interviews with immigrants Laetitia

Interview with an Italian immigrant

One day in 1962, a lovely lady whose name is Giuseppina left her homeland with her husband Giuseppe. She was just 18 and he was 28 years old. She was born in Calabria in the South of Italy. This area was very poor, so she had to emigrate if she wanted to improve her living conditions and have a better future. Moreover there was a scarcity of jobs. Leaving her homeland was difficult because she had to leave her family (her mother, her brothers and her sisters) and her friends.

The couple chose France because it was the nearest country and there was some work. They preferred settling in Savoie because there were other Italians there and this region is close to the border. They travelled by train. They stayed 20 hours seated in the corridor with their luggage. The journey was long, tiring and hard. It is 1400 kilometres to reach France. When they arrived, they had to go to Annecy for a medical visit to be accepted in France.

First, they lived in a hotel. Luckily, they found jobs quickly: Giuseppina worked as a cleaner and Giuseppe was a builder. Because of their jobs they rented an apartment in Cognin. It was very tricky for them to integrate into French society. In fact, they didn’t speak French, and they didn’t know how to read and write. So, it was hard for the administrative documents likes the driving license and identity papers.

They have been living in France for 47 years and they love this country. They have 3 children who speak the two languages: Italian and French. This family is a mixture of two cultures. The Italian culture is always present in their lives. Frequently, they return to their small Italian village “San Pietro in Amentea” to go back to their roots. They meet up with family and friends again.

So there is the story of my grandparents.

Laetitia MASSARD-COMBE 1ère ES3