A lot of black women feel as if Italy is a place where their “beauty is celebrated.” Unfortunately, there are a lot of prostitutes in Italy who are women of color from Brazil and Nigeria. That said, living here can be uncomfortable.
The mention of street harassment conjures up many different experiences.
I remember when I first arrived, I refused to go to the store alone after always having men slow down in passing cars.
I remember walking out of my house and having a group of Italian females in a passing car, make a “fellatio” gesture in an attempt to taunt me because they assumed I was a prostitute- based on brown skin alone.
Two days after the birth of my child, I was released from the hospital but my child needed clearance from the doctors. I returned to the hospital. I was wearing my husband’s Adidas warm up suit with my hair in a bun. As I walked, I heard someone whistling as if whistling for a dog. It was an old 60 something year old wrinkled man, trying to get my attention.
I could go on, but such is life for me everyday. It’s a beautiful country but there is no peace when you are a woman of color. That is, if they don’t know that you are American. If they look at you and think you are any other type of woman of color, the assumption is that you are “working’ the streets.
– Anonymous
Location: Italy
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