Magazin Du - Italiener in der Schweiz
The topic of migration moves people in every country, everywhere and always. In these times, this can be seen in Brexit, the wave of Syrian refugees travelling to Germany and the planned wall between Mexico and the USA.
People have always left their homeland for political or economic reasons in order to find a future abroad.
In this issue of Du, we tell the story of an emigration from Italy to Switzerland that is over a hundred years old. Even before 1900, thousands of Italians flocked here for the construction of the Gotthard railway tunnel, mainly mountain farmers who had no future in their homeland. Political refugees also arrived during the fascist dictatorship. With the economic upturn of the sixties and seventies, many workers from southern Italy followed, working as seasonal workers in construction, factories and the catering industry. Once again, they brought a different culture to Switzerland than their compatriots from northern Italy.
In Switzerland, the Italians were regarded as scoundrels, there was massive xenophobia and the local women were warned against them. The Italians defied this hostility. Fortunately! Because they brought the Mediterranean lifestyle to Switzerland, with their culture and, above all, their food. Despite meagre labour wages, many maintained their style, beauty and elegance through their clothes and their way of life: fare bella figura. This was incredibly good for the staid Swiss of the time. But the migrants didn't just suffer from everyday exclusion: their stay was often limited to just one year, they were not allowed to bring their relatives with them, especially their children, which meant that they either grew up at home with their grandparents or were hidden away as illegals in cupboards and under beds and didn't go to school. Nevertheless, the story of the Italians in Switzerland is not only sad, but also full of hope. Through their fates, intimacy, solidarity, friendship, unity and a new sense of belonging emerged among them. Today, Italians and Swiss are completely mixed, and many descendants have made great careers, some of which we have the honour of presenting in this issue. These examples show that we should not be afraid of migration - after all, it is often misused politically - it also represents a wonderful opportunity for the further development of a country.