![]() ![]() Nevertheless, policymakers became increasingly concerned about the absence of a strong sense of "italianità" among emigrants and their children, who did not seem to preserve, while living abroad, a close connection with the motherland. ![]() Moreover, Italians abroad contributed considerably to national economy with the money they sent home to their families. Liberal economists and politicians at the turn of the century perceived emigration as a precious outlet ("una valvola di sfogo") which helped to keep a healthy balance in the body politic of the nation: emigration was often compared to blood letting, a medical procedure commonly used to discharge the excess of blood which may otherwise upset normal bodily functions. The massive exodus of Italian citizens-over 14 millions between 18-(Baily 27) represented a challenge for the newly unified nation, with which the ruling classes tried to deal in different and often contradictory fashions. In a time when Italians find themselves having to deal with the "problem" of immigrants, it is important to remember other times, when Italy was a "proletarian nation," 1 from which other, more prosperous countries extracted the most indispensable element for the development of their economies: human labor at low cost. From Diaspora to Empire:Įnrico Corradini's Nationalist Novels Tullio Pagano ![]() In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: ![]()
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