Casgliadau Arlein
Amgueddfa Cymru
Chwilio Uwch
Recordiad sain / Audio recording: Mario Canale
Oral history recording with Mario Canale. He was born in the Rhondda and is a second generation Welsh-Italian. His mother, father and son were also recorded as part of the project. See AV 11357 - AV 11362. Recorded as part of the Italian Memories in Wales project (2008-10), delivered by ACLI-ENAIP and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Mario has lived in the Rhondda Valley all his life. He is a fully integrated second generation Welsh- Italian. Father of Stefano and the only son of Steven (second generation Italian) and Lina (first generation Italian). Mario spent most of his childhood in his parents' café shop, as the living quarters were attached to the shop. Occasionally, he would do his homework from the dining room, whilst keeping an eye on the shop. In the early 70s, at the age of 15, he was placed in charge of an ice-cream van. Thus, with the exception of a brief parenthesis in the insurance business, Mario worked from that day on in the family business, and this made his father very happy indeed. In his youth, Mario was part of an Italian group, who, to begin with, distinguished itself because they didn't like to go to pubs (that is they did not like the pub culture). They much preferred clubs instead. Therefore, the group of first and second generation Italians would get together from Cardiff and the valley and typically would spend their Sunday night going to well known clubs in Cardiff, for a drink, a chat and, hopefully, a dance. Often, at the end of the night, they would go to some of the Italian local restaurants for a spaghettata. The various restaurant owners of the time were aware of this newly established tradition amongst the young first and second generation Italians of the area. Consequently, they would stay open- more or less willingly- until the middle of the night. With his parents (Steven and Lina), Mario used to spend his summer vacation between Bardi (the place of origin of many of his friends) and Cervaro, in south Italy, which was his parents' birthplace. Mario is adamant in asserting that this is the way in which it is possible to hold on to, and retain, an Italian identity. It is, he explains, by going back regularly to the 'other' home, to your 'original' home, you will keep your roots going, once you lose it, your next generation will lose it too. In this context, Mario found that a nine month period that he spent in Italy as a young lad was particularly significant. Then, he really got to know the people, learned the language and built friendships, which are still going strong today. This lengthy stay imprinted on him his strong Italian identity. In view of this, it is then not at all surprising that when asked if he has any conflict of identities, he answers forcefully: never. If Italy and Wales or Italy and England are playing against each other in rugby or football, he has no hesitation regarding to which team he will support. Interestingly however, when I posed the same question to his son, Stefano had a different reply. 'My friends always ask me this' he said. But I am very critical in relation both teams because I want both of them to play well. So my friends say that regardless of who will win, I am in a ''win-win” situation.