reflection #2

Return by Fatima Ahmed:

This story follows the journey of a girl returning to her childhood home in Cambodia after leaving years ago due to the political crisis.  I believe the pivotal point in the story is when Fatima has her first sip of sugarcane juice, “I went over to the sugarcane juice seller and immediately ordered a glass of fresh-squeezed.  I fervently took a sip, the first in twenty years.  Its taste, its fragrance took me back in time, to that distance day when I left Phnom-Penh” (32).  This quote marks the beginning of Fatima’s memory as she describes the day her family left Cambodia.  Fatima came from a mixed background; her father was Somali and her mother Vietnamese.  Her family fled Cambodia once the political crisis began in 1970 and traveled to Somalia.  The memories that flooded her mind were some that I believe shaped who she was and gave her a better sense of identity.  It was as if she identified as Cambodian rather than with her mixed heritage.  Her story gave a deeper perspective into her immigrant background and of self-identity. 

Give Me Back My Coat by Adrian N. Bravi:

Give Me Back My Coat follows the author as he lives his “last” day.  In the morning he decides that today will be his last and after he returns home from a morning café.  But while he is there, submerged in his bliss of ending his life, someone accidently takes his coat by mistake.  The pivotal point in the story is when he thinks to himself, “I felt like the loneliest person in the world, swollen everywhere, without a coat or anything of value” (43).  This quote portrays the author’s emotions in his most vulnerable moment.  With no coat, freezing on his walk home, his suicide plans are thwarted.    He wanted everything to be perfect of this last day.  Everything seemed to be going his way, he even noticed things for the first time, but with the event of his coat being stolen his perfect last day is ruined and he cannot end his life.  His dream to live the perfect day was interrupted by this man taking his jacket and thus causing him to live yet another day.

Light Beer and Peanuts by Viola Chandra

Viola Chandra tells her story of struggle of finding her identity.  Growing up with an Indian father and a White mother.  The pivotal point in the story is when she states, “I wanted a whole population to accept me and put aside its traditions, its dogmas and its castes.  I wanted it to put itself away in order reach out to me: for how I am” (47).  Viola longed to be accepted by the Indian people and for them and her father to acknowledge her Indian roots, despite her Western dress and attitude.  Another key moment is when she explores her relationship with her mother.  When she was younger her mother did all she could to keep her daughter as light as possible.  She was bathed in crèmes and covered in sunscreens when in the sun.  She reflects, “I would never have become white but at least I would remain beige.  I shared the same desire” (52).  Her mothers craving to be as light as possible carried down to her.  Throughout Viola’s story, she struggles to accept who she is and whom she should identify with.  She longs to be accepted by her Indian peers, yet to also seem as “white” as possible.  At the end of her narrative she learns to accept who she is to be apart of both worlds. 

The B-Line by Christiana de Caldas Brito

This story follows a passenger as he rides the B-line metro to Termini.  The pivotal moment in the story is when he thinks, “words are not born in a hurry like the landscapes flashing by through the windows of the metro.  It takes a long time to penetrate the fabric of the soul” (55).  This quote shows that the character things before he speaks.  Many have walls build up around them, ideas that are hard to change.  People are sometimes very set in their ways and the ideas of others may not be able to break through those walls. 

The Beggar by Christiana De Caldas Brito

The Beggar tells the story of an old beggar as he seeks for more words.  In the beginning I believed he was in need of money, like many of the beggars I see, but instead I was surprised to find that he wanted only words and saw himself as a poet.  The pivotal point in the story is when he states “a poet does not live by words alone…” (60).  This quote expressed that words alone do not make a person.  Experiences are what create who someone is.  Throughout the narrative, the poet is presented with many words, but he finds little use with those that are just tossed to him, he savors the words that are presented to him with meaning and purpose.  In the conclusion of the story, the poet respects each word, no matter how he got them.  Some he treasures more than others, but in the end each word holds a special meaning to someone. 

artist statement

My artwork reflects the time I’ve spent in Rome.  From seeing historical sites to little neighborhoods, my time here has been full of eye opening experiences.  The box represents some of the things that have made an impact in my time studying abroad.  It also relates to the reading, “The Beggar” and his box of words.  Studying here and being submersed in this environment has made me more aware of the issues Italy is facing.  Themes like “identity” and “difference” have been constant ideas.  I included little figures of everyone in the class to show that everyone is making a difference and an impact in my experiences here.  The sunset in the background represents the beauty I’ve seen here.  Everyday I look out my window and there have been blue skies, and every evening an amazing sunset.  One of my favorite sunsets has been the one I’ve seen near the Amalfi Coast, represented by the water under the sunset.  Altogether it represents the time and experiences I’ve had in Italy and how it’s made an impact on my life.

