SU_T_42

[i] Hello [name] !

[r] Hello Good morning!

[i] How are you?

[r] Well all good thanks.

[i] Who is [name] ?

[r] So my name is [name] , I am 28 years old, I come from Egypt, from the northern part of Egypt a smaller city between Cairo and Alexandria is called Munufia the city where I come, So I’m here in Italy, the first entry into Italy was on 09/05/2010 then after a year and a month I had the expelled to Egypt, then after I returned to Italy Then I returned on 17/07/2012, after 11 times to try to return to Italy with boats. Today in Italy I do the faculty of without education are second year regularly. I work with the group of Abel, in Binary, in the bookstore

[i] How was that experience of entering Italy by boat the way you lived it?

[r] Then it was not very easy, it was really very difficult to get here, especially spending 10 days in the sea, quite difficult, last time I arrived here in Italy with the boat, it was long like 30 meters we were on the boat 120 people

[i] Were there women children with you?

[r] No! But there were under 18s who were 1/3 of the people on the boat.

[i] What are the reasons for insisting so much on risking one’s life to reach Italy? What motivated you?

[r] Then, for sure, whoever tries to arrive in Italy in this way is not looking for a better life, because I can’t risk my life to find a better life, I finished the first two years then seeing the situation in the country especially that not having the opportunity to find work then after I finished, I’m the oldest of 5 brothers, we live with the salary of my father which is worth like 300 €, so seeing all these reasons, and knowing after I finished college I could not find work I chose to come here in Italy.

If she had found a job in your country in Egypt, wouldn’t I have risked my life, wouldn’t you have come here?

But I was talking about when before the Arab Spring, there was Mubarack so let’s talk about dictatorship, lack of opportunity to live, and then even if I’m a son.

[i] So we can say are the political problems because there is the very tough situation there is not so much freedom to express even on equality, in the sense that if you are a son of! you have more chance than a simple poor normal citizen in the sense that he is not rich

[r] Certainly correct, especially that the situation there was not possible to find the life I wanted, as I said here with work and doing college, I managed to achieve quite everything I wanted in my country here fortunately I found life quite quiet.

[i] At least what someone is looking for in his country for a fairly peaceful life, the land has nothing to do with it, we all love our land. But unfortunately it governs in our countries as things are going, it pushes you to make choices, maybe your heart doesn’t want it but your brain wants it so much. In these times that you are here in Italy, have you managed to integrate yourself quite well without any problems, do you have any friendships?

[r] Yes, then my only discomfort I can’t find my Arab friends. Because I’m married to an Italian woman we have 2 children one is 2 years old the second is 6 months old so in the circle of my friends’ cousins my classmates in the faculty I can no longer find

[i] There is no more space for another Arab, this union between an Italian and an Arab, at home how does this union live, your Egyptian culture you managed to preserve it ? Do you practice it also in your daily life ?

[r] So especially today there is a very important moment for us Muslims, my wife has maintained her religion, which is a Christian one. We made an agreement that always finds a point in the middle, that is maybe I want one thing and she another discusses it in the middle finds a favorable point. It is this, we are together 5 years we have always found this point in the middle

[i] So can we say that you marry not only people bodies but also cultures marries people even religion?

[r] Yes, exactly when I talk about the story with my wife say the beauty of our copy is the diversity is always found, even that of religion.

[i] Of course, as we can imagine, one culture is beautiful in itself, so to have another culture in addition is a wealth.

[r] Yes, sometimes that Federica who is my wife when I parry with me, says poor my friends who see not to attend other cultures, so always remain closed behind my culture This limits my vision does not show me other possibilities, and other even not my culture the best so called is no longer worth anything .

[i] What do you eat at home Italian or mixed Egyptian cuisine?

[r] Then Italian until my mother arrives from Egypt.

[r] Did you help her?

[r] Yes, but my kitchen I cook Arabic Egyptian cuisine not all that little I learned, seeing my mom burn and throw away after all this practice I can cook more less what I want to eat Egyptian stuff, but also so much Egyptian food my mom when she came here to see us, he cooked for me and my wife always invited us where he lived, there my wife discovered many tastes that maybe he had not seen in his life, first he did not want to try but then afterwards

[i] Just try it, the fact that until you know your neighbor until you know things do not then judge, so just try it to understand .

[r] Today as today and she asking me to cook those that my mom cooks Not as good as my mom did but approaches .

[i] The music you listen to, do you listen to Egyptian or Italian music where you are most orientated?

[r] Apart from the 8:15 that always my wife wants to see a place in the sun movies that does not last 35 years, what I understand is that for many years she follows him, So after it is finished this maybe we put movies on new programs those who show on TV, then maybe every now and then I put things Egyptian movies and music etc. Especially for my children who maybe they want to know my culture, Egyptian cartoon is the favorite for my son.

[i] Speaking of children in your opinion your culture would like to transmit to them, you’re transmitting it to them you make them live so giving them the opportunity to choose?

[r] It’s a bit delicate, but I can prove as long as you can, for religion they practice or come with me either to the mosque or maybe we all go together to church for Christmas for Easter for all religious events for either one or the other, but they have the freedom of choice, you would like them to become Muslims, it’s my wish. But this does not obey their choice, once they have the state to decide that part to be for me will be a very important thing this moment

[i] As long as they’re convinced they’re going to be okay. As a refugee since you have a situation, how do you see this mass of immigration these guys who come with boats, how do you see it is what here? this period how can it be managed?

[r] I do not know for all countries, but I can talk about mine, most of the people who come here either from Egypt or the other side of the world, because the mass that comes now are more Syrians for the cause of their country even on the southern side of Africa for poverty. so I’m sorry for all these people who come here also other unfortunately there is no ha do it also because maybe to come here there are 18 days in the sea closed, no country in the European Union does not want to let them enter because of border policy, the land I believe when it was created God did not make any border, you do not see is a border that put the human being, especially to be closed behind these borders then they are more interested in what is on the other side this in my opinion is a wrong thing. Especially perhaps with all those who arrive yes the number is always higher add to this country, not only take what everyone should have. Because they are new ideas Hand of work we must not look at them only as a point of need Because

[i] can also enrich on the cultural economic level

[r] Sure, because that bring knowledge, experience language idea, and then according to me as they say in Egypt “always they are hidden under the dust” so even under the dust We must find who is there. And I believe that when these people arrive here they have a lot of difficulties, first of all linguistic, and this is the less many people can learn the Italian language, the second difficulty is the confidence, when I arrive here as an immigrant I do not have so much confidence with the people in front of me, especially in front of an inhuman look. This can ruin the report. That was about to be born, this look can really cause discomfort to the relationship even if I want to help the person who has just arrived.

[i] We can say that it is enough to look with a human eye, put oneself in their shoes to understand that one goes to risk his own life for the most expensive case that can have Escaping from a country full of poverty war is rightly wants only one thing better than something that is better than what it has. Thank you [name] for your presence thank you for answering my questions thank you

[r] Thanks to you.