eflecting on Italian communities based in the UK , Reading might not be the first place that springs to mind . But as a busy industrial town , it provided a wealth of opportunity for southern Italians who were looking to escape poor conditions , and make a better life for themselves overseas in the post-war years .

There was little public discourse about Reading ’ s Italian community until Lydia Ackrell , an MA Public History student at Royal Holloway , University of London , decided to research and produce the 2022 exhibition “ Reading ’ s Little Italy : Stories of Migration and Belonging ” in partnership with Reading Museum .

Ackrell ’ s interest in Reading ’ s Italian community was sparked by her own family ’ s deep connections with the town . Her grandparents left a life of poverty and agricultural labour in southern Italy in search of a fresh start in Reading . Her grandparents ’ experience told alongside that of others in the Italian community make this exhibition particularly moving and impactful .

The exhibition comprises oral histories , photography and other fully digitised archival material which is still available to explore online . La Civetta made a virtual visit to the exhibition to find out more about these Italian migrants and how they have shaped the town .

Making Reading Home

Ackrell documents that by 1949 , 8500 Italian migrants came to Britain each year , many from the southern regions of Basilicata , Campania and Calabria . Numbers peaked between 1955- 1957 and 1960-1962 , with over half of these migrants settling in England ’ s south-east .

According to Ackrell , Reading ’ s Italian community was mainly formed through chain migration - where migrants from a particular area or kin group follow others to the same area . Many lived in Victorian terraced housing which was affordable and allowed them to live in close proximity and try to recreate the feeling of their native small , village communities .

Today ’ s Italian community in Reading comprises hundreds of second , third and fourth generation British-Italians living and working in the town , many close to where their parents and grandparents originally settled .

Constructing Hybrid Identities

The exhibition explores what working life looked like for Italian migrants in Reading , but also how they spent their leisure time , connecting with their roots by socialising with others in the community , but also being exposed to British culture . Ackrell suggests that migrants became Italian and English in parallel - “ constructing a hybrid cultural identity … defined through their own means as they adjusted to living in Reading .”

Naturally , food played a big role in the lives of migrants but Italian foods were difficult to come by in 1950s Britain . Initially , migrants would bring back produce from Italy . Many went on to turn this into a commercial opportunity , introducing Italian goods to an expanding culinary scene in Reading and developing an Anglicised version of the traditional Italian cooking they had known back home .

Ackrell also looks at the migrants ’ relationship with the Catholic Church and how for some , it helped to maintain a strong connection to their identity and ties with the community . Traditional views about relationships and families prevailed , with a widespread expectation that British-Italians would marry Catholic , Italian , and young in order to start a family . Over time these views have evolved as second , third and fourth generation British-Italians have become part of Reading ’ s rich diverse and multicultural fabric .

A Sense of Belonging

Providing fascinating insight through firstperson testimony on what it was like for Italians to arrive in Britain and make a life here , the exhibition is all the more compelling because of the personal stories and anecdotes which provide a truly unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by these Italian migrants in trying to find a sense of belonging .

By Lauren Gill ( She / Her ) // MA Translation

Source : Lydia Ackrell

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