Italians Flashcards
business success
Many Italian immigrants set up very successful catering businesses by opening fish and chip shops (such as Tortolano’s) or cafes which were very popular among Scots.
As a result, many Italian immigrants experienced business success.
hairdressing
Italian immigrants established the first hairdressing college in Glasgow using the skills that they had brought from the worlds of art and theatre to help make hairstyling a form of personal expression.
This led to many Italians experiencing creative success.
strong community
Italian immigrant families continued to speak Italian at home and Italian newspapers such as La Scozia were published in Italian. Many social gathering places such as Casa d’Italia in the West End of Glasgow kept Italian culture alive.
As a result, Italian immigrants experienced a very strong and well-connected Italian community.
political tensions
After Mussolini took power in Italy in 1922, some Italians were targeted by anti-fascist Scots who were suspicious of them. While some Italian’s did openly support Mussolini and his fascist ideas, many did not but still experienced hostility from some Scots.
working class
Generally, working class Scots did not object to Italian immigrants because they tended to establish their own businesses or work within Italian-owned businesses and industries.
They were not competing for jobs so Scots tended to react well to the Italians.
church of scotland and the media
The Church of Scotland claimed that the Italian late-night café culture was encouraging Scottish teenagers to behave poorly and affecting their morals.
These Scots therefore reacted to the Italian community with fury.
temperance
Italian café owners supported the Scottish Temperance Movement by refusing to sell alcohol.
Many Scots praised Italians for this because it gave young Scots an alternative to the pub for socialising.
insular
Italian immigrants and their children tended to mix exclusively within the Italian community. They worked very long hours and had few days off, and any free days would be spent within the community.
Therefore, initially Italians did not assimilate much.
education
Very few Italians stayed on at school or went onto colleges or universities to study further, opting instead to continue working within the family businesses.
This prevented assimilation in Scottish professions.
later generations
Italian-Scots began to integrate much more into Scottish society in the
1920s and 30s. Marriages between Italians and Scots became more common, and young people began to have more freedoms to mix with Scots. However, life continued to centre around the family and the wider Italian community.
