Independent Research Outline

For my part of the project, I will be discussing the stories of the immigrants I met at Esquilino. It will serve as the tread of the paper. When I bring up different issues that they encounter, my other group members will discuss them in more detail. For example, if I talk about the issues they face for employment, then the person focusing on employment will delve deeper into that area with research on immigrants’ employment issues. My story will serve as the lead that each of the three topics will begin their discussion. When one issue is covered, I will move on to the next part of the story that covers the following topic until all aspects we have chosen are covered.

Here I described so far what my second encounter with these immigrants entailed:

I’m a stranger. We are both strangers. This is what Rahmen told me when I talked to him the second time after our brief initial encounter (described in my Esquilino post). He described the familiarity he felt towards me and the need for “strangers” to connect. He wanted me to feel welcomed in this foreign land, since he was fully aware of the lost and confused feeling when he first arrived in Italy 20 years ago (in 1989). He was from Bangladesh and before he came to Italy, he worked as a sailor on a boat for 5 years. He has been to places all over Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece, etc.), Asia (China’s Canton, Shanghai, Hangzhou; Singapore; etc.), Brazil, and the U.S. Through his travels, he met a lot of people and made friends from all over the world. His experiences taught him the importance of building friendships with “strangers,” plus he enjoyed meeting and befriending new people (which provided him with a more worldly view). He introduced me two his friends around his shoe store (he worked for its Italian owner who had a Nigerian wife, Tomi): Raju (from Bangladesh, who sells clothes and shoes and been here for two years) and Sohel (also from Bangladesh and sells shoes and clothes).

One of the most interesting conversations I had was with Tomi. She is Nigerian, but she has lived in Italy for almost 30 years and is married to an Italian (the owner of shoe shop Rahmen works at). Both of them live around Piazza Vittorio. She met her husband as a student in Italy during her vacation (learning English and Italian in Nigeria before coming to Italy). Currently, she works at the Nigerian Embassy (concerning immigration) and is studying French so she can work in the French Embassy. We talked for a while and when I told her I will be traveling to Naples soon, she warned me for at least 20 minutes of the dangers of that area and how to protect myself (her stories were shocking but interesting). I felt genuinely cared for and protected from her, from Rahmen. Tomi was like a mother figure in the way she gave me advice (what to do to protect myself, who can be trusted, and if I need anything just call her). I told her of my depressing Italian ability. She nodded and smiled. Tomi: I know. I was once you, in your situation. Don’t worry, we are your friends. I will help you. If you ever need anything, just let me know. I will be here. They “were” strangers, but I feel familiar, comforted, and at home with them.

I adored her and her family and the way that she interacted with her mother-in-law(describing the funny situation of her mother-in-law speaking Roman Italian with another vendor speaking Neapolitan Italian) and husband. They were all so affectionate towards on another (Tomi, her husband, her mother-in-law, Rahmen, and vendors). I talked with them until the shop closed. Even when everyone had to leave, they stayed to joke, laugh, and hug before they finally parted ways (at least 15 minutes after closing).

Then Rahmen and I went to a café near the market (run by Chinese) where I had a cappuccino and a slice of cake (his treat). While there, I met another one of his friends who is Moroccan and talked briefly to him. Both kept on commenting on how I look do not like a Chinese person, more of a mix (maybe part European)—they’ve seen many Chinese immigrants around their area and don’t think I resemble them. After our conversation, he took me to the bus and said goodbye. He offered Indian food for my next visit! I will visit them again soon and I can’t wait to learn more about them!