The Italian Diaspora in South Africa

This book investigates the experiences of second- and third-generation Italians living in South Africa, exploring how nostalgia for Italy influences their sense of identity and belonging. The Italian community in South Africa is a unique diaspora, with a complex history, including roots in Italian colonial activities in Africa, and in World War II. This book looks at how the descendants of these early migrants take pride in being Italian and value the Italian language. They also ascribe much importance to their family roots, and have often created a romanticized image of Italy, mostly based on childhood vacation visits. The longing for an imaginary idealized version of Italy is closely linked to their wider search for a sense of identity and belonging against the backdrop of South African society, currently still grappling with its own multicultural identity. Interdisciplinary by design, this book draws on insights from both cultural studies and psychology in order to shine a light on an important and under-studied diasporic community. The book will be of interest to scholars from across migration studies and the Humanities in general. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Maria Chiara Marchetti-Mercer is Professor of Psychology at the School of Human & Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Anita Virga is Associate Professor at the School of Literature, Language and Media, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

1. Situating our work 2. Meeting in the diaspora, researching the diaspora 3. Theoretical context 4. Historical context of the Italian community 5. "Our family does everything together": The importance of the family of origin 6. "I find it unique and I am proud to be Italian": The relationship with Italy and the larger Italian community in South Africa 7. "The point of going to Italy is the sense of belonging": The meaning of visits to Italy 8. "There is a lot of pain that I have inherited": Identity through nostalgia 9. "I don't feel Italian there and I don't feel South African here": Finding belonging in an interliminal space 10. Conclusion