italians

• ITALIANS : POSITIVES

  • Italians were accepted into Scottish society as they didn’t threaten traditional Scottish jobs. They largely provided a service to Scottish people, eg, Italian immigrants sold ice-cream from barrows (nicknamed ‘Hokey Pokey’ men).
  • Italians moved into working-class areas, combining ice cream making with selling fish and chips. Restaurants and takeaways were established and sold food using ingredients widely available in Scotland – fish and potatoes.
• ITALIANS : POSITIVES

  • Italian businesses were embraced by Scottish society, with Nardini’s and Luca’s ice cream parlours still existing today.
  • Migration to Scotland enabled Italian immigrants to earn a good living in the prosperous Scottish economy.
• ITALIANS : NEGATIVES

  • Italians arriving in Scotland were devout Roman Catholics. This meant that they were not accepted by the Presbyterian elements of Scottish society.
  • Presbyterian leaders were unhappy that the cafés opened on the Sabbath and their opening times extended beyond those of public houses.
  • The cafés were often the scene of unruly behaviour leading to claims that Italian cafés were morally corrupt.
• ITALIANS : NEGATIVES

  • Immigrants maintained their Italian culture and values in Scotland - children were expected to marry into their community, families spoke Italian and food was Italian which made it more difficult for them to assimilate into society.
  • Family was at the heart of the business so the employees were usually family members, restricting opportunities for Scots to work in Italian businesses.