Is the memory of Italian emigration able to attenuate the xenophobic attitudes of public opinion and institutions? The opinion of historians of Italian emigration

On the occasion of the “National Day of Sacrifice of Italian Work in the World”, the memory of Italian emigration as an antidote to xenophobia towards current immigrants is recommended. Historians of Italian emigration, however, doubt the pedagogical effectiveness of this recommendation and of their research. According to them, the comparison between Italian emigration and current immigration hides a paternalistic and Eurocentric intent that presents immigrants as passive victims in need of assistance from Italians. For example, the xenophobic political party, the Lega Nord, has not lost its memory of Italian emigration, but this in no way diminishes its prejudice against immigrants.