ABOVE: “Luigi Infantino”, Sussex Agricultural Express, Friday 1 March 1957, page 8
Music was another cultural aspect in which Italians were able to express their identities and take pride in them, aided by the popularisation of Italian music from the 1950s onward. The above extract is one of several local adverts featured in newspapers across the South Coast in 1957, in advance of Luigi Infantino's tour of England. For a taster of his music, along with a few other contemporary songs from other artists, click on the playlist below.
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Source: British Newspaper Archives
Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Source for all: British Newspaper Archives
Images © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
ABOVE:
“Bitter Rice”, Sussex Agricultural Express, Friday 4 August 1950, page 6
“Canzone Eterna”, Portsmouth Evening News, Saturday 23 Feb 1952, page 4
“Bread Love and Jealousy”, Eastbourne Gazette, Wednesday 25 April 1956, page 15
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According to Margherita Sprio, film is one of the key mediums in influencing both cultural perceptions and ideas of identity.
When speaking of its effects on Italian migrants, Sprio claims that those shown in England, in Italian dialogue with English subtitles, were significant in encouraging a sense of self worth within Italian communities and also gave them a feeling of visibility.[1] Without viewing records, it is impossible to say for certain which groups watched the above films the most, although it might be assumed that some Italians did go to see them. Nevertheless, the fact that Italian dialogue films were being shown frequently in a variety of cinemas across the South Coast suggest two things: the first is that Italy's commercial success helped in popularising Italian culture in England and the second, more importantly, that film provided an outlet in which Italian migrants could express their identities and feel more comfortable within themselves.
[1] Margherita Sprio. Migrant Memories: Cultural History, Cinema, and the Italian Post-War Diaspora in Britain. Bern: Peter Lang, 2013.
CULTURE AND TRADITIONS
What customs and cultural practices did migrants bring? What happened when Italy became a commercial success?
The immediate post-war years in Italy were difficult economically and socially, particularly in the South. However, in the 1950s, its prospects began to improve and the country increasingly became a commercial success, both at home and abroad. Italian migrants brought this success to England upon their arrival which soon became as much about culture as about money...
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'New' cultural practices, such as coffee drinking, exposed non-Italian communities to Italian customs and traditions on a larger scale than they had been before. For Italian migrants, this was not just about economic gain but also about holding on to the cultural aspects of home. For the majority, this became hugely important to their migrant identities, especially when 'home' was no longer just a physical place but often a psychological one too.
To form new identities and maintain their sense of 'Italianness', Italians living on the South Coast organised a variety of social gatherings, with picnics and barbecues on the beach being especially popular. Celebrations, such as weddings and christenings, reinforced the importance of family and community, simulating the village and regional ties found at home. Today, whilst such gatherings have decreased in number significantly, there are some organisations and societies, like the South Coast Italian Association in Sussex, who continue their endeavours to preserve traditions and encourage others to learn about their Italian roots.
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