Immigration, integration of the Chinese community. The "schools of the border" in Italy. Interview with Mark Wong, Honorary President of associating. Schools frontier. This is the term coined for those institutions for a number predominance of foreign students compared to those of Italian nationality. Using this fanciful name, you can designate schools in every part of Italy, from Milan, Prato, Rome. In the Capital, for example, has done much to discuss the case of the school Pisacane and Di Donato, the latter located within the district Esquilino, the true heart of the multiethnic city. Italian parents protest, the institutions do not take any action and some people to be armed to enroll their children in other schools.
The resulting situation is highlighted, then, by a proposal, currently not yet official, the Minister of Education Mariastella Gelmini, shown in a March 19 press conference at Palazzo Chigi. Proposal that would aim to set a ceiling of 30% of immigrant pupils per class in each school Italian. This measure, according to the Minister, would promote the integration and could facilitate the learning of Italian language by students of different linguistic and cultural tradition. One wonders how effective this system, the importance of institutions for the implementation of policies promoting the integration, how important are the migrants and economic development of Italian culture and the perception that the Italian people and the institutions of them.
born from the need to give answers to these questions, the need to know the point of view, to which the media often do not give much space to those who are the true object of these discussions. In that respect it was seeking the opinion of the engineer. Marco Wong, Honorary President of the associate, the association of second generation Chinese. He, too, Chinese origin, born in Italy, was often seen spokesman for the Chinese community through the Italian media. A point of view that is a theme of denial with respect to the (pre) the general concept of a community among the most discussed.
- What is your opinion, the health status of integration in Italy, especially then with respect to the Chinese community?
MW: Certainly there could be several points of improvement. As for the Chinese community, there are different situations. In fact, I usually never talk of a Chinese community, but many Chinese communities. Why are there people like me who are second generation. They are always in Italy, so it's difficult to talk about integration, while there are people of recent immigration, which clearly have issues which are quite different. Let's say that in general, everything is affected by a national framework in which the alien is not seen as a resource, an opportunity, possibly as a something to control, limit ... so an inconvenient necessity.
- Lately I think he noticed that the media attention has shifted primarily on facts of record in which they are involved (and not so alleged) immigrants. She believes that this is a method of government control over certain issues?
MW: Certainly there is a tendency in the media to portray the phenomenon of immigration only in certain aspects, for which, normally, one that more attention is the part about the record, that is a side effect of ' immigration. There is no mention almost never, for example, those who are positive aspects, although this is part of the characteristics of the media, the press. It is said that makes more noise than the falling tree that the growing forest, right? In this case it really speaks in a forest, because the immigrants in Italy, by now, almost 4 million and create a considerable part of Italian wealth. But the one on which we dwell always reading the newspaper, are the facts of the crime, they are involved in some way for immigrants. And then, above all, is done in a way that tends to see just a part of reality.
- speak precisely of numbers. She learned that the Minister Gelmini has proposed to put a minimum threshold, in the classroom, 30% of immigrant children? Do you believe that there really is a problem of distribution of pupils, such as can be Pisacane in school or in the Esquiline Di Donato?
MW: In an ideal world the proposal of the Gelmini should also have positive aspects, it would be better if the school is as much as possible in a position to receive the contributions of all communities and to give to everyone. So, say, a training class as balanced as possible might be a good thing. What makes, in fact, this kind of negative proposals is that, firstly, the distribution of foreign students is on a territorial basis. Normally, it is that you choose an institution rather than a more or less depending on the number of foreigners or Italians who are there. A roof, a predetermined percentage of foreign students is a complicated and difficult to manage because there are, as I said, lots of situations. There are kids who came in groups in Italy and have absolutely no language problems and are certainly not comparable to the guys who came, perhaps already formed and they pose a different kind of problems. Then there are regional differences, there are neighborhoods where there is another large proportion of immigrants, and what do you do? It forces you to go to another district as a matter of quotas? What I think should be done is to give schools the flexibility in terms of ease of mediators, which means they can be managed flexibly by institutions. So I would say that this proposal is only an act of propaganda.
- About institutions, how important is the dialogue between representatives of various communities and institutions. And since there is currently?
MW: Well, I would say that there are ongoing efforts that are different depending on the city government of their political color. An effective formula does not exist. I would be the idea that as long as there is no real form of representation for foreign nationals, all other things are palliatives without any real effectiveness. Because if there is a real representation, foreigners will be considered as an easy scapegoat blamed for all the ills of this world, simply because you do not have the opportunity to defend themselves through their real representative. The solutions of the type of foreigners visit, councilors, etc., are only palliatives that address shortly. Risk becoming fig leaves, put them to cover the shame.
- Let me understand, then you believe that a direct representation of the different communities, different ethnic groups within the Italian territory, may be the right solution?
