Narrate what you learned from the interviews at Piazza Vittorio. Describe the people you talked to. Who are they, where did you meet them, why did you choose them. What about the process. Did you hear more than you thought you would? Write all the stories you heard and also consider: how did it feel to ask Italians about immigration? How do you think they felt being asked question by an American student (think about points of reference)?
The Esquilino Market is a scene of colorful vegetable and fruit stands, lively seafood posts where you can find almost any type of sea specimen, exotic spices and meat shops. Many of the people working the booths were either owners or part-owners of their businesses. Prior to conducting our interviews, my partner and I were not too sure what to expect. We discovered that it was very easy to obtain interviews! All that was needed was to look really interested in the merchandise and the merchants took care of the rest. Our first interviewee was the brother of the owner of a seafood post, whom we respectfully nicknamed “the fish guy.” He approached us first by inquiring about our place of origin and was more than willing to share his story. He has been in Rome for 5 years. Prior to living in Rome he traveled to many places including Singapore, Berlin, South Korea, Vietnam, and France. His reasons for traveling were many, one of which was to fuel his curiosity. The ‘fish guy’ was very approachable and humorous. He commented that almost every merchant in the market would have a Bangladesh background, like himself. The seafood industry seems to be thriving in Rome, perhaps on the account that it is fulfilling the needs of some Italian immigrants, who unlike Italians live off of seafood. His story was of success.
Our next interviewee, lured me to his meat shop with a lollipop. So much for not taking candy from a stranger! An Egyptian who has been residing in Rome for 30 years, Salah returns to Egypt twice a year. An indicator that he is economically and socially stable. Like the ’fish guy’, Salah makes note of the great business in Rome. Both men were more than willing to share their experiences. But, alas, I was waiting to hear from a particular ethnic group, Latinos. My opportunity came a few days later, when accompanied by a few friends we visited St. Paul’s church. Every Sunday a community of South American foreigners congregate to share a meal, practice folklore dances and to offer support to one another. I had the chance to converse with Mercedes, an Ecuadorian woman who fled her mother country in 1990. Unlike many immigrants, Mercedes confesses that she is a lucky woman. A month after her arrival in Italy she was able to apply and receive her permesso de soujorno. A process which usually takes months. She is also fortunate enough to live and care for a woman with Parkinson’s disease who doesn’t charge her rent. Mercedes commented that the average South American immigrant lives in a one bedroom apartment with nine other people. Her personal story is one marked many sacrifices. Forced to leave her 2 yr-old daughter who is now 18 years old in Ecuador, Mercedes manages to organize the Latino community in St. Paul’s church on top of balancing 3 part time jobs. In the 15 year period that she has been in Italy, she has only seen her daughter four times. I asked her if she wanted her daughter to join her in Italy and she replied “no, she is better off staying in Ecuador. It is difficult enough for a single female immigrant to live on her own.” Mercedes plans to return to Ecuador after saving an efficient amount of money.
I felt at ease conversing with her, she was honest and very humble. I asked her if she felt refugee and immigrants were treated differently or the same. She replied that Italian refugees are in a tough situation. They are treated differently based on their status as refugees, which prohibits them from working and ultimately taking root in Italy. She also shared that many teenage refugees are homeless and are left with no option but to sleep under bridges. Until her departure to Ecuador, Mercedes is ‘going to live one day at a time’.
I was under the impression that no one would want to open to an American college student. The information that I was able to gather from the interviews surprises me. People are willing to share their stories if approached correctly. A smile and a few nods can go a long ways.
We had a delicious South American dish and an unforgettable conversation with Mercedes at St. Paul's.
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