Feeling Nauseous Every Afternoon

History of an Italian citizen: Pap Khouma

I'm Italian and I have black skin. A black Italian, as I was told the passport control of the airport in Boston by African American security officers. But you have no idea what it means to be Italian and have black skin just in the Italy of 2009?

I understood when I go to City to Milan to request a certificate and produce my passport or my Italian identity card, the officer without even a peek at my files, but just looking at him, requiring however, my residence permit means a document that no Italian citizen possesses. I remember an occasion when, in a decentralized branch of the City of Milan, an official was surprised that I could get the Italian identity card and called to help two other colleagues noticed that leaving the people in line to the respective branches. Il loro dialogo suonava più o meno così.

"Mi ha dato la sua carta d'identità italiana ma dice di non avere il permesso di soggiorno. Come è possibile?".

"Come hai fatto ad avere la carta d'identità, se non hai un permesso di soggiorno... ci capisci? Dove hai preso questo documento? Capisci l'italiano?". "Non ho il permesso di soggiorno", mi limitai a rispondere.

Sul documento rilasciato dal Comune (e in mano a ben tre funzionari del Comune) era stampato "cittadino italiano" ma loro continuavano a concentrarsi solo sulla mia faccia nera, mentre la gente in attesa perdeva la pazienza.

Why not read what is written on paper? "I suggested. A moment of surprise .... but finally gave me of her." She is an Italian citizen? Why did not he say so? We are not accustomed to seeing an immigrant

...". This claim would seem to have some sense but instead, to cut short, I emphasize that they are now an Italian citizen, I would answer such phrases: "You have the Italian passport but you're not Italian. "Or, with a smile:" You do not have the Italian nationality as us, you only have Italian citizenship because you are extra.

© PAP Khouma - Continue on Repubblica.it

About Pap Pap Khouma
Khouma the Festival of the Book of Turin (2006)
The review of literature of migration El-Ghibli online direct from Pap Khouma