SU_T_02

[i] Hello [name] !

[r] Hello!

[i] Would you like to introduce yourself and tell us who you are?

[r] I am [name] I come from Morocco, I am here in Italy since 1991 I am here to change a little my situation that there was in the country, you know one studies but with the poverty that there is. You can’t have more than one wish so I decided to go abroad. Italy was the first country because my sister brought me here.

[i] So you came alone?

[r] My sister was here first, and then I arrived alone in 91.

[i] When did you make this decision? Was it easy for you, for your family?

[r] No. More like a young girl and I wanted the best things. And when my sister asked me to come here to Italy, it was beautiful, I remember it was beautiful.

[i] How did you get here the first time with everything you dreamed of having, to reach out to the real world when you saw this country?

[[r] But look, it wasn’t easy to get to a country that isn’t yours and you don’t know the language, and you don’t know where you’re going from. Yes, there was my sister, but not even my sister had done so much time here in Italy, she arrived here in 89 and I arrived here in 91. But it’s nice it’s bad the same time, because a young girl with a lot of desire to live, want to do, finds a bit of difficulty the first thing is the language Then people there is who trusts who does not. Anyway, it’s nice, after a while, you understand Italian and it integrates with other people so that it’s nice.

[i] So, in your opinion, the first step for a good integration is to learn the language and to interact with people?

[r] Yes! because the more you talk the more you know what they say, the more you answer, practically when there is a dialogue, there is someone who speaks to you, and in any case you know what to say if you don’t know you always put yourself aside, and the more you are aside the more people think something about you that you are not because keeping you behind people doesn’t know you, but if you want people to know you you have to introduce themselves to people. That was it, now I say I won, yes.

[i] In your opinion, after all these years you have lived here in Italy, Italy in 2019 and Italy in 1991, what are the differences?

[r] There is a difference between heaven and earth as they say. In 1991 there was work but little trust, in the sense that they do not know you. I remembered in ’90 ’91 until ’96 that I didn’t have the documents people do take you to work but with confidence, at that time there was no one who gave you this confidence except the sisters, the sisters when you go to write to them and spend time with them then send you, teach you the first things to work. I was taught how to do basic necessities with an anxious person, if the work is found. Having a house was a bit difficult, but gradually this was also the case. But the difference between before and now is that there are more migrants and the more people hear what immigrants do, even if you are wrong only one involve everyone and then you find it difficult. But I thank God I have a family I have children, I have succeeded not say alone, I have been next to an Italian person, who has been close to me and has not left me until now, for this I must say thank you to God and thank you to this person that God has put in my path, I say I was so lucky to have this person, in my path.

[i] When you arrived in Turin, did you pass through some other city?

[r] No, I arrived with my visa, I went down to Rome, from Rome I arrived directly to Turin. I stayed, I don’t say unfortunately because I like Turin. I got along well in Turin By now I’ve made friends I’ve made acquaintances I can’t after 25 years that I’m here changing city I don’t think about changing city, if I change it will be to go back to my country, I don’t change it for another place.

[i] There is the possibility that one day you will return to your country despite the difficulties like Maroco, so would you return to your country starting from scratch?

[r] Look at a question that if you asked me a while ago I’d say yes, now I have a 6 year old boy and a 20 year old boy, I’ll say no. But inside me, between me and my husband come back and retire where we were born Yes. If God wants our children to settle well here in Italy or wherever they want, they rightly feel Italian, it is clear that one has taken citizenship and the other not yet. If they feel European, I can’t let them come back, but with my husband the thought of going back to old age does.

[i] How can we say that you are a very open mother, in the sense that you don’t force your children to do what you want them to do, you give them the freedom to choose their future where they want to build it?

[r] That’s right. But of course I did my future by myself because I have to force my children to do it? I thank God also to my husband that we are open on this side here. Our children are not obliged to do what we do. I was also a girl, I chose to come to Italy, I chose to work, and I also chose to marry and have children. Because they not to my children, I agree that they choose what they want.

[i] A question [name] , how do you live the Moroccan culture in your daily life, both in the home environment, food, music, costumes, you managed to know your culture?

[r] Yes. In terms of food, I also introduced him to other Italian people, I cooked for almost thirty people together, I never had any problems, only once in 2011 when it happened in America, but it happened that an elderly person of 100 years, his son and daughter-in-law were working with them, they are good people, but not with him.

[i] What happened in 2011?

[[r] What happened when it happened because they also talk about immigrants about these things here for me hasn’t changed anything, for us we were always treated well, I put on normal costumes with them well, they accepted me for what I am, Thank God I don’t have problems with my costumes.

[i] Have you managed to pass on your culture to your children?

Yes. not 100% but 80% yes. Because young people know it, they follow fashion, they follow other children instead yes. I say yes 80% yes.