assignment 6

Regola; one of Rome’s riones.  Situated on near the Ponte Sisto on the Tiber River.   Some of Regola’s famous sites include Piazza Navona, Piazza Farnese, and Campo dei Fiori.  Campo dei Fiori is where many of us call home and where many of our clasess are held since it’s where the UW Rome Center is located.  I remember the first time I saw the Campo, when I first arrived in Rome.  The market was in full swing and people were everywhere!  I loved seeing all the stalls with their bright colored fruits and vendors advertising their merchandise.  I couldn’t believe that I would be living in such a bustling, beautiful area! 

Now that I’ve lived here for a couple of weeks, I’ve gotten used to the daily market, although I still marvel at all the delicious fruits and veggies.  I love walking around the Campo seeing all the different people and I especially love it when musicians come out and fill the square with beautiful music.  Even the noise of the nightlife, which often carries on late into the night, has a feeling of homeliness.  It’s normal to see people walking around and hanging out with Bruno almost every night.  Between the bustling days and chill nights, I feel so lucky to live in such a lively place.

When we tried to find a resident to find out more about our rione, we went into a couple shops, and even a shoe store, but everyone that we asked said they didn’t live in the Campo.  Roberto would have been an ideal candidate to ask our questions to, but he has been absent.  We’ll have to ask him when he gets back.  One person who we did get to talk to was Bill, the chef, who has lived in the Campo for almost 20 years now. For Bill living in Campo dei Fiori is very convenient for him.  With all the fresh fruits, veggies, and meat, he is able to get the best ingredients for his cooking.  During his cooking class, he told us about the residents in Julie and Manka’s apartment had at first found it hard to sleep there with al the noise from the square.  After they had left though, they found it hard to sleep without background noise, so they tied cans to their dog’s tail in order to help them sleep.  Nightlife in the Campo can get pretty wild!  Between the Drunken Ship at the opposite end of the Campo, and a few smaller bars scattered throughout, the evening volume can get noisy.  It seems as soon as 11 pm rolls around, teenagers and young people come and gather by the Bruno statue.  They bring their own drinks and often talk and play around until the wee hours of the morning.  The busiest evenings seem to be Thursday thru Saturday and the noise lasts almost all night.  It can be fun when we are able to join in the fun, but other times it makes it hard for us to fall asleep. 

Campo dei Fiori seems to be quite the tourist attraction.  Tourists come from all over to see the amazing marketplace.  We were able to talk to two girls from Finland.  They thought the market was lively and had a wide variety of foods, from fresh foods to clothing and everything in between.  Although they were only passing though they said they would be interested in coming back to check out the goods. 

Campo dei Fiori is not only an active site for tourists and vendors, but has become my home.  I’ve grown to love the activity of the daytime with the countless vendors and merchants and the nightlife that often has people out till late into the evening.  I can’t wait to explore more of Regola and see what else this majestic Rione has to offer! 

reflection #1: introduction and salvation

Multicultural Literature in Cotemporary Italy is a collection of literary works by immigrants.  This assortment of stories, poems, and other writings gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of those less heard in Italian society.  The voices that were once silenced can now be heard through Marie Orton and Graziella Parati’s book.  In the introduction, they introduce the idea that we are constantly migrating and transforming.  In a quote by Caldas Brito, he states “Everyday we need to learn a new language.  We are in constant migration”(11).  This idea that we are constantly changing and migrating is something that I agree with.  Change is something that is constantly happening.  I believe that we can either accept the change or be stuck in what we only choose to see and want.  In reference to immigrants, everyday brings new change, whether it’s leaving their homelands or learning a new language and culture, the world is continuously changing for them. 

