, we've done a ton of excursions this week :) We've all learned so much different and fascinating information while touring the Basilica of Saint Clement & the Arch of Constantine, the Vatican Museums (including the Sistine Chapel), and finally, the biggest Mosque in Europe (located on the outskirts of Rome) and the Jewish Synagogue located in the "Jewish Ghetto" of Rome. Needless to say, it's been an incredibly busy week!! But really fun and informative so i wouldn't change a thing (even though we're all practically on the brink of exhaustion at this point).
I'm gearing up to fly solo to Dublin, Ireland this weekend to check out the land of my daddy's daddy ;) Sike, it's more like my dad's great-grandfather x's 10's daddy... Anywho, i'm more or less just really looking forward to some "personal time" to rejuvenate myself self for the last 4 weeks of this program. I don't really have an itinerary yet for my trip, but i'll let you all know how it turns out =)
I'm going to try and post a "personal blog" every week to keep you all updated. I have another "class blog" due tomorrow and then i'll be in Ireland all weekend so expect to hear from me again by late next week.
Hope all is well back home & i'll talk to you all soon! Luvs <3
~Marissa
Sorry it's been a while since i've last posted a "personal blog". Shit's been hectic & crazy ;) Anywho, 2 weekends ago me and a couple of friends from the program spent 2 days in Verona, aka "the city of Shakespearean love". It was very picturesque and lovely but incredibly small and best utilized as a day trip. Furthermore, we made the mistake of turning it into a long weekend, and even more frustrating, our hostel was a 20 minute bus ride to the outskirts of town... wah wah. Nonetheless, we had a great time and saw many beautiful museums, churches, and other architectural fetes including: Casa di Guilietta (Juliet's house from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet) where we got to touch her right bronze-y breast and make a wish, Castelvecchio & the Ponte Scaligero (amazing medieval castle turned museum and connecting medieval bridge), the archeological museum and roman theatre, the arena, and some fantastic churches. We had every intention of visiting a few more tourist attractions but got stranded out by our hostel for over two hours on our way back into Downtown (because public transit is pretty much non-existent on Sundays), and ended up getting a taxi back to Verona's airport where we literally chilled for almost 5 hrs until we were ready to board our flight back to Rome... So, all in all, not a very great way to end our trip but still a great experience and now i can make suggestions about what to avoid when visiting the historic city ;)
Last Thursday our entire program made our way towards the southern belt of Italy...Naples :) Or Napoli in Italian. This interesting city has a notorious reputation for theft and robbery (we heard many frightening stories), and sadly one girl from my program had her purse ripped off of her by some a$$hole on a motorcycle when walking down a street with heavy foot traffic and in a group with 4 other girls! So, this crap happens often and goes to show that Naples lives up to its reputation. Other than that incident, however, we still had a great visit. Our instructors sheduled a two day walking tour with a native Neopolitan and professional guide to show us all the great sights and scenery that can only be found in Naples. We ate, ate, ate like none the other & walked until our feet nearly bled (just kidding...kinda).
After our two days in Naples a group of 7 of us decided to go on a day trip around the Amalfi Coast :) This was absolutely spectacular, and definitely tops the list of things i've experienced so far in Italy. The weather was perfect with sunny & bright blue skies, and around 60 degrees in the middle of the afternoon (which is actually quite warm from what we have been experiencing thus far). We hopped on the SITA bus which took us from the Naples port through the mountains and to our first stop - the coastal town of Amalfi. The views of the coast line and the Gulf of Salerno far exceeded my expectations. The water was a clear turqious blue and the backdrop of the white Mediterranean villas and other architectural buildings that line the Amalfi coast was breathtaking. I honestly couldn't have dreamed of anything more pristine and alluring as Amalfi & Positano (both coastal cities). The last stop of our day trip was on the opposite side of the peninsula - Sorrento. We only stayed there for a few hours but Sorrento lays on the same bay as Naples so we attempted to catch a ferry back but apparently they stop running at 4pm during the winter months...meh :P So we decided to grab some gelato instead and hop on a train :)
Finally, we left bright and early Sunday morning for Pompeii & spent the majority of our day exploring the ruins and excavation site before we all "hit a wall" & decided to head back home to Rome. It was when we arrived back in Naples and were heading back to our hostel to grab our bags when the girl from our program was robbed of her purse (which included her camera, i-pod, phone, cards & cash...boo!).
Anways, we've done a ton of excursions this week :) We've all learned so much different and fascinating information while touring the Basilica of Saint Clement & the Arch of Constantine, the Vatican Museums (including the Sistine Chapel), and finally, the biggest Mosque in Europe (located on the outskirts of Rome) and the Jewish Synagogue located in the "Jewish Ghetto" of Rome. Needless to say, it's been an incredibly busy week!! But really fun and informative so i wouldn't change a thing (even though we're all practically on the brink of exhaustion at this point).
I'm gearing up to fly solo to Dublin, Ireland this weekend to check out the land of my daddy's daddy ;) Sike, it's more like my dad's great-grandfather x's 10's daddy... Anywho, i'm more or less just really looking forward to some "personal time" to rejuvenate myself self for the last 4 weeks of this program. I don't really have an itinerary yet for my trip, but i'll let you all know how it turns out =)
I'm going to try and post a "personal blog" every week to keep you all updated. I have another "class blog" due tomorrow and then i'll be in Ireland all weekend so expect to hear from me again by late next week.
