Abstract
This article aims to clarify the settlement and formation process of ethnic communities of Chinese immigrants in Italy. Chinese immigrants in Italy mainly originated from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. These people were engaged in, for instance, peddling small items such as ties and gloves. During World War II, they were sent to concentration camps as enemy aliens, for which they were compensated after the war. The number of overseas Chinese remaining in the defeated Italy was said to be less than three hundred. Since the 1950s, they brought over their family members from China, while there were cases where Chinese people came to Italy to look for their family members. In 1970, Italy and China restored diplomatic relations. Ever since, Chinese newcomers migrated to Italy through various routes, both legal and illegal. Since Italy received them through several amnesty decrees, new Chinese communities have been formed. As of 2018, there are 290,681 Chinese living in Italy, which is relatively small. Most of them run their own small- and middle-size businesses, mainly restaurants and garment factories. This article examines how the Chinese migrants in Prato in the middle of Italy have constructed their community and dealt with challenges they have faced. Now consisting of approximately a 15% of its whole population, they form their own community and successfully run the textile industry. The case study of the Chinese in Prato echoes the general tendency about the Chinese migrants in Italy.
