Interview: Rachid, Khourigba, 20 Apr

We meet Rachid in a modest restaurant in Khourigba. He is drinking tea with some friends, he notices that we're Italians so he invites us to have a chat at his table.
Rachid is 25 years old, he studied law in Morocco, but since he couldn't find a good job here, he came to Italy in 2003 and there he works as a mason. He is on vacation in Khourigba, his home town.

Ale: How do you find Italy? What can you tell us about your experience with Italian people?

Rachid: People is diffident everywhere and everywhere you can find good people and bad people, but I must say I mostly met good people in Italy. Even so, I don't have Italian friends because I'm not interested in that and anyway it wouldn't be easy because of diffidence.
About women in particular, I don't like Italian women because I am Muslim. I'm not saying that I can't bear seeing women without the chador, i don't mind that but still, I am Muslim and I want a Muslim woman.

Ale: And what about Italian politics? Are you informed? Are you interested in it?

Rachid: About politics, the first thing coming to my mind is that we [immigrants, ndr] thought that Proudi could do something good for us, but in truth he didn't do anything.

Ale: In the end, Italy is like you imagined it or not?

Rachid: No, it is not like I imagined it. Before I used to see Italy as a paradise, but living there is quite difficult. I definitely improved my economical condition, but I'm certainly not living in a paradise.
when i first came back to Khourigba I tried to explain it to my friends and it was difficult to make them understand this point, but now they now that Italy is not a paradise and that I am still the same Rachid.

Ale: What about the money you send back to your family? How does your family use it?

Rachid: They just live with it, it's not enough money to be used for anything else.

Ale: Any projects for the future?

Rachid: I just want to come back to Morocco. I'm not hoping to be a lawyer anymore, I'm almost 26 and that would take too much time.