Interview with female Immigrant Italian. Former social worker

  • Women's Voices and Life Writing
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Title
Interview with female Immigrant Italian. Former social worker
Interviewer
Semeraro, Carmela
Document Type
  • Oral history Recording
Date
3 Mar 2003
Interview Date
3 Mar 2003
Biography
The interviewee was born 13 January, 1940, in Ferrara, Italy. One of twelve children. Her family was self-sufficient. Her father went to war and never came back. Her unmarried mother was pregnant, her grandparents took her in, her mum was not allowed to see her and was referred to as "Auntie". Her maternal grandfather had a large farm, her grandmother would make bread and soap. On 13 October 1950, when she was 10 years old, she moved to England with her mother. She recalls hating England and missing her grandparents, frequently running away. She did not enjoy school and struggled socially. At 16 she enrolled at Mander College for further education courses in typing, shorthand and commerce. She eventually started a job with the first Vice Consul, Dr. Enrico Capobianco. She faced discrimination throughout her life as an Italian woman. Later in life, she married and had children, but was in ill health for a while. She helped many first generation Italian dealing with the intricacy of Italian bureaucracy in obtaining old age pension. She spent a lot of her own free time with Italian families involved in tragedies & accidents at work. She hoped to return to Italy with her family.
Length (minutes)
115
Copyright and Source Archive
Material sourced from Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service