Assignment #7

Consider the questions with which we started the course:

•                What defines youth culture in Rome. How is youth culture reflected in the larger Italian identity and how are identities shifting (individual, nation, state, EU)

•                Where are the covert and overt borders in Rome? (Physical, psychological, cultural, and national borders)

•                How is "insider" or "outsider" status determined?

•                Borders are at the same time becoming more rigid and also more fluid. What are the dynamics behind this and how is this fluidity and ambiguity expressed.

Italian identity is indescribable. To the outside world, Italians are Caucasian, dark haired, people with fast cars, and the most delicious food and wine you could ever taste.  To the Italian, Italians are brought up with respect, respect for elders, for history, for intelligence, they are prideful of their country and many feel as if Italy is only for the “pure Italians”.  To the immigrants residing in Italy, Italians portray exactly what they want, they own homes, have jobs, food on the table for their children, they want what they have, yet the possibility of attaining these things is minuscule. “When one walks through Italian streets there is a feeling of being a minority, of insecurity. There is a delicate, difficult, and at times hostile relationship with one’s surroundings. Here, (in New York City) at least in appearance, I have not had this feeling. I immediately felt equal.” – Amara Lakhous’s observation on the differences between walking the streets of Italy and the streets of New York City in his interview with i-Italy. 

The issue of “borders” is seen in many countries today.  It is exemplified in the United States by the border patrol concerning Mexican immigrants, it can be seen between North and South Korea, and it can most certainly be seen in the country of Italy with identity borders.  Some of the largest and most concrete borders that affect identity and the people in Italy are the government, language, and education.

There are endless “borders” for people in this country; the government is one of them.  In the eyes of many Italians and the Italian government, an Italian citizen is someone who has Italian- born parents, who looks Italian, who shares the same backgrounds as most Italians do, and who speaks Italian. Unfortunately these stereotypical ideas of “an Italian” do not correlate with many Italian citizens.  For example, the speakers from the G2 Organization, one had been born in Italy and had lived in Italy his entire life.  However, from the time he was born until the age of 18 he was literally “invincible ” considering his citizenship and as soon as he became 18 he was considered an immigrant, as if he had just sailed to this country yesterday.  Fortunately he was able to obtain his citizenship, but many people with similar circumstances do not have such luck.  

Language is another one of these unpropitious borders keeping non-citizen and immigrants alike from becoming citizens and creating a life in Italy that some have been forced to do.  Amara Lakhous explains beautifully how powerful language is, “To quote an expression: tell me how you speak and I will tell you who you are. The ability to communicate offers status. It is not a tool in the same way eyeglasses are; it is a way of seeing”.  Like many of the people who reside in Italy today who have memories and their own cultures in their homeland, a language barrier restricts many.  Throughout the program we have met refugees and immigrants throughout guest speakers lectures and service learning opportunities.  At the refugee center we were teaching a group of the refugees English, a man was asked what he wanted to learn. He said, “I want to learn English, it’s the gateway language to a future”.  Unfortunately the possibilities for refugees to learn English, let alone Italian are not great.  And yet those opportunities are in now way growing for adult immigrants and children alike, in the article Children Crossing Borders the author mentioned, “ approximately 25% of children in a typical municipal preschool are likely to come from im/migrant families that speak a language other than Italian at home”.  The article continued to say how frustrated many teachers are with this issue considering the demanding difficulty that is bestowed on them when taking children with “incapabilities” such as a language barrier. At the moment, “the primary challenge presented by these incoming students is language-related: Italian as a second language was never part of teaching or training, nor were there any IL2 textbooks or guidebooks” (Current Research Into Education and Schooling in Italy).  So while these children work harder to learn a language they have no background in, they fall behind, and eventually get placed in lower and lower level classes until they forced to accept their first “barrier” on a list of many.

There are not only towering barriers for immigrant children and children of refugees in Italy, but there is a constant struggle with youth and education in general.  In the words of our guest speaker Shara Wasserman, “ Italy is Europe’s oldest country” and not in the terms of the country, but the people.  In Italy the age range considering “youth” is 15- 34, and 1 in every 5 people are over 65.  While the population of youth is dwindling, nothing is being done to reverse this.  Although there are opportunities for youth and students to go to college, the drop out rate is 55%. Youth is not respected in Italy and in the eyes of the older population they are seen as immature.  Many young people eventually leave Italy for new and more prosperous opportunities.   As Shara Wasserman mentioned in class, more high school graduates acquire jobs than college graduates do.  Consequently, there are endless opportunities to go to college for Italian citizens, however the real question is will they find job afterwards?   

Although these barriers are apparent in Italian society, very little is being done to approve these conditions.  The government has only become more disciplined with immigrants and refugees.  From our service learning experience we had the chance to meet a man at the refugee center.  He mentioned “it is impossible to do anything in Italy without the language”.   Unfortunately there are little opportunities to become better educated in the Italian language for refugees and immigrants other than learning from conversing on the streets.  So while the immigrant community struggles, like they do in most countries, so does Italy’s youth.  From this experience with the Italian culture, as an American, Italy is a beautiful country, the culture is intricate, and it’s ambiguity confuses me.  I have had good and bad experiences here, and would say it’s an experience not to miss, however just like many things; there is always a message behind what the eyes are capable of seeing.  For example, the graffiti we see on the walls of streets, to some it could be vandalism however it could be a message through street art: debates against Berlusconi, art relating different cultures through images, or even powerful messages inspiring the youth.