Experiences Of Italian Immigrants

Question 1

Religion

Answer 1

• Deeply Catholic
• helped build churches
• religion central to life
• church opposed cafe culture

Question 2

Work

Answer 2

• family run catering- fish and chips, ice cream parlours, cafes, confectioneries
• brought new foods to working class of Scotland
• cafe culture: popular cuz open late at night and place where young people can hang out away from family.
• cafe culture: sold cigarettes, fish and chips and confectionary

Question 3

Housing

Answer 3

• Italian communities in Gorbals, Glasgow. And Grass market, Edinburgh.
• italians dispersed around Scotland because of their work in catering
• majority lived in Glasgow

Question 4

Scot’s Reaction

Answer 4

• No threat to Scottish businesses, native workers or wage levels so liked by Scot’s for that
• Scot’s made fun of Italian accent and poor English.
• Protestant opposition to Roman Catholicism
• Many Scot’s angry at cafe culture: open on Sundays, immoral behaviour, drinking, dating.
• therefore some Italian parlour owners joined temperance movement to prevent being accused of ‘lowering moral standards’

Question 5

Assimilation

Answer 5

• accepted into Scottish society fault readily due to service provided by cafes etc.
• kept strong link with home country and heritage
• did not integrate with Scots, faced criticism for it