Hope all is well back home & i'll talk to you all soon! Luvs <3
~Marissa
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Assignment # 4: Immigration & Education
Marissa McGrath
Assignment #5: Consider what doors are open and closed here in Italy for immigrants and for youth in general in terms of education? How do you compare these to the doors in the United States? What are you basing your opinions and perspectives on?
The doors to education in Italy depend on several factors: citizenship status (native Italians vs. Immigrants, cultural expectations, accessibility, familial responsibilities & self-motivation.
Citizenship status in Italy can determine what schools youth are admitted too (predominately native Italians vs. multicultural diversity & emersion). In 2009, the Gelmini law was passed though it proposed slashing funds for segregation/bridge classes for immigrant youth, and admitting no more than 30% immigrant students to each classroom (reform passed w/ many protests and public outrage). However, although the Gelmini law was passed in 2009 and was attempted to be introduced in Italian public schools in 2011, many educational institutions failed to successfully implement these policies while others have abandoned it altogether (notes & class discussion).
Many problematic situations have occurred in determining the specifications of how to define “immigrant students” in the classroom. According to Italian government policies, being born on Italian soil does not automatically make you an Italian citizen. Either one or both parents must be a “native Italian” (maintained ancestry in Italy), and the youth must provide the necessary documentation in order to gain the rights and privileges of Italian citizenship. Otherwise, the youth must wait until 18 years of age to formally apply and begin the process of becoming an Italian citizen (notes & class discussion). However, these laws are particularly frustrating when considering 2nd generation Italians, or Italians whose parents have immigrated to Italy (or refugees), and have not yet legally gained their Italian citizenship. These “Italian youths” are caught in between two identities & cultures that are constantly colliding. By law, they are not considered Italians though they were born here, and they have no citizenship elsewhere. Therefore, they must wait until they reach adulthood and then go through the tedious process of legally acquiring Italian benefits.
One particular experience I had while visiting a middle school here in Rome, called Esquilina, is coming across an extremely troubled 13 year old Chinese immigrant named Ving. He and family emigrated from China six years ago, and to say he was not particularly happy about it would be the understatement of the century. When meeting Ving he was incredibly obstinate, un-cooperate, disrespectful to my instructors and insulting to my peers. Nonetheless, however rude he may have been, he was surprisingly fascinating to me and I was intrigued by his behaviour. I wanted to know his life’s story. Where did he grow up in China? Does he have any siblings? Did he immigrate with his entire family? Does he like Italy and Italians? Does he have many friends? Does he enjoy school? But most importantly, why is he so angry???
Ving is fluent in Chinese (I don’t know which dialect) and Italian. He cannot communicate fluently in English though he could understand some of what I was asking. I had to ask our TA, Stephanie, to translate for us. From what I could understand through Stephanie’s conversation with Ving (and translation), body language, and expression Ving hates school because to him it doesn’t serve any useful purpose. He refuses to read and write regularly (especially for school purposes), though he perfectly capable of reading and writing in both Chinese and Italian, and he says he doesn’t understand math. He doesn’t like the teachers and very few of his school mates. He doesn’t enjoy any of the subjects offered to him including art, music, and extracurricular activities. He has been in Rome for six years and hasn’t made very many friends, or at least close friends (though it seemed that he was enjoying side conversations with the newly immigrated Chinese students who were sitting in front of him). He moved here with both of his parents and with his younger brother who attends the same school. Basically, from what I can determine from these answers, and my observations, is that Ving is experiencing an incredibly difficult time integrating into his relatively new environment. He feels very passionately about his feelings concerning Italy, and Italians in general, which is that he really dislikes them (I’m pretty confident he used the terms “stupid” & “hate” but I honestly don’t think that’s truly how he feels about them). What I am certain about is that he has a lot of pride in his Chinese heritage and that he is most likely “acting out” due to the mistreatment (along with some misunderstanding) of him and/or his family from Italian society, culture, and the natives.
When interacting with Ving while Stephanie (unfortunately) had to deal with his impolite attitude and blunt responses, I couldn’t help but empathize with him and his situation. Although he was being a contemptuous little brat, and there was more than one moment when I wanted to ring his little neck, still, despite all his hostility and insolence, deep down I really just wanted to give him a hug and try to understand the root of his problem with Italy, school, and life in general.
What I can conclude from my observations with several immigrant youths along with class readings and discussions is that: it’s not so much about what “doors are open and closed” but how one deals with the doors (or opportunities) that are available to them, and more importantly how to go about generating those “doors”. In other words, while there are several factors that contribute to the kinds of opportunities that are available to immigrants in either Italy or the US, whether it be cultural, familial, or personal determinants for either school placement or pursing a higher education, in my opinion and from my own experiences: “where there is a will, there is a way”. If it seems like certain doors are closed to you, then find a way to open them. If it appears that no door exists at all, then find a way to create one. Opportunities arise when one has the determination to seek them out. So, it’s not so much about if there is a door but what one will do when he/she come across it.
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