Collections Online

Oral history recording with Luigi ("Gino") Vasami. 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 5 of 6 (AV 11492 - 11497)

00.13 The whole family lived together and supported one another. His mother was a great support for Gino’s wife when she moved over, having gone through the same experience herself. Gino will go back to Italy again in September to visit his wife’s family. People ask him why he hasn’t changed his nationality to Welsh; he values his Italian nationality. His children support Italy in the rugby, as do other second generation Italians even though they don’t speak the language. Though the community in Wales has dispersed, the link is still there. Gino grew up speaking dialect and notes the similarities between the Welsh and Italian pronunciation. He has generally spoken Welsh to his friends in Wales and loves the Welsh language and appreciates the desire to keep it going; as with his own Italian dialect.

13.27 Gino goes on to talk about the gatherings in their house when he was a child; they had prisoners over for Sicilian and Calabrese style dances, the tarantella, and music on a mouth organ which his father played. When his father was younger people would ask him to go and serenade girls for them. They would gather at Christmas and similar occasions, Welsh girls who married Italians joined in- he describes it as a very special atmosphere. Gino says that he wouldn’t move back to Italy, some friends have moved back and regretted it, but he would like to go back twice a year. He talks of a four day festival in May which he would love to attend, however the farm work in Wales is very demanding. Gino tried to return when he was in the police force and realised he could never settle there; he had difficulties with the Italian people who, it seemed, would try to test him and question his Italian nationality. He talks of the Italian politics. Many things are left unsaid in the south of Italy; things are run by the Mafia so he could never settle there. Furthermore, they have built up a business here.