Ask me, what do people in China think about Italy? I know the answer. Many of my friends always say how lucky I am. They all say that Italy is such a beautiful place, with wonderful people who are ebullient, generous and friendly. They say that this country is paradise for visitors. Everything here is touched by ancient history. Walking down a street, you can see the traces of people who lived here a century ago. You just can’t stop taking photos. Italy has a truely beautiful history and culture. I heard that a Chinese woman, who was born in Italy, went to China for her vacation. Once there, she was invited by some schools to talk about Italy. Every single student, when they heard that she came from Italy, all sat around her, waiting for her interesting stories. She told them about the festivals here in Italy, like Carnevale, when people dress up, some like a princesses, some like a ghosts, or clowns, or witches. The reaction of those children was simple amazement. They wanted to know more. She also taught them some Italian gestures, like when you do……this!
I think the discrimination towards us isn’t just the responsibility of Italians, but from both sides. I’m always wondering why some Chinese people don’t try to like this country as much as many of us do. So many people in China want to come here, maybe just for a week, maybe for a month.
If we can learn better how to love Italy, I think many problems can be solved. We, as the third generation living here, want to be the bridge between these two very distinct cultures. We were born here, and grew up in this country. We love it, and I’m sure this love isn’t less than the original people here. Italy is like our second home, our adoptive parents.