Collections Online

Oral history recording with Antonio 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. Part 1 of 4 (AV 11475 - 11478).

Summary covering AV 11475, AV 11476, AV 11477 and AV 11478: Antonio (Tony) Schiavo left Palermo at the age of five in 1962 with his twin brother, his sisters, his mother and paternal grandmother. They were all going to Wales and Tony knew that he was going to see his father again after one year since he had emigrated to Britain. He has only flash images of his life in Italy as a young child, but he remembers very vividly the impression left on him when he finally arrived in Britain. 'It was dark' he commented, 'even in daytime'. The intense colours and tones of the Sicilian skies and sea had all gone, and he could not understand or make sense of certain kinds of food or drinks like cold milk (his mum had always given him warm milk with a hint of coffee), nor could he eat the rice pudding passed by the school at meal times. The fact that he was somewhat pushed to eat it, made him react quite violently to it. He felt physically sick and to this day, he cannot eat certain foods. Already at that very young age, the flavors of his land were imprinted on him, as he seemed to know quite clearly what he liked and disliked. Tony explained that the early days were very difficult for him, especially in school, as his English had to be learned from scratch. He was very grateful for the fact that he had his twin brother with him and for a while, they lean on each other for emotional support.

Gradually however, the two brothers began to move in different circles. His brother seemed to spend more time playing with the local boys, whilst Tony gravitated toward the small Italian group, who seemed to share more his experiences and feelings. In the early 70s, Tony was a teenager who retained a strong sense of his Italian identity. This was manifested in his choice of friends (who, like him, were first or second generation Italians), in the exclusiveness and distinctiveness of his social life geared towards Italian fashion, lifestyles and taste, and in his sensitivity and alertness towards the latent tensions present between the Italian boys and their 'English' counterparts. Particularly memorable were the Sunday evenings spent in groups of 15/20 in their 'clubs', socializing and occasionally mingling with the local girls. When asked, Tony explained that he did not feel motivated to court Italian girls, because the moral codes of what was cast as 'good' behaviour were very restrictive. To court a Welsh-Italian girl in those days meant to be almost immediately involved with her entire family, there would be no privacy, as a member of the family would have kept a constant and vigilant eye on them, and romantic love was always seen as synonymous of serious commitment towards the only foreseeable outcome: a wedding.

Gradually however, his well-established group began to diversify and spread out. As they grew up, a few of them started to travel, a couple of them went back to Italy, others became engaged and their circle of friends and interests changed. Looking for roots and direction in life, Tony began to travel as well only to end up in Italy where he volunteered for the national service. This was a tough and intense experience, which left a strong impression on him. Initially (primarily because of his difficulties with the language), Tony was seen as a 'foreigner'. This really upset and hurt him, so he doubled his effort to learn the language and become truly one of the lads. This was achieved brilliantly in a relative short time. Here Tony forged his sense of national identity; he finally was and felt 'Italian'. He also made friends for life. His service was so successful that he received a number of offers for work. He was considering which one to accept when he came back briefly to Britain for a short leave. On that particular occasion, Tony met his future wife, and everything changed.

Family is everything to him. In relationship to his birth family, Tony has now taken the mantle of responsibility and he is now seen as the head of the family. This means that his home is now the meeting place for important events and festivities. On those occasions, there is a well-rehearsed tradition of good food, carefully prepared and presented. Everyone is expected to attend. More recently, the four brothers and sisters have agreed to share the responsibility for preparing and bringing different dishes, in order to make it easier for Tony and his family. He is still drawn to Italy, so every year he 'needs' to go back, and when he is there he becomes completely Italian. On reflection, his friends in Palermo are astonished to see that nearly fifty years in Britain do not seem to have changed or affected him. Tony was able to transfer this deep love for his country to his two children, particularly to his first, who has studied in Italy and is now fluent in the language and in an understanding of the Italian ways of life. Tony emphasized the importance of going back regularly. He explained ‘I have done with my children what my parents did with me, and I have taken them regularly every year through the summer holidays'. Particularly telling and moving was his trip to Italy when his son was only a few months old. Just like a baby bonds instinctively with his mother through touch, sound, smell and sight, Tony wanted to create this visceral, emotional link between his land and his baby, and perhaps in that way, try to transmit something of his sense of belonging.