Chinese migrants make a future in Italy

Chinese migrants' arrival

The influx Chinese migrants into Prato brought about economic growth, but also gave rise to feelings of grudge among some locals.

As the Chinese population continued to increase, these issues became politicized, with right-wing politicians making promises to take stronger measures against them.

Lamberto Gestri, a former president of the greater Prato province, said: "Prato has a long history of immigration, starting with internal migration within the Tuscany region, where people from other parts of Tuscany moved to Prato in search of employment opportunities. Later on, immigration from both the northern and southern parts of Italy also contributed to the city's diverse population."

But the arrival of the Chinese community brought a unique dynamic to Prato, Gestri said.

"The Chinese community has a distinct vision and mentality that differs from the Italian population. They have a strong emphasis on work and productivity," he said. "These cultural differences have occasionally led to conflicts, as the Chinese way of doing business and their work ethics have posed challenges for Italian industries trying to compete. These conflicts have been one of the reasons for the tensions between the two communities."

Daniele Cologna, a professor at the University of Insubria and an expert on Chinese immigrants in Italy, believes the blame for financial losses experienced by business people in Prato lies with the Italians themselves.

"The fact that Italians were losing money had nothing to do with the Chinese, it had to do with the fact that the Prato garment district was unable to find a way to relaunch its business model in a globalized economy, and that is not on the Chinese, it's on us, it's on Italians," he explained.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Italian businessmen initially welcomed Chinese workers and outsourced certain manufacturing tasks to them, benefiting from cost savings and increased productivity. This arrangement was mutually advantageous, as Italians could profit from rent and have labor-intensive work done at a favorable price and efficient pace, Cologna said.

However, the dynamics shifted when some Chinese entrepreneurs realized they could move beyond the sweatshop model and establish their own businesses.

"They started importing garments from China. That's when things started to sour in terms of ethnic relations in the Prato area … when the fortunes of the Chinese in Prato grew while the Italian textile manufacturing sector started to have its most difficult time ever. And this built up a lot of resentment toward the Chinese," he added.