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Oral history recording with Margo Giovannone. He grew up in Tonpentre and is a third generation Welsh-Italian. His grandmothe, grandfather and father were also recorded as part of the project. See AV 11357 - AV 11362. Recorded as part of the Italian Memories in Wales project (2008-10), delivered by ACLI-ENAIP and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Margo is a 71 third generation Welsh-Italian. Her maternal side was a Welsh speaking, deeply religious Calvinist family, originally from near Aberystwyth. Her father, on the other hand, was a gentle and liberal man, whose father came originally from Arpino. After they married, her family settled down in Tonypandy and Margo was exposed to both cultures. But in those days, the emphasis was to learn the English language, which was seen as the only acceptable way to progress in life. Therefore, she was never thought to speak either Welsh or Italian properly and she deeply regrets this. As a young girl, her mother's culture dominated her life, but as she grew up, she felt a stronger pull and attraction towards the broad and more eclectic ways of her father. She remembers, for instance, that her mother used to take her to her Calvinist church nearly every evening. Nevertheless, as she got older, occasionally, she was able to pretend to feel unwell and as she was left behind with her dad, they would cook spaghetti together, feeling a bit like the members of a secret society. This was her favorite dish at her paternal grandparents’ house, which she visits quite regularly. Through them, she came to know other Italian families (mostly shopkeepers, like her grandparents) and thus, she was exposed to their way of life and their culture. For instance, it was a traditional occurrence for Margo to go to the midnight mass on Christmas night with her grand-parents, even though the Methodist upbringing was much more rooted in her and, ultimately, she ended up being a non- believer, like her father.

The first time Margo went to Italy in Arpino she was 17. She had wanted to go for such long time. At that particular moment in time however, she had also a good reason to go, because her grandparents had retired there. Unfortunately, her grandfather died, rather suddenly just before her arrival. The second trip came many years later, following the enthusiastic exhortation of her daughter who was travelling through Arpino and was 'blown away' by the experience. She phoned her mother saying' I don't really know why you travel so much around the world and you never come here. It's beautiful!'

From that moment on, Margo's love story with Italy, as well as a passionate search for her Italian roots, was rekindled. She now goes to Arpino regularly, 2-3 times a year and in spite of her difficulty with the language (which she is now trying to learn); she had been gradually building a strong network of relatives and friends. In her mature age, Margo has manage to happily combine a deep sense of belonging and affection for both cultures, and in this respect, she is truly a Welsh-Italian. However, this is not unique to her life story. Margo's description of her recent (May 2008) trip to Bardi (her very first to north Italy) with the male Welsh choir from Aberdare is a poignant and expiring example of this expression of integrated multiculturalism that has combined with a profound sense of belonging. 64 male voices were singing Welsh and Italian songs and anthems in churches and public places in tiny little village, which has witnessed massive emigration in Wales throughout the last century. They sung amongst so many Welsh Italian - people who like to call both Wales and Italy 'home'. Margo commented that it was a very moving and powerful experience because it stirred up so many emotions and on many occasions, she caught sight of grown men from both sides crying.