Another aspect that Orton and Parati discussed was the use of humor.  In many of the works they noticed the similarities in the use of laughter.  Mikail Bahktin was an author who pointed out laughter and its use, “Laughter could never become an instrument to oppress and blind the people.  It always remained a free weapon in their hands” (15).  The use of humor and laughter covers up the hardships many immigrants face.  It uses laughter in sarcastic situation.  When things become uncomfortable to discuss, laughter can make light of the situation.  Using humor to disguise the circumstances of immigration also acts as a way to alert people to the issues.  Also public discussion and dialogue present a way for people to understand immigration.  Through the collection of these literary works, Orton and Parati have unveiled the issues of immigration and given a voice to those who weren’t heard. 

assignment 5

Naples or Napoli is one of Italy’s southern cities and well known for its pizza.  My experience in Naples proved to be an experience that was “more than meets the eyes”. When I first saw Naples, skyscrapers lined the city skyline.  Coming from Rome, where skyscrapers don’t exist, seeing them surprised me.   My image of Europe has been mainly been shaped by time in Rome.  What I see there is what I expect to see in other Italian cities.  But in Naples, I was stunned to find both the new and modern city with skyscrapers and tall, glassy buildings, while still walking past ancient castles on cobblestone streets.

Before coming to Naples, I was lucky enough to hear from Alex Valentino, a resident of Naples.  He came and discussed with our class on the rich history and his experiences there.  One issue that he made sure to mention was the problem with trash that Naples has been dealing with.  Since it is one of the most densely populated cities in Italy with 4 million people and with little wasteland, there is nowhere to dispose of the garbage that the residents produce.  Alex made sure to let us know that seeing trash on the streets wasn’t just a common occurrence; it was a permanent resident of Naples’ streets.  As soon as we arrived, I started to notice the garbage everywhere!  Streets were littered with cigarette butts and scraps of paper, dumpsters overflowed with bags of trash, and cardboard boxes were piled high.  Trash was everywhere!  Even walking by street merchants I noticed a sense of “trash” with their merchandise.  It was like walking through a yard sale.  Old toys and books covered the blankets used to display their goods.  There were countless knickknacks and trinkets for sale there.  It literally looked like the stuff that collects in a junk drawer; the stuff no one really wants or needs.  Between the trash lining the streets and the collection of street merchandise it is apparent that there is no solution to this current problem in Naples. 

One of the things we’ve studied in class was the divide between north and south Italy.  Naples is considered to be part of the south.  In some of the readings we’ve had, people describe Naples as not even being apart of Italy.  Many from the north view people from the south as outsiders.  There were also a lot more immigrants it seemed like in Naples that in other places.  This might another reason why northern Italians view the south as “other”.  In Clash of Civilizations in an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio, we heard the perspective of one of the residents who shared their opinions about people from Naples.  They looked down on people who came from the south and didn’t consider them Italian at all.  Getting to go to Naples, I was able to see the difference between North and South Italy. 

Another aspect of Naples that I noticed were the two faces of the city.  After exiting the train station, the main road was lined with beautiful buildings.  Tall buildings with rows of matching, shuttered windows bordered the streets.  The beauty of it was breathtaking.  But behind the splendor of the main street was the dirty, darker side of Naples.  As soon as we took a turn off the main road, the buildings got dimmer and clotheslines hung over our heads.  No longer were the streets wide and sunny, but narrow and smelly, due to all the dog droppings everywhere.  Also, graffiti covered almost every open inch of wall or door space.   But the graffiti here was different that the ones I’m used to seeing at home in Seattle.  In Naples it was a mix of powerful messages and beautiful artwork blended in with the usual sayings I’ve seen before.  Even the graffiti was two sided; works of beauty and vandalism. How could a city so beautiful be so dirty and ugly at the same time?  Even now I wonder what the people of Naples think of their double-sided city. Many times graffiti is associated with youth, I wonder if the youth in Naples are creating the graffiti there too?  Do people support what the youth have done (if they are the ones creating graffiti)? It seemed to me that at first glance, Naples was a beautiful city, but as we traveled farther, I saw a different side and started to question the place of youth in Naples society. 

My experience in Naples was one I’ll never forget.  I never would have traveled down there if not for the class trip.  I’m glad I had the opportunity to go.  Although the city may not been exactly as I imagined, the beauty of it shone through the dirt and garbage.  Naples opened my eyes to a different part of Italy.  It showed me how you can have harmony between an old and new city.

assignment 4

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?

Education has always been highly respected in my family. Both my mom and my grandma have worked in schools, so education has always been prized and valued in my family and it continues to play an important role in my life.   Growing up I never questioned the quality of the education I was receiving.  As I’ve learned and studied abouteducation I’ve started to view it as a right not a privilege.  I believe that everyone has the right to receive a good education.  In America this is the goal for education, but in other places such as Italy, an equal education for all does not exist. 

