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Cultural Migration in Autobiography Grundtvig Partnerships 2009-2011

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

e-mail: kszia@komesnet.com.pl http://cma.internetdsl.pl

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Destiny Sumaiya Sykes

My story is different from that of an African immigrant. I came to Italy, almost 30 years ago, with my family. My father was a Tanzanian ambassador in Italy; we arrived in Rome in October 1998, 3 days before my 17th birthday. In 1999 I came to Faenza to study ceramics as I did not want to do political science at an American University in Rome. Little did I know that decision was gong to haunt me for many years to follow! In 1991 my family left for Africa and I remained to complete my studies. My intention was to finish and go back to Zanzibar. But my destiny was different. I got married to an Italian man, we have two daughters of mixed race and we live in Faenza.

Sometimes I look back and wonder what it would have been like if I did not come to Europe. I have been asked many a times if I feel Italian!? My response is no, but Italy is my home because my family is here. I have been accepted with respect and tolerance. Am I an immigrant? …yes, for the time being. I say that because I was not forced out of my country for inconvenient reasons, such as poverty or war. And I intend to go back.

I must say living here has not been easy. Anyway, when I arrived in Faenza, I felt like a fish out of the water! I have heard of foreigners who had difficulties in renting homes, getting good jobs and so on because of their race. But one learns to adapt in order to integrate into the society. In some cases I had to work harder to prove people wrong from whatever prejudice they had over Africans. I was brought to respect others. Twenty years later with a lot more immigrants, one could say Faenza has accepted the fact of living with immigrants. My children go to school here, they have integrated well. But they will always be afraid of the unknown. I believe racism is in all of us. And we often experience the feeling of intolerance towards another being. Fortunately we have the capacity to reverse the feeling by learning about people that are different from us.

Sumaiya Sykes was born in Zanzibar, Tanzania, in 1963. She lives in Faenza and has got three daughters.