Italophile

Over on La Repubblica, there’s a very alarmist rant about the problem of street vendors near the Vatican. The gist of it is that there are too many immigrant street vendors and too little police presence.

Alright, sure. There are a lot of street vendors in the center of the city, especially near Castel Sant’Angelo. And yes, the police do a pretty pathetic job of enforcing laws about street vending. But is this really a problem? I don’t think so.

I kind of like street vendors. You can never have too many pairs of 2 Euro earrings that fall apart after a few weeks. And who doesn’t love an imitation Gucci purse? Street vending wouldn’t survive if there wasn’t a market for it. Plus, I think it’s kind of weird to expect such a tourist destination not to have a robust souvenir market.

Most of the frustration seems to be not about what’s being sold – though they do mention the shoddy quality of the wares every chance they get – but about who’s selling it. You’ve got to respect Italian’s who go through the torturous process of legally establishing a business and dutifully pay their taxes and it’s natural for them to be bitter about people who are illegally co-opting their market. But I think the problem of street vendors is symptomatic of a larger issue: Italy’s unwillingness to accept immigrants and integrate them into society.

Italy’s immigration laws are extremely strict and for many immigrating legally is essentially impossible. Without legal status, there are few opportunities open to them and street vending is one of the most appealing.

Throughout the article, it’s easy to pick up on why these immigrants have a hard time finding a place in Italian society. The article talks about the Chinese, the Africans and the Indians as laying “siege” on the Vatican, claiming their territory and praying on innocent tourists. They are, in short, depicted as malignant parasites. Gee, wonder why they don’t feel welcome?

Basically, Rome’s street vendor “problem” won’t go away until Italians confront their own prejudices and immigration policies.