Identità e alterità nel romanzo "Amiche per la pelle" di Laila Wadia

The article focuses on issues related to identity and representation of otherness in Laila Wadia’s novel "Amiche per la pelle". In the imaginary building of Via Ungaretti in Trieste, where the story takes place, live different types of people belonging to various nationalities: an Italian man, an Albanian couple, and Bosnian, Chinese and Indian families. The pluralism and diversity that characterize the main characters of the novel picture a complex description of the immigrants that are not defined in a fixed and stereotyped way, but as hybrid, multicultural and evolving personalities. Aspects that define multiple identity of the main characters, the stages and the difficulties encountered in the long process of integration in the Italian society (learning the language and local customs, the difficulty in finding an appropriate accommodation and a suitable work, the racism and prejudices they face, but also the solidarity shown by some Italians) are depicted in detail in the text. In addition to this, prejudices and stereotypes attributed by migrants to the Italian natives and their look towards their new Italian home are also analyzed.