Ai margini del potere coloniale: gli italiani in Gold Coast [The margins of colonial power: The Italians in the Gold Coast]

The aim of this article is to draw the history of the Italian migration to the Gold Coast, during the colonial period, from the beginning of Nineties to the Italian entry into the second War World. Two are the main Italian communities that migrated to the British colony: the "piemontesi" employed in the construction works and the "bergamaschi" mainly employed in the mines works. The first point here discussed is the ambiguous position assumed by the Italian community, on one side marginalized and subordinated to the British colonizers and on the other side able to impose their power to the local population. The second point is to analyse the hierarchical structure of the colonial society, the immigration rules and the many shape that racism - Europeans to Africans, British to European, rich to poor - could assume in the colonial contest