Participants’ Perceptions of Their Ethnicity Across the Three Generations

Abstract

This chapter focuses on representing the three generations of interest, specifically the participants’ perceptions of ‘being Italian’. This identity appears to be understood differently across the three generations. First, this chapter discusses the apparent struggles of the first-generation participants and some of their children (i.e. the second generation) in feeling integrated in Australia and in overcoming unresolved issues with the mother country. Following that, the feelings of the second-generation participants towards their ethnicity are analysed. A common denominator is having been socialised between two ‘worlds’ that are perceived to be in contrast, namely, Anglo-Australian society (where struggles were principally with their peers at school) and the ‘Calabrian world’ (their particular family or the Italian community). Next, the chapter analyses the third generation’s perceptions of their ethnic background. These participants display a general enthusiasm towards their ethnicity. This chapter discusses the different ways in which the participants have expressed their ethnic membership (mainly in the form of objects and behaviours thought to be Italian). Finally, an intergenerational case study is extrapolated from the interviews with one participating family and illustrates the connections across generations and captures an ‘ideal’ spirit of the participants’ perceptions of their ethnicity.