This is the story of two Italians like many others: a degree, many dreams, professional and personal ambitions, the desire to start a home and a family. The years pass, however, and nothing materializes. And in order to finally grow up, the only possible choice is to emigrate. So they decided to go to England like many other Italians.
The story of two Italians in England: Francesca and Costantino
Francesca and Costantino are seated at a coffee table. The table is inside the room, because it's raining outside. The coffee is called Amici My, but it is not in Florence. We are instead in a hamlet of Hampshire, very green county Southern English, where life revolves almost entirely around London and you only come home in the evening.
Francesca and Costantino are two Italians. Indeed “very Italian”, as they prefer to say, since they come from the cradle of the Italian language, the place that gave birth to the fathers of our literature, Florence. They moved to Great Britain in the aftermath of credit crunch and the resulting terrible global economic crisis of 2008. Today they have two children. A five-year-old who attends the infant school under the house, the other born only six months ago and who alternates between the care of the mother and those of the childminder.
The story of two Italians in England: away from Italy ...
Why did you decide to leave Italy?
We had to change country, house, language, landscapes and food to be able to start a family - they tell me -. But here we have found the confidence. This is what is missing in Italy, the hope of having a better future.
But what was the spring that pushed you?
Yet another fixed-term contract for me (it is Costantino who is speaking, a computer engineer) and another internship for her (Francesca graduated in communication and worked as a press officer and social media marketing expert). We had managed with difficulty to rent an apartment for ourselves, small yes, but all ours. Unfortunately we did not know if we would still have a job to be able to renew the contract in one year.
Above all - Francesca remembers - I lived in a state of constant anxiety. I don't mean lack of stability - the world of work has changed and I know that by now it is practically impossible to finish one's career where it started - but precisely of prospects and opportunities to improve and progress made me crazy. I was the one who pressed to leave. I knew that Constantine would have a good chance of finding a well-paying job quickly enough.
The story of two Italians in England: towards a new life
How did the insertion go?
It wasn't easy. The loneliness, the lack of any point of reference and, let's face it, also the difficulty of expressing oneself in a language that is not yours (and we had both taken an intensive English course before leaving) at the beginning they weighed a lot. But we saw that Costantino's work was getting into gear and I had found a part-time job in a café downstairs. Certainly not my aspiration, but fundamental to defeat the isolation of the beginnings and to become familiar with the language. You can study a foreign language as much as you want, but when you arrive there you realize that you understand much less than you thought and that speaking is a big problem. Words do not come to mind, you build Italian sentences, you misunderstand what they say and you answer one thing for another, etc. Meanwhile, I read a lot in English and tried to expose myself to the language as much as possible.
And now, would you go back to Italy?
Now we have taken root here. The older child goes to school (and English schools, at least for the first few years, are truly modern, engaging and a step ahead of the Italian ones) and is perfectly bilingual. We have recently placed the little one in a sort of nest in the family, where a mother, qualified and experienced, takes care of a very limited number of children (no more than three in our case). The goal is to leave me free to go back to work. As for us, Costantino has been working for years in the company he joined as soon as he arrived. On the other hand, I am looking for a job in my field after maternity. Then no. Our life is here.
The story of two Italians in England: the present
So do you have a life plan that sees you in Britain?
We bought a house (since we were finally able to afford it). We have met some people who have become friends. We participate in various groups, both of parents with children, and of Italians in England. We have our points of reference. Here we live better, simply: work is generally better paid and if you lose it, which happens quite frequently especially the higher the position, it is possible to find another one, life is more relaxed (living outside London, which is the best choice for a family), the place full of greenery. The country really is family-friendly and there are many services and many opportunities for meeting and entertainment for children.
Obviously this is not heaven and there are downsides. We eat a lot of fat (and it is no coincidence that the British have many health problems and there are many who are already in a wheelchair at the age of 50). The quality and variety of fruit and vegetables is certainly not comparable to what we find in our markets and practically everything is imported. There are many products missing (you can find them in London or online though) that are the basis of our cuisine. And then the British take a long time to break the ice and in the end it is very likely that your circle of friends will be made up of Italian immigrants like you, while, of course, over time you will distance yourself from the people you knew in Italy. And then in winter the hours of sunshine are very few and the snow is practically never seen.
But slowly you discover that you have managed to build a life. Starting from nothing. While it's not perfect, it's yours in the end. And you are very proud that you made it.
The story of two Italians in England: the future
And then there is Brexit.
Of course. Brexit is a big question mark. We still don't know what it will mean for the Europeans living here. Will I need a visa to stay? Will it be enough to have a job? Or will there be other conditions? And then, what will change for the country's economy to leave the European Union? We don't know, but we hope to be able to stay here. This is our life project.
