For this assignment, we were asked to choose an intercultural hero. It is dedicated to someone who embodies empathy, resilience, and the ability to navigate across cultural boundaries with awareness and compassion. I chose Igiaba Scego, an Italian-Somali author, activist, and journalist whose work explores identity, belonging, and marginalization in Italy.
October 2, 2022
Igiaba Scego is an Italian-Somali (italo-somala) author, activist, and journalist who writes about the struggles of the Somali minority population in Italy. Her parents are migrants from Somalia, and were forced to run from their home during the Siad Barre coup in 1969. Scego is a black and Muslim woman living in a predominantly white, Catholic, and traditionalist society. In her short story, Salsicce, she raises feelings of confusion and belonging because of the laws in Italy. Although she considers herself a citizen of Rome, Italy does not consider her a citizen. The Italian naturalization rights are based on jus sanguinis, meaning a child’s citizenship is determined from their ancestors. Therefore, as a Somalian citizen, she is not even considered a legal citizen in the country she has lived in her whole life.
In a collection of short stories by marginalized Italian woman, La Pecora Nera, Scego uses a metaphor about her inner turmoil with pork sausages or “salsicce“. This short story is set during an Italian holiday called Ferragosto where the residents have a two week vacation, where there is no work, and go to the beach or the mountains. Scego is looking for food, but all the businesses are closed, and she stumbles into a small shop selling sausage. Although in Muslim faith, eating pork is haram, or forbidden, an urge overcame Scego to buy the sausages in order to relate to the Italian people.
Scego examines her life through her intertwined perspectives of both Italian and Somalian culture. Her writing speaks on her experience with eloquence and grace while navigating marginalization. I chose her as my intercultural hero because we have a lot of similarities to who we are as people, and who we want to become. I admire her because she has handled life with poise and dignity in order to inquire on the intercultural competence of others. In regards to the rest of the class, each of our individual heroes represents an important ideology and moral that relates to open-mindedness and acceptance. One trait I found admirable is the compassion towards others even if their culture has personally affected your life, like that of Igiaba Scego. So, even though the Italians have been the ones discriminating against her and disrespecting her identity, she doesn’t cease to love Rome because it is apart of her identity, and her customs and cultures. I truly admire her strength.
