Italy: For Italians & people like me

A refugee. From a war-torn country,  such as Libya. Where do I want to go? If it’s me, probably the last place I’d want to go is Italy. Where I’m living now. Because Italy is not a good place for non-Italians. Consider the fact that Italy is Italy. Look in the phone books. And at  the names on tombstones in the cemeteries. They’re 99 percent Italian names. Italy is not the United States. In America there’s a mix of nationalities. From all over the world. Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America. A melting pot. Italy is closely knit Italian. Through and through. Generally, you have to be of Italian descent to get ahead. I like Italy. I like Italians. But I’m an American. And a  retiree. I don’t have to find a job. Able to live on my retirement income. In Sardinia. Of course, it helps that I have an Italian true love. With whom I live. And she not only speaks English, she teaches it to Italian high school students. But the refugees I’ve encountered here are having very difficult times. To survive, they have menial jobs. As street vendors. Really, it’s a form of begging. Very degrading. Some of ‘em are well-educated. And have skills that might normally help them get decent jobs. But not in Italy. Because Italy has a high unemployment rate. And Italians tend to be loyal to other Italians. They’ll put fellow Italians to work before refugees from Africa. That’s only natural. I’m not taking Italians to task for it. They gotta do what they gotta do. Therefore, I encourage my African refugee friends to get out of Italy. As fast as they can. Go to Germany, or almost any other place in Europe. But best of all, try to immigrate to the U.S. or Canada. They may have a far better chance there. Especially if they speak English. And they do. When I return to America next week, I’m going to make inquiries. How do refugees go about coming to America, or maybe Canada? If I can, I’d like to help the refugees. They’re in their mid-20s. They want a decent future. A happy life. They aren’t going to find it in Italy. Italy ain’t for refugees. Instead, it’s for Italians. And people like me. –Jim Broede