Religion, Race and Migrants’ Integration in Italy: The Case of Ghanaian Migrant Churches in the Province of Vicenza, Veneto

Abstract

The number of Ghanaian immigrants’ Catholic and Pentecostal/ Charismatic churches has kept growing since this group began to settle in Italy from the late 1970s. This paper examines that role that these religious congregations play to facilitate the migrants’ integration in the province of Vicenza. The paper shows that while the churches offer opportunities for the migrants to find their place in Italian society by providing them a place to be at home, a sense of belonging, identity and resources, the type of integration that the migrants foment through the churches appears to be rather segmented along racial and ethnic lines. Therefore, the churches’ integration role would be enhanced if they open up their ethnic and racial borders and provide channels for Ghanaian and Italian populations to interact.Published online: 11 December 2017