Associations of New Italians Abroad: Italian Bangladeshis in the United Kingdom

Given Italy’s long history as a country of emigration, sociological literature has tra- ditionally focused extensively on the associations of Italian emigrants abroad rather than on those of foreign migrants in the country. However, since 1973—when Italy began transitioning into a country primarily of immigration—new forms of migrant association began to emerge. At the same time, since Italy has never entirely ceased to be a country of emigration, and given the intensification of Italian out-migration since 2008, we also find the emergence of association practices among the so-called ‘new Italians abroad’: that is, migrants who have resided in Italy long enough to acquire Italian citizenship and who have then emigrated from Italy to another European country. This article focuses on the association of Italian-Bangladeshis in London and elsewhere in the UK: the strengths of these organisations, the challenges they face, the activities they promote and the aims that guide them.