Den Haag & Delft

When we arrived in The Hague, the memories of the fieldwork in Germany were still vivid, and we were prepared to meet with migrant families from Southern Italy who had crossed Europe to become part of the labour force driving Dutch industrial development. However, The Hague surprised us. The migrants we encountered had unusual stories: in the 1960s, the Netherlands was not among the most common destinations for Italians. Reaching the Netherlands often meant taking unconventional and more arduous paths than those we had heard about in Germany. Some people dreamed of the Netherlands after watching the World Cup. Others arrived after fleeing harsher migratory experiences, where racism was evident from the outset—in work contracts and interactions with locals. Some saw themselves as adventurers, setting off for a vacation or a journey and deciding to stay.

Moreover, The Hague today could be described as a nexus of global capital and international relations. It hosts the European Space Agency, the International Patent Office, the International Criminal Court, and numerous multinational corporations. As a result, our research led us to explore not only the stories of early Italian migrants—who came seeking fortune as workers, waiters, chimney sweeps, and miners—but also those of transnational professionals. While partially intersecting and overlapping as they now age in the same territory, these two groups lived very different migratory experiences. The differences extend beyond the more obvious dimensions of social mobility and class, encompassing distinct approaches to integration and relationships with the host country.

Each interview is primarily an emotional and empathetic encounter between the researcher and the person who very generously offers to tell his or her story. Creating a common ground becomes a fundamental element that creates that unique atmosphere that allows both to open up to the narrative. This is how it happened in the Netherlands too, the interview turns into an exchange of personal emotions that, despite differences in age, profession, life experiences, allow for the creation of a common ground where possessing the key makes one enter the other's world, mutually.