[i] Which languages do they speak besides Italian?

[r] They speak my Arabic language, the ones my eldest son studied both French and English.

[i] So you see that it’s right to keep one’s culture at its roots, there’s no problem enriching yourself with other cultures, especially if you live in that country with a different culture?

If he goes to France if he goes from another country he speaks that language, if I let my son speak only Italian and Arabic it means that if he doesn’t integrate with other countries, I won’t choose the future of my children, if they want to go to America or engulf or another country at least they know the language, so studying is good for them.

[i] Now let’s talk about food. Then tell us about the typical dish famous in Morocco?

[r] The couscous, tajine, al harira both on Arab samane bread and other dishes

[i] Did you share food with people who are not Moroccans with Italians?

[r] Yes,

[i] Has it been appreciated?

[r] Very very much very much

[i] This is a cultural exchange, we come with our Arab culture, we represent our culture, why not make it known.

[r] Yes, because they feel that you are a Moroccan person, the first thing that a person speaks if he talks to another Italian person says that there is a kitchen is made by a Moroccan Almost 30 40 people come to know you also to taste only your food, and leave satisfied with what you stay after a friendship also ask for a phone number means yes they love you for what you did, what you presented, but you do not only present food, but presnti yourself as you are made with food also with clothing to prepare with other people. I’m happy that I showed my culture to other Italian people, indeed beyond Italian people were there that day.

[i] What do you think about what is happening on the subject of immigration ? especially these times is a very hard time for all, these landings continue to come these problems are not well managed, so there is a bit of tension a bit of difficulty to accept the stangy, immigrant?

[r] Yes, they look at us like those who steal work, steal food, but no one escapes from the country if they find the best, they must look at us as normal people, they were born equal to them, their skin changes, but even if you cut the skin you find blood and flesh, if he came between the sea to change his life, his way of life means that he has not found the best where he was then he changes, when he comes here, I do not say the same day he finds work and home, etc., even he must integrate must accept what he finds must be good. However, he must work with the host country, you must respect the rules of the country that welcomes you say there is a difference between immigrant 25 years ago and now there is a lot of difference. Yes, once if you go, you’ll knock on any place you find is welcome. Now it’s different, too many people come here, here in Italy there are those who want them there are those who don’t want them, they don’t know what to decide about people then we are all human we are not animals, I see them as people, believe me to see children wives on the sea escaping from the war fleeing hunger, no one escapes from his country because he is well. If you talk from Libya there is war, if you talk to Egyptian you find that there is no peace if you talk to Syrian too, people run away. Why do you have to die on the sea? I say for one who chooses this decision because he is desperate more than we look out. Maybe I am an immigrant from here, but at that time I came by plane was different. But if I run away from my country because there is hunger, war, violence against women practically because there is, I would do it with everything I have I would go to another country yes. I escape.

[i] Let’s change the subject I’d like to ask you have some hobbies, do some sports do something else that you like?

[i] I do the embroidery, I do the stairs and I cook for my children this I like to cook for me is a hobbi and sew because in my country I also made the seamstress .

[i] So the kitchen is your strong point even the hobby?

[r] Yes, I’ve also learned to make other sweet dishes here in Italy. My first job the lady taught me how to make bagna cauda. she taught me how to make stuffed zucchini

[i] Is La bagna cauda a typical Piedmontese dish?

[r] Yes I know

[i] So a Moroccan who makes typical Piedmontese dishes is not easy. But the kitchen, I only know what you cook in my country. Then in my country my good-hearted mother cooks her or my brothers, I was still young. And the first thing that makes me look at it, at that time I didn’t know Italian well either because now I remember his words, now I understand what it means, it tells me first what I teach you to cook and talk. So this was the start of loving the kitchen.

[r] Do you have any goals or dreams that you would like to realize one day?

[r] Yes,

[i] Which one?

[r] Go to the largest mosque

[i] Go make the pilgrimage to Mecca?

[r] Yes .

[i] Beyond that?

[r] See my son graduate, because I dreamed of this since he was little that I took him to the agile, the more nest I follow him now that he is 20 years old, and I want my sacred on him . I would like to see that flower wreath on the head of my son, and the other is 6 years old I have more than 50 I do not know if I arrive or not, but I would also like it for the little one. For the moment for the big yes

[i] Do you have something to say, to add?

[r] I have lived here, I thank God who brought me to this country, I thank God first, I thank my sister for the second, I thank Livy for the third.

[i] Is Livia the person who helped you with your work?

[r] If I’m talking about this person, I can make a book that will never end about this person who has never left me, never until now.

[i] Also on my part we thank this person, and all the good people who exist in the world and this is a good thing that makes us hope this is very nice, Thank you for happening answered my questions

[r] Thank you.