Chinese Espresso: Contested Race and Convivial Space in Contemporary Italy

cathiebp24
May 10, 2024
4 min read

Why and how local coffee bars in Italy—those distinctively Italian social and cultural spaces—have been increasingly managed by Chinese baristas since the Great Recession of 2008.

Italians regard espresso as a quintessentially Italian cultural product—so much so that Italy has applied to add Italian espresso to UNESCO’s official list of intangible heritages of humanity. The coffee bar is a cornerstone of Italian urban life, with city residents sipping espresso at more than 100,000 of these local businesses throughout the country. And yet, despite its nationalist bona fides, espresso in Italy is increasingly prepared by Chinese baristas in Chinese-managed coffee bars. In this book, Grazia Ting Deng explores the paradox of “Chinese espresso”—the fact that this most distinctive Italian social and cultural tradition is being preserved by Chinese immigrants and their racially diverse clientele.

Chinese Espresso is a discussion on the rapid growth of Chinese baristas in Italy. Here are a few takeaways from my read.

The Niche

The faticosa (tiring, laborious) coffee bar business was once considered a good path towards economic autonomy by Italian migrants. For Chinese immigrants, employment conditions such as cramped workshops settings, fast-paced Chinese kitchens or working in the field made the coffee bar business became appealing.

With the decline of the Italian coffee bar business since the Great Recession of 2008 coupled with the retirement of Italian immigrant owners and whose children have no interest in taking over this vacated business, this has carved out a niche for Chinese immigrants as an option. This is important to note.

Chinese owners are not forming a new business niche but fulfilling an existing one. They acquire an established coffee bar rather than opening up a new one “They leave, We Fill In”.

From 1990 to 1998, immigration law prohibited the establishment of new self-employed micro-enterprises by immigrants originating from countries where Italian citizens did not enjoy reciprocal rights.

With the migration to Italy during the mid-1990s, Chinese-run small-scale trade and service businesses have increased over the years as Chinese residents have left the invisible manufacturing workshops for open urban storefront businesses. Mass migration from China made coffee bars become one of the few businesses available and accessible, following other successful examples of other Chinese immigrants.

Made in Italy & Made in China

The coffee bar has been considered a “neighborhood bar”. Following the Second World War, it was seen as a ‘third place”, a gathering distinct from work or family p75 For the regulars, there is a sense of attachment, belonging, loyalty, and temporary escape from an otherwise lonely life.

Chinese baristas are far from being the “cultural invaders” threatening Italian culture that nationalist and anti-immigrant discourses often portray, but rather seem to have become the guardians of an older way of life centering on neighborhood community life that serves populations from working-class backgrounds.

However, along with the decline it has lost its symbolism of modernity.

Made in Italy model – similarity of Chinese culture in maintaining the business model of self-employed family management with little no hired wage labor. Chinese ownership of coffee bar businesses primary adopts a kinship model of production. Self-employment was economic autonomy and coffee bars has made it possible to keep to the Chinese culture.

Generational differences mires the shift towards urban gentrification where traditional bars become “invisible” to be replaced with trendy bars. The younger Italian generation view these established bars as low class, to kill time rather than what it used to be seen as: a social space.

Trendy coffee bars have become more of a service business. Despite this, Chinese families find these traditional bars accessible and potentially profitable.

Shared Space, Separate Lives

Social exclusion has served to create boundaries especially with first-generation Chinese immigrants. Prejudice exists to this day due to the assumptions and perceptions of Italians. Below is an excerpt I found online from the author.

Socializing within themselves evolved a divisiveness due to long working hours at the coffee bars and less leisure time, and the younger Chinese generation assimilating to Chinese culture through WeChat and socializing within their family and community.

Upscale Chinese Expresso

I was happy to read the creation of the Chinese Coffee Bar Association. The need for resources and support is much needed.

Chinese baristas and many other Chinese entrepreneurs in Italy have been disappointed that their increasing economic prosperity did not translate into social respectability but, ironically, resulted in even more insecurity.

Kinship and customs still exist. Sustainability post-COVID is also a positive despite discrimination existing to this day. However, I have come across reviews of Chinese coffee bars as “hidden gems”. These more receptive establishments, being elegant and inviting, speaks of the trend towards a lifestyle aesthetic.