Graphic novel, storia e storie di migrazione cinese in Italia. L’esempio di "Primavere e autunni" e "Chinamen"

• Main Author: Andrea Scibetta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Firenze University Press 2020-12-01
• Series: LEA : Lingue e Letterature d'Oriente e d'Occidente
• Subjects: chinese migration to Italy; graphic novel; literature of/on migrations; sinoitalian literature
• Online Access: https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bsfm-lea/article/view/10980

The main purpose of the current contribution is to focus attention on the graphic novels Primavere e autunni and Chinamen, produced by Matteo Demonte and Ciaj Rocchi. Both works contribute to accurately re-constructing the history of Chinese migration to Italy (particularly regarding  the city of Milan) by means of the narration of multiple personal, family and social events of several Chinese migrants. After having described elements which encourage understanding these two graphic novels as strictly intertwined with Sinoitalian literature, an overview of the general structure and the common characteristics of both works will be introduced. After this, the main events represented in each graphic novel will be summarised and general considerations on some crucial points will be explained.