The Strength of Memory and the Weakness of Recognition: Italian associations in Germany

From a sociological perspective, the interplay between time and migration processes has long been overlooked. Yet time and temporalities represent a strategic dimension when it comes to investigating multicultural societies and the complexity of intercultural relations. This article has two aims: in terms of theory, it sets out to explore the link between memory and recognition as a strategic nexus for investigating multicultural contexts, while the empirical component analyses whether and in what ways the social and collective memory of Italian associations in Germany hinders their attempts to gain recognition. Most of the existing associations now appear to be converging towards a collective memory based on a hyper-idealized image of the homeland, combined with nostalgic sentiment, reinforcing an ethnicity-based identity which gives rise to a process of “folklorization” of cultural differences. This scenario affects processes of self- and hetero-recognition