Mark Lucherini

Hello, I am a geography student from Glasgow University. I am attempting to gather information for use in my dissertation, which is about the experiences, culture and identity of the Scotsitalians as well as that of Italians in Scotland. I would be very grateful for any time you could spare to help with this.

I would appreciate any answers or opinions you could give to any of the following questions. Please feel free to answer as many or as few as you wish and your answers can be as long or as short as you wish. Any other opinions, stories or suggestions about the Scotsitalians would also be greatly appreciated. Every piece of information will help a great deal in my dissertation. Please send any feedback or queries to my email: marklucherini@hotmail.com

Please indicate on any response whether you will allow me to quote or paraphrase your response in my dissertation. If people are unsure about this I can quote anonymously or with a pseudonym of your choosing.

Thank you for your help.

Mark Lucherini

Yes. Then please continue. Copy the questions into an email and once answered send to marklucherini@hotmail.com

1. Name?

3. Whereabouts in Italy is your family from?

4. How long have you or your family moved from Italy?

5. Have you had many experiences being confronted with stereotypes such as ‘chippies’ or ‘pointy hats’ or other assumptions and stereotypes about Scotsitalian lifestyle?

6. How do feel about these stereotypes? Are they damaging? Do they reinforce a specific ‘other’ identity? Are they taken as harmless humour?

8. How do you think these stereotypes affect Scotsitalians who do not work in these professions? Is there a stigma of ‘chippies’ attached to new generations of Scotsitalians?

9. Do you feel as if there is a specific Scotsitalian identity? What characterises this identity?

12.Is there a sense of a ‘true’ Scotsitalian? What makes a ‘true’ Scotsitalian? Must a true Scotsitalian be able to speak both English and Italian?

13. Do you feel that there is a distinct Scotsitalian community in Glasgow? Is this community based on familial relations or of people coming form the same area of Italy? Is there a feeling of comradeship or friendship based on a common identity? Do Scotsitalians regularly meet, hold events etc…? Is it possible to be a Scotsitalian without being part of this community?

14.Is the Scotsitalian community a network of social contacts, meetings or events and not necessarily a physical area or neighbourhood? Do you feel is if there is a system of nodes and networks for Scotsitalians, or would you say that there is a more distinct presence of Scotsitalians?

15.For instance does this community have spatial manifestations such as a residential area, or a business area or a social area? For instance is there any kind of informal understanding amongst Scotsitalians of the ‘best’ places to live or the ‘best’ places to start a business?

16.Many Scotsitalians have origins in small village in Italy. Do you feel that there has been a culture clash between older generations from Italy and the younger generations who have grown up in Scotland?

17.Do Italian restaurants, cafes offer an escape from Glasgow to an authentic Italy? Do they feel like attempts to claim some foreign land as Italian? Or are they a unique amalgamation Italian and Scottish culture open to both Italians and Scots alike?

18. Were you or was anyone you know interned by the British government under the fear that Scotsitalians could be spies or saboteurs during WWII?

19.Do feel that this situation has left over any feelings of animosity among or against the Scotsitalians?

20.Do you know if there was a sense of Italian-Scots children during the war trying to hide their Italianness? Trying to become ‘invisible’ or escape traditional occupations?

21.Do you think that some Scotsitalians still try to hide their "Italianness" today?