Something about italy...

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My story about Italy is a bit complicated. I am living in Australia, born in Australia to an Italian father and Australian mother.

 

I have always wanted to experience Italy more to the point when I actually wanted to live there. But, I constantly get news from Australians, Italians and the net that Italy is actually never that good a nation to ever be in...apart from spending 1-2 weeks there. I am, of course, saddened by how a third of Italians want to leave Italy if they have the chance, according to a European article.

 

However, my reasons for living in Italy are equally compelling! Most of the time my father's family spent in Australia involved my father working very hard with us still ending up in poverty a lot of the time. Although we are doing OK now, we are still surrounded by one of the most industralised, poorest and working class suburbs in all of my current city, Adelaide. All while almost all of the Italians in Australia live at least 15 minutes away! I also had my father's family not marrying an Italian in more than 50 years, which made his family's situations quite dire (ie everyone backstabbing against my father for his relative success)!

 

Although Australia is seen by many as "the lucky country", its darkest parts are as bad as the darkest parts of Italy. Politicians in Italy appear to stand up ONLY for themselves and ask for big taxes and legal procedures while a garbage crisis took 14 years to be dealt with. But in Australia, for example, we now put up with governments who stand up only for themselves as well to the point where they won't even want to fix up Australia's longest river, the River Murray. Some even said it will become IRREVERSABLY damaged within two years. And, at one time when I studied part time, I was demanded to go on a "work for the dole" program...and I had no intention to be unemployed.

 

And I still feel that, while I do get discriminated by Italians in Australia, discrimination by Australians has been very bad as well, if not worse. Although there ARE good Australians here and that Italy has its bad spots, the "bad Italy" stories do not rinse my mouth of the bitterness that came from the prejudice, poverty, isolation and double standards that I experienced in Australia! I still even feel that my Italian identity would be wiped out if I do remain here.

 

I would like to ask if anyone has stayed in Italy for a while and whether life in Italy is actually...an apocalypse, as some people would put it.

 

Thanks

[TonySlim]

i moved to italy as soon as i finished highschool. It was actually southern Italy (calabria). I rented a small apartment and i enrolled myself in langauge school and i stayed for about 6 months. I would definitely not say Italy is an "apocalypse" however italy does have some major problems. I have considered moving back to Italy in the future. I would however NEVER move back to the south. I honestly dont know how the people there put up with the corruption. If i were to move back I would go somewhere north. Im a little confused about why you say that your italian identity would be wiped out? I know that if you move to italy your italian identity would certainly be gone. Even though i speak the home town dialect and both my parents are from Calabria, the italians would always laugh at me whenever i said I considered myself italian. To them i'll always be american..and thats it..just like to them you'll always be an australian. I kinda went off topic and I prob didnt answer you at all..but i gave it a shot.

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TonySlim,

 

Doesn't matter if you went off topic. Thanks (grazie) for the comments.

 

I'm familiar with how Italians from Australia, the US etc would never really be seen as "completely" Italian...a lot of people here told me all about it! But, I've come accross Italians directly from Italy (such as a fellow student who came straight from Roma (Rome) last year) who had no problems in seeing me as Italian.

 

In fact, they appeared admired that even after my family's long separation from the Italy proper, my Italian identity and beliefs stayed rather intact. Also, speaking of the Olympics, this reminded me of Carlton Myers - whose father is Jamaican and mother is Italian - and ended up being the Italian team flagbearer for the 2000 Olympics...in Australia.

 

I have also appreciated the fact that I may not know Italian quickly in Australia because of all the older folks speaking in dialect, such as calabrese.

 

For Italian corruption, well I know about Andreotti's and Berlusconi's problems etc etc, but corruption is obviously a global disease. Australia has big problems and too every other country from Zimbabwe to Russia to Japan to the US.

 

As for the South, I know now not too many people coming to Italy wants to live there. But (don't laugh I know that the South (including Calabria) has just as much potential as the North and I honestly believe that the North/South gap will be gone later in the 21st century! I hope that this will happen without making Italy less traditional.