Writing Assignment #9

"What and who is Italian?"

"Who and what is American?" I can't address the first question without also acknowledging the second. As with anything in life, my perspective on Italy, the way that I perceive the culture and people is almost exclusively a result of my own experiences and ideas of what is normal. The observations I make are comparisons between Italy and what I know, which is my life as an American in Seattle. "The Other" is a dynamic term, dependent completely on perspective. What is for one person the Other, is for another customary and familiar. I can only speak for myself, and one quarter in this country has made Italy into more of an "Other" to me than it was before I came. The more time I spend in this country, the less I can relate to the people. As I learn more about Italian culture and identity, the differences rather than the similarities are what seem to continue to grow and become more apparent. My previous belief has always been that the more one knows about the Other, the more they are able to relate and understand them. For whatever reason, this has not been true in my experience here in Italy.
Italy is.. pizza, pasta, wine, Fiats, scooters, bikes, boots, shiny puffy jackets, cobblestones, colors, hand gestures, old men and women, tradition, art, and history, Italians... my imagery of Italy. Despite my high expectations for the aesthetic appeal of Italy, I was not disappointed. Italy is a beautiful country. However, I am forced to once again bring up bella figura because it is the most accurate way of describing Italians. The general fixation with outward appearance and superficial impressions is everywhere; vanity is rampant. It feels to me like there is a desire to prove true the stereotypical imagery that the world has about Italy. As much as the Romans seem to hate tourists, they are devoted to maintaining the tourists' fantastical idea of Rome. Italy can seem so posed at times, even in places that are off the beaten track. I think I say this because I am slightly put off and even disturbed by how consistently unsurprised I am. Italians continue to do what I expect them to do. Even after experiencing the differences between the north and the south, and feeling the surprising kindness of the Southerners, I have not been surprised. Sure their behavior towards me was different in Naples than it was in Rome, but the Italians themselves are more or less the same to me. The stereotypes about the Neapolitans are different than those about the Romans, but the culture of both cities remains more or less the same. They eat slight variations of the same foods, wear the same shiny puffy coats and leather boots, drive Fiats and Smart Cars, smoke cigarettes like there's no tomorrow, and take their shots of espresso at the bar. I can't recognize any differences in dialect or accent, although I know they exist. The focus on tourist appeal is prevalent in Italy, whether it is the blatant tourist menu at the restaurant or the seasonal reparation and renovation period that occurs in the winter off-season. The restaurants, museums, monuments, all get their beauty treatment and face lifts in the winter so they can look good for the hoards of tourists in the summer months.
Bella figura. This word has changed the way that I view my own culture in the United States as well. I have thought about how much of American culture and identity is based on outward appearance and superficial impressions. Americans have the same fixation, but manifested in a very different way. The culture of the United States is defined as one of immigrants, a diverse and new population of people who are rooted elsewhere. Even with this identity, we have had brutal slavery, extreme racism and segregation, and continue to struggle with the incorporation of so many cultures and backgrounds. Acknowledging this, allows me to have more understanding and grace for the Italians. They are some of the more racists cultures I have encountered, but they have not had the practice that we Americans have had. They haven't made all of the mistakes that we've made. The Italians are new to this game, new to the concept of diversity, and wary of the intrusion of the Other into their traditional culture. Not only have the Italians had less experience with diversity, they have a much older and deeply rooted culture to begin with that they are intent on preserving. Americans wiped out what was already there, allowing them to started fresh and build a brand new culture and identity for themselves without the fear of destroying something sacred.
So although I find that the more I learn about Italians the more separate and foreign they seem to me, I suppose I am able to understand better why they are the way they are. As I learn more about the history of Italy, I am able to come closer to understanding the reasons for their behavior and account for what I see as weaknesses in their culture. I am not trying to sound elitist when I say weaknesses, but to point out that there are pieces of Italian culture that I see as backward and in need of reform, an example being their rejection of immigrants. Globalization is happening whether they like it or not, and immigrants will continue to influence and change their culture; it is inevitable that the Italians will have to at some point recognize this and learn to incorporate the newcomers.
Italy is many things. There are pieces of Italy that I will presumably bring home with me and see in a new light after having left. Leaving and returning has been a theme this quarter, and I expect the same trends that I've experienced leaving and returning from Rome to hold true with Italy and Seattle. I am confident that my idea of who and what is Italian will continue to evolve even after leaving Rome and returning home.