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Recordiad sain / Audio recording: Gaspare Schiavo
Oral history recording with Gaspare Schiavo. Recorded as part of the Italian Memories in Wales project (2008-10), delivered by ACLI-ENAIP and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Gaspare has a few memories of his childhood in Palermo; going to the nursery with his grandmother in a blue jersey and shorts. His father had been in Wales for a year before they left; he had gone following the repeated invitation of some friends. Gaspare explains that he was also encouraged by his wife. Traveling to Britain Gaspare aged 5, was trying to build a picture in his mind and says it was like playing a game, he felt he was 'open' to new possibilities. As soon as they settled down, his parents were busy working (both parents had two jobs) and they were left with their paternal grandmother, who would bring them to school, pick them up and care for them afterwards. He remembers his first day in a British nursery; Gaspare cried all day. But things got better, for one thing it helped enormously to be there with his brother, and he found that the teachers were very understanding and sympathetic. They were used to have large groups of children from immigrant families, so they knew what to do. He also found that he was really quick to pick up the language and that sport events like basketball, football, netball, which were played regularly in the school yard, helped to bring together boys from different nationality, on the basis of their physical skills rather than verbal communication.
As a teenager, he was part of a group of 6 Italian and 6 Greek boys and used to go out on the weekend to the Criterion for a drink, a chat and possibly a dance. Gaspare remembers that he and his friends used to be picked up at 11 by his father, who wanted him back at home by a certain time. Still today he relates better with people from other European nations rather than with the locals. He explained ' we like to know about each other's culture; in work for instance I am speaking a lot with a Polish boy, with a Croatian boy, with a Slovakian boy. We go out at lunch time and we talk about our lands and what is like there and here'. More than most, Gaspare can understand the reasons why they had to leave their countries, but also through these people and their experiences.
As a teenager Gaspare grew up in Splott, a popular area in Cardiff. Here there was a small Italian community which continuously grew. They supported each other considerably. Children were allowed to walk to school because there was a group of them and if their parents were busy at work they would go in each other’s houses and mothers would feed and take care of them until the arrival of their parents. At the end of the day, men would exchange visits and spend time chatting, drinking a glass of wine or playing cards. Occasionally, on Sunday his father would take the all family out on outings and Gaspare has fond memories of these days.
Although Gaspare has lived almost all his life in this country he introduces himself to people as an Italian. When asked why he feels this way he replied that it is the result of his upbringing and his marriage to another Italian girl. Gaspare met Erica (Italian mother and Ukrainian father) when he was 35 and she was 27. At the time he was running a cake shop. There was a certain amount of matchmaking taking place behind the scene before they met. Gaspare was presented with her pictures and encouraged to meet Erica by zia Rosa (Erica's aunt) on many of those occasions when he used to deliver cakes to her house. When they finally did meet and they found that there was definitely a spark there, their mothers and fathers 'did what Italians do....the mothers in one corner chatting, the fathers on the other side talking and we were in the middle talking and all the eyes were on us'. Both sides all the family love to get together, and when they do, there are 35/40 of them, and they have big parties. They look out for each other, they work all week, but then they make time to meet and there is something going on each month. This is good for the children as well, as they have a chance to spend time together. Gaspare's biggest regret has been not to invest enough time in teaching Italian to his three children (His children are learning Italian now by going through Italian classes).
Like his brother Tony, Gaspare pointed out some of the biggest cultural differences that he found between Italian, continental European and the local boys. For the Welsh lads, he argued, the emphasis is placed on work and pub: this is all there is. On the other hand, he found that his group, which often included many nationals from other European countries, where much more home and family oriented. They didn't subscribe to the pub culture and, in general, they still prefer watching a football game from the comfort of their homes rather than anywhere else. Gaspare observed that by travelling and learning about new original flavours and foods, the British culture is gradually beginning to change as well and it's becoming more continental, with the 'baguettes, and coffee bars with their chairs and tables out... the new generation seems to go more for a cup of coffee rather than a pint here and a pint there'.
As for his brother, the fact of going back to Italy every year has been crucial in terms of maintaining a strong attachment towards Italy and the family they left behind. He is profoundly aware that in order to maintain this connection and sense of belonging, it is essential that his children do the same. So he has been committed to do so as he goes back every year in August. When he will retire, like many Italians who live in Britain, he would like to have the best of the two worlds and possibly ending up spending six months in Italy and six months in Wales. To Gaspare, Italy is still very much 'home' and he is appreciating it more and more as he gets older.