I chose to study Italy in regards to the African Diaspora
because it came as a shock to me that it was a popular location for African
immigrants. I never would have associated
the African Diaspora with Italy if we had not talked about it in our class
discussion. When I think of Italy
I don’t picture a lot of African culture.
What I am hoping to learn in this research is the prominence and
influence of African culture in Italy.
When
you think about the history of Italy what comes to mind? I bet most of your images in your head
have nothing to do with the migration of Africans to Italy. As of 2009, there are approximates
932,000 residents in Italy that are of African decent. Although this is only .44% of the total
population, Italy is the 11th most popular country for African
Diaspora populations (Demi iStat.it).
They are ranked higher than Puerto Rico, and are ranked just behind
Cuba. I was surprised to learn
this because before researching this topic, I did not predict Italy to even be
in the top 20 locations with the largest African Diaspora populations.
Over
the course of time, there have been 1.2 million people that have migrated from
Africa to Italy. As I look at a
map of Italy, I do understand now why Italy is such a popular location for
people of the Diaspora. Italy’s
coast is very close to Tunisia.
Although Italy and northern Africa are very close with one another, most
of the people of the African Diaspora migrated from Western Africa, and
countries south of the Sahara Desert.
Some countries that people migrated from were Senegal, Ghana, Ivory
Coast, and Nigeria (Campbell).
This
will conclude my first post about Italy’s involvement in the African Diaspora. I will continue to update this blog
weekly, enjoy!
References:
Campbell, Gwyn, ed. The Structure of Slavery
in Indian Ocean Africa and Asia. London: Frank Cass, 2004.
Demo iStat.it. (2009).
Retrieved February 10, 2012. http://demo.istat.it/str2009/index.html
map retrieved from : http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/italy/
Like Jordan, I was surprised by my country's involvement in the African Diaspora. I am studying Germany, another European country, and at first I was unable to connect how this area of the world could be connected to African history and African ways of life. When I think of Germans and Italians, I think of very particular ways of dress, attitude, and mannerisms that I associate with being European, not African. However, after researching for my blog entry and reading Jordan's blog, it became clear to me that African culture has permeated many different countries and societies around the world. African culture and the African Diaspora transcends just that particular continent. Instead, it is visible in Europe, America, and other societies around the world, showing just how influential Africa is to understanding various ways of life. African history and influences may not seem to be important in other country's on the surface, but once people delve deeper, I think it becomes evident that this culture is present in other cultures as well. I am excited to further research my country and read other people's blogs to truly grasp how African culture pervades societal norms across many borders.
ReplyDeleteSteph,
DeleteThank you for taking the time to respond to my post. As you said, it is pretty surprising that germany and Italy are countries that are associated with the African Diaspora. After doing some more research on Italy's role in the African Diaspora, the largest amount of immigrants come from Northern Africa ; specifically, Morroco, Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria have the highest amount of immigrants to Africa respectively. It is clear that countries that had been colonized by Italy in the past are the countries that have to most african immigrants to italy. There are also some immigrants from West and Central Africa as well. Compared to other african immigrants to italy, West and Central Africa make up 30% of immigrants to Italy.
But yes, Steph, it there is a considerable amount of african immigrants to Italy. I wonder how germany compares?
Thanks,
Jordan
I am frankly as perplexed as you are about why African immigrants choose Italy as their destination. You stated that the latter could be attributed to the proximity of Italy’s coast to Tunisia. Is there also a possibility that Italy’s political structure allows for the full representation of Afro-descendants? The answer to that question can also asses the amount of Afro-descendants that decide to stay in Italy. The political structure of a country I believe has a lot to do with the retainment percentage of these Afro-descendants. I am interested in learning more about Italy’s diasporic roots.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently taking my fourth semester of Italian language, and was also stunned to discover the significant African presence on the peninsula. While not a particularly large segment of the population, African society in Italy has always been a controversial subject. I remember reading about incidents of racism in Northern Italy, where Senegalese migrants found it difficult to rent apartments due to refusal by landlords. Stories such as this reveal a larger Italian attitude towards African immigrants, that I hope you will help publicize. I look forward to your blog.
ReplyDelete