Duke University Office of Study Abroad

Dear Global Education Office:

I always knew that I would study abroad, but it was ultimately a difficult route to pursue since the majority of my friends decided to remain at Duke for junior year. In the summer of 2008 I participated in the Duke Study in China Program, and in the fall of 2008 I participated in the Duke in Florence Program. I am a double major in International Comparative Studies and Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and I love cross-cultural interdisciplinary analysis.

Prior to study abroad, the seed for my senior thesis research on Chinese migration to Italy had been planted in an Italian class when we discussed the new waves of immigrants to Italy. Who knew that there were immigrants in Italy?! During my travels in Europe, I noticed a sizeable Chinese presence, and I wondered why such a wide spectrum of people had decided to migrate there instead of the US. After all, is the US not the land of immigration? I was also very nostalgic for my friends and teachers from the China program, with whom I had formed deep and lasting connections.

My extended experience as a "foreigner" allowed me insight into some of the cultural challenges that immigrants face. My happiness at seeing a "familiar" face and conversing in a "familiar" Chinese language reinforced what I had often heard before: regardless of where you are and where you are from, there is an innate bond formed between Chinese, even those that you have never met before. Interestingly, the European citizens and the Chinese residents alike that I interacted with considered me first and foremost as Chinese, not American, leading me to question the basis of Sino-European interactions.

Post-study abroad, I sought ways to incorporate my experiences and goals into a cohesive purpose that would extend beyond the formal classroom setting. My senior thesis analyzes how Chinese and Italian historical migration experiences influence the creation and perception of contemporary EU migration policy and identity formation. I used the city of Prato as my case study. As you can see in the picture above, there is such a large population of Chinese in Prato (one of the largest in Europe) that many signs are written in both Italian and Chinese.

I spent four weeks in and around Prato in the summer of 2009 conducting interviews with the Italians and Chinese residing in the city. While it was definitely some of the most challenging work I've done thus far, I would not trade this experience for anything. This was truly when I fell in love with Italy and its people, and despite the complexities of my topic, I am glad that I can use my skills to give these people a voice so that their stories may be heard.

- Angela Chang