Rome Borders Writing Assignment 1

Topic: find borders in Rome and borders you encounter in your wandering. Borders can be physical, psychological, or metaphorical as manifested in language, identity, memory, etc. Engage the city as a "traveler". Don't always go in a group. Often you will find more inspiration alone or with one or two companions.

            Aside from the obvious physical borders in Rome such as the river, various gates and walls, streets and paths, it is difficult for one to visualize and experience the less obvious borders unless they venture out in the city and engage in the culture. I was at first terrified to do exactly this, embarrassed by my lack of knowledge of the Italian language and my obviously American mannerisms. But what I have recently learned is that it is impossible to begin “acting Italian” unless you know how Italians act, and the only way to do this is to put aside your fear and inhibitions and observe the environment around you.

            One of the things that Julie has reiterated is the difference between a traveler and a tourist. A tourist goes somewhere with a goal of what they want to see and accomplish, a plan of where they will go, what they will see, and the type of impact that their tour of their destination will have on them; they are consumers. They go to museums, buy the souvenirs, eat plenty of pizza and spaghetti, and take hundreds of pictures. Travelers, on the other hand, go on a journey with a flexible plan or none whatsoever, they are open to what the destination has to teach and display to them, they go slow and notice the subtle yet fascinating details. They contemplate the what and the why, giving them a more distinct and realistic view of the culture and history.

            On Monday, I consciously began my journey as a traveler instead of a tourist, actively observing and searching for various borders that exist here in the eternal city. Not so surprisingly, I ended up lost on my way to the grocery store. Instead of calling a roommate to ask for directions, I decided that it might be fun to explore a bit and just go to the first grocery store that I happened to stumble upon. During my wanderings, I encountered the refugee center that I later learned that we would have the opportunity to visit, the bridge to Trastevere, and even the Pantheon (yes I was very lost J). Each one of these sights represent a potential border; the refugee center being the rift between the pure Italians and the migrants, the bridge being the physical border that divides two parts of the city, and the Pantheon as a representation of a typical tourist trap filled with cameras, I love Roma tees, and gelato shops blasting American music. This illustrates the psychological and cultural divide between tourists and Italians, shown by the different food that they eat, clothes they buy, language they speak, and activities in which they participate. My jaunt that early morning gave me a small taste of what it means to be Italian, and what the natives see as inside and outside. Had I been traveling in a group, it is unlikely that I would have noticed the subtleties that characterize things that are Italian, I had the opportunity to eavesdrop on conversations and pick up on pronunciations and accents, read signs and placards, and actively observe and analyze the behavior of the Italians that I passed.

            Later that evening, we discussed the Jewish ghetto and had an opportunity to go visit it and explore independently. Filled with signs saying “kosher” and stars of David, it was evident that culturally, we had entered into a different part of Italy. After learning the history of the persecution of the Jews, such as the fact that they were required to wear orange caps that distinguished them and have an early curfew after which they were locked up, some of the architecture and monuments made more sense. I noticed many more fences and gates, and a large Catholic church where the Jews supposedly took refuge during persecution. Talking about the Jewish ghetto and exploring it myself gave me a different perspective of what it means (and meant) to be Roman. Though I don’t particularly think of Jewish as a characteristic of an Italian, there is a large, thriving population of Jews right in the heart of Rome.

What makes these Jews any less Roman now, or back in the ages when they were being persecuted? Who decides where these borders are drawn physically (the area of the ghetto) and psychologically (making them wear caps and follow specific rules)? I am excited to dive into these issues illustrated by this specific example as we move forward in the course.