The first Italian restaurant I walked into was owned by a family from Wenzhou, China. The second one as well. The third, a pizzeria called "American pizza" (but my Italian host assures me they have great pizza), is run by Egyptians. The hostel I stayed at is run by Lebanese youth.
These are just my direct direct experiences, which doesn't include the many West Africans and South Asians I see on the streets selling various things. On the city trams, I see ads for "migrart.it," a site apparently where immigrants can post art relating to their immigrant experiences. Europe is changing, and the face of Milan, the economic heart of Italy, is changing as well.
This was perhaps the most startling observations upon my arrival in Milan, Italy from Sao Paulo. I was expecting Milan to be quintessentially European, if not Italian. To a certain degree, it is: beautiful buildings, art, parks, a clean and orderly city (at least in comparison to many South American cities!). But as immigrants begin to stream into European cities, the face of Milan will change noticeably.
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