MW: The long-term solution, in my opinion would be that foreign nationals can vote in local elections at least, anyway. Let us remember that American democracy, often referred to as a symbol in the West, was based on the principle, "No taxation without representation". In short, I contributed to the wealth of this country and want to have a representative. If the 700 was in America the opportunity to put forward these ideas, I see today in the Italian because there is no space for this principle.
- Let us now turn to another subject: the Esquiline. According to her, Equilino can be a model of multi-ethnic district in which the integration is to be the focus of attention and the distinction between cultures? Or is it already?
MW: In some ways it already is. To highlight a model that might be reference to other situations, however, I would say that maybe there would have to make some improvements. First, it often happens that to the fact that the Esquiline is taken as a model, it takes more than half, a bit 'of ideology. So, perhaps, the champions of multiculturalism tend to use it to prove some thesis. While, in the district there are also appearances that have a much more gloomy multiculturalism. Thus, any of which would have to become more ideal, is to be interpreted and seen in a clean way by certain logic that can come from any part.
- Do you believe that the presence of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, in the heart of the Esquiline, can be a vehicle for bringing together two realities so far as may be the Chinese and Italian?
MW: It 's a possibility. But perhaps there is currently little, because there is very little interaction between students and communities. This is probably one of the things you could work to ensure that the Esquiline really can become a model. We hope it can be. At this time, there are faults but it is a fact that students often live in the university as a "esamificio. Then they the priority of studying for exams, pass exams and so on, and very little time left for everything else ... and it is a missed opportunity.
- I personally have noticed, by the Chinese merchants, students of the Faculty where they often go to buy the goods, a closure to the students themselves, a reluctance in the interaction. This becomes more evident, for example, when you try to talk to managers in their language. Often those who come across the counter replied in Italian. This way people interact, dare I say "aseptic" I do not think it's a cultural issue. I want to know, how will the Chinese community to integrate with the Italian?
MW: This is a question that should be done in a parallel in Italian, is it? There's never a lot of respect between students and the world of work. So if one goes into any business and interact with salespeople, only to have a chat is actually a bit 'weird. So, let's say, is a question of circumstances. But I think it depends on the person and the type of work they do. Then, as I said before, just for the fact that, especially recently, there is much media attention, there is actually a bit 'reaction, so the Chinese traders tend to have a bit 'mistrust.
- Talking to join. She is the honorary president of the association of second generation Chinese. The corresponding site is a portal where they meet for most Chinese, but many Italians. I want to know what is the answer, the Italian public to this portal and initiatives that this portal offers?
MW: The website is born, first as a meeting point for the Chinese second generation. The fact that the other Chinese associations, for language reasons, most often do not have a website, has started to fill a void that was still there. So, he began almost as a mouthpiece to do a little ' Chinese communities. And then there was an evolution from the website, a virtual meeting place only to the organization of many real actions. So, for example, we held events last year in which they saw thousands of people. And then no longer wants to be just a virtual meeting point, only about issues of identity but a broader spectrum. Now there are many initiatives that go towards the fight against misinformation, how the original mission was to create a meeting place for the second generation where you can discuss the identity and many common themes, and then as with many other initiatives which are also linked to the first generations of Chinese.
- Speaking of information. It can be said that China, through the information we receive, has lost its old exoticism to give way to a vision of China, perhaps more realistic? Or we Italians have yet the idea of \u200b\u200bChina far, far away?
MW: The idea of \u200b\u200bChina that there has been over the years, has always been very partial. Especially do not take into account the rapid change that is in China. Why China is changing very quickly and there is the perception that public opinion changes, but not as fast and not so successfully. For example, in 70s, when there was still a cultural revolution, say, the contribution of China to the West in terms of ideas, was very significant, important, for example, in '68. What came in the West, however, was a distortion of what actually was happening in China. If we, in those years, we had an injury almost positive. Now we are witnessing a distortion as large but in negative terms. So often we tend to show more negative aspects of China without context. At a time when we talk about human rights and pollution and so on, you forgot to mention that China's policy over the last thirty years, pulled out of poverty hundreds of millions of people. I think, rightly, when in China it is said that the first human right is to exist, it can be said that the policies that have been in China have really helped to give the primary human right to hundreds of millions of people. It is clear that no country is heaven on earth, but you should contextualize the information in this way you do about China. And then we tend to forget that China is changing very fast indeed and perhaps for these reasons, it is objectively difficult to give a correct representation.
Published on the following websites and blogs:
The hedge over the hedge: http://culturalizzandi.blogspot.com
CinaOggi: http://www.cinaoggi.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1616:intervista-a-marco-wong-presidente-onorario-di-associna&catid=22:news-dalla-cina&Itemid=10
Immigrazione.biz: http://www.immigrazione.biz/approfondimenti/intervista_a_marco_wong.php
Versoriente.net: http://www.versoriente.net/default.asp?riferimento=dettaglioArticolo&idArticolo=491&idPaese=1