Throughout my time here in Rome, I’ve begun to see the struggles and differences many immigrants face while in the education system.  In Italy, many laws are just starting to acknowledge the presence of immigrant children in classrooms and the obstacles they face being in a new environment and understanding the language. 

On January 25, we had Frederica Bianchi and Anna Onorati come and speak to our class.  Both of them work for Carnitas in Rome.  During there visit, I was surprised to learn that 6.4% of the student population (574,133 students) are immigrants and 40% of pupils of foreign origins are in primary schools.  Currently in Italy, Mariastella Gelmini, the Italian Minister of Education, has advocated and passes a law that caps classes with immigrant children at 30%.  This means that many schools are dealing with an excess of immigrant children in their classes.  Schools like the Pisacane School where they have a 90% immigrant population are faced with dealing with Gelmini’s new laws.  For many immigrant children, just getting to school is a struggle.  Anna Onorati commented on how a majority of Indian immigrants work in agriculture, meaning that they live farther away from schools.  These students often have to travel farther distances and sometimes aren’t even able to attend afterschool or summer school activities because of where they live.  Special buses are available to students, but this still leaves a gap between teachers and parents.  This lack in communication is another factor that depends the divide between immigrant students in schools.

Also during their talk, Bianchi and Onorati commented on higher education in Italy.  Growing up in the United States, after high school it was a question of “where are you going to school?” not “what are you going to do?”  I feel that getting a college education is almost the “norm” in American society.  Education in the United States is often looked at, as a way to get ahead in life, thus going to college or a university is all part of the process.  But in Italy it appears as though education isn’t as highly prized.  Very few students pursue a post high school education and those who do receive little support from the government.  Unlike the United States, where financial aid and countless scholarships are available, students in Italy have to rely on their families to support them.  According to Bianchi and Onorati, college tuition is based on the income of the family.  Even with some of the people I’ve talked to here education comes secondary to finding a job.  In Italy, going to college doesn’t always guarantee a job after graduation.  This is the reason why many immigrants are coming to Italy in search of work rather than for studies.

Many immigrants coming into Italy, specifically to Rome, make the journey due to business ties. During one of our excursions we went to Piazza Vittorio, where we talked with some local immigrants.  Through talking to them, I learned that many immigrants come in search of jobs, leaving their families and friends back at home.  I even had the opportunity to talk to a server at one of the restaurants in Campo di Fiori.  He was an immigrant from Albania who came to Rome in search of work.  His connections eventually lead him to a restaurant job in Rome.  I was able to ask him about education and he mentioned that he came to Italy because of studies, but eventually had to drop out so that he could just focus on work.  He said that when he first came, he worked and went to school but in the end it was too hard to keep up with his studies and just decided to work because he needed the money.   He also mentioned that in Italy it common to find youth still living with their parents until their thirties.  It seems as though the option of living at home and working until later in life is more appealing to many youth in Italy, not just immigrants. 

Another guest lecturer our class had the opportunity to hear from was the author of Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio, Amara Lakhous.  During his lecture, he emphasized the importance of youth in Italy.  He said that one of the keys of understanding Italy was its youth.  In Italy, Lakhous explained that it’s almost a shame to be young; something to feel guilty about.  Youth here in Italy are associated with inexperience and immaturity.  Older generations often look down on the youth.  One thing that I really took away from the lecture was the little impact youth have in Italy.  Lakhous mentioned that most young people are open to change but with older generations in positions of power, laws are rarely changed to benefit youth.  In the United States, I feel that the youth have a powerful impact on the country.  People in America look to the future and the changes can be made now.  Children are our future, progress and forward thinking lies in youth.  Many of the brightest and best youth in Italy are leaving because they see no future where they are.  This is leaving Italy stuck in old traditions with hard laws to change.  The older generations also fear that the face of Italy will be changed since 99% of immigrants entering the country are youth.  Italy’s government is resisting the change that is taking place and failing to acknowledge that education may be a key in shaping the younger generations.

 

Education in Italy is changing, but at a slow pace.  The education here in Italy doesn’t recognize the needs of immigrant students and make accommodations for them.  They lack the funds due to budget cuts and adequate funding for teachers.  Children of immigrants, the second generation, and immigrant students only receive a small portion of the help they need in schools and often living so far away adds another obstacle.  Education in Italy needs a transformation, a change to better the needs of immigrants and also to those seeking higher education.