This book delves into the history of the Horn of Africa diaspora in
Italy and Europe through the stories of those who fled to Italy from
East African states. It draws on oral history research carried out by
the BABE project (Bodies Across Borders: Oral and Visual Memories in
Europe and Beyond) in a host of cities across Italy that explored topics
including migration journeys, the memory of colonialism in the Horn of
Africa, cultural identity in Italy and Europe, and Mediterranean
crossings. This book shows how the cultural memory of interviewees is
deeply linked to an intersubjective context that is changing Italian and
European identities. The collected narratives reveal the existence of
another Italy - and another Europe - through stories that cross national
and European borders and unfold in transnational and global networks.
They tell of the multiple identities of the diaspora and reconsider the
geography of the continent, in terms of experiences, emotions, and close
relationships, and help reinterpret the history and legacy of Italian
colonialism.