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Studying Italian culture, Italian language, and English language have been my favorite past times over the past thirty years. I first visited Italy in June 1982 with students from the University of Georgia’s Study Abroad Program led by Dr. Kehoe. I was so fascinated with Italy that I returned another time with that same university and then with Middlebury College and the University for Foreigners in Perugia. My three children are Italian citizens and I led an Italian Meetup Club in Atlanta for a total of ten years. In thirty-three years, both I and others have noticed some changes that have occurred in life in Italy. Both I and my Italian friends decided that there might be some valuable lessons to be learned from America and from understanding some English. Such lessons might help Italy to arise again to its former position as an example of creative leadership.
I do not wish to imply that all is well in America. Americans certainly have some issues to deal with, issues like the need for a better health insurance system and the need to control guns and armaments. Just the same, tons of Italians are going to America in search of jobs in the healthcare industry and in the creative business industry. Rather than to remain in Italy where Italians say it is difficult to become an entrepreneur, they prefer to risk putting both their knowledge and talents to the test. For many of them, it would be easier to accept the status quo in Italy where there is at least a safety net in case one cannot find work.
In the past thirty years since Italy changed its currency to the Euro, everything has become more costly. Italians complain that their jobs are less secure than they once were and that the pay is relatively lower than it was by comparison to the 1980s. Many Italians over sixty who had to retire earlier than expected were left without retirement and are now waiting for their payments to be approved. Teachers often earn less than 1000 Euros per month, less than a waiter, and the average citizen gets by on 1500 Euros per month as of December 2015. Unless one is already a home owner, he or she will have trouble making ends meet on such a low salary. Furthermore, most young people are unemployed and they at least consider what it might be like to work abroad in order to test their abilities regardless of any difficulties they might face.
There are plenty of talented people who could open their own schools in Italy or sell their own homemade crafts from out of their homes. Unfortunately, some unsympathetic political leaders–even some mafiosi with power–have endorsed laws that make it impossible for Italians to sell their own designs, their art, even their craft projects, and other services from their very own homes! Instead, Italian citizens have to pay for a very expensive “Partita IVA” in order to become independent artists, salespeople and entrepreneurs! Such laws do not favor the development of Italian creativity!
Whereas, an American artist can sell a painting or sculpture from the comfort of his home, an Italian artist cannot do the same unless he decides to work “in black” or pay a huge tax that makes being creative not worth the money! To work in black or “in nero” is to do so without declaring one’s earnings. Although many people do this in Italy, most agree it is better to be a regular business owner who can be proud of his business.
Americans can sell their craft-products from their own homes. They can even set up tutoring services at home for very small fees. There is no limit to what Americans can invent should they find themselves unemployed or should they create art for sheer pleasure. The United States stimulates both entrepreneurship and creativity. It gives young people a chance to have a dream for the future regardless of where they were born. The Italian government only stimulates the dreams of the rich and possibly the dreams of those who inherit a lot of property. It is so much more difficult for a poor man or a poor woman to dream big dreams in Italy where there is a stronger social class system!
Furthermore, many Italians who understand English agree that the American media is fascinating in terms of providing a wide variety of information. One can hear a wider range of news shows in the States. There are also more American movies and music videos than in most of the world so that people are learning American language through the media. Americans have taken it upon themselves to create interesting schools online as well as free tutorials in American English. Although I love the poetic, Italian language, the information that is available to me in Italian is much more limited than what I can find in English, especially when it comes to medical and psychological research. This is why so many Italians that I have met are now learning American English and going to the States to do both research, internships, and fellowships.
I miss great Italian writers like Pier Paolo Pasolini and Alberto Moravia. Movie directors like Fellini stimulated my creative mind! Italy was once known for its creativity that inspired other minds across the globe! Certainly, Italy influenced American thought so I am thankful for those Italian studies that I did with much enthusiasm in the 1980s.
Italian schools are beginning to invite native speakers of English to practice the language with children. Their textbooks have now begun to introduce technical English words, and there is a new interest in learning American English and culture so that young people will have more options. Hopefully, the situation (nearly a depression) in Italy will get better once there will be more global communication. Italy is undoubtedly a living museum where one can see great art, but some Italians told me that Italy has to stop living on its “laurels” of the past (the times of the Renaissance) and the country must now focus on stimulating creativity in its citizens who will be fortunate when and if they will be capable of reinventing the Italian government so that everyone has the equal chance to succeed. America is not a perfect country, but many Italians would like to bring the best aspects of America to the Italy just as Italian Americans of previous generations carried Italian culture to the States.
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Source by Laura Gail Sweeney
