Yo, there’s something oddly comforting in asking, “Why are there so many Chinese 🇨🇳 folks in Italy?” It’s not a question you’d expect in Tuscany, but as a curious spirit, I couldn’t help wondering. 🤔
I’ve visited Florence plenty—tagging along on my wife’s work trips (she’s a knitwear designer checking in at
@pittiuomo_official ), captivated by the Medici influence, artisanship, and “Made in Italy” 🇮🇹 allure. But Prato? Just 12 miles from Florence (I know; I ran it 🏃🏻♂️💨), this town holds Europe’s highest concentration of Chinese immigrants. That hits different, nah’mean?
Prato reminded Queens 🌐, like Flushing—a place where immigrants redefine “belonging.” Here, “Made in Italy” has another side, with Wenzhou immigrants crafting fast fashion and, more recently, luxury pieces. Their hands stitch the high-end tags, making them as Italian as the tradition itself, even if some don’t see it. 👀
Looking at third-culture 🌍🌏🌎 kids, fluent in Italian yet rooted in Chinese heritage, I wondered: What does it mean to be Italian now? Perhaps, it’s where roots grow, not just where they start. And in that space, borders blur. It brings questions—the immigrant stories I know from New York 🗽, now against Italy’s backdrop of ancient traditions. How does the local community feel about immigration? What impact does it have on youth? How did the Chinese community settle here❓
This collaboration between
@flavorthing and
@portal_a “Moonshots” 🚀 program—a righteous move investing in indie projects and fresh talent—is our way of tasting culture wherever it thrives, a reflection of my hybrid identity—a global perspective, with the feeling of belonging everywhere and nowhere.
So let’s set it off…
#thirdculturesprato
CREDITS
• Created by: Jaeki Cho, Brian Lee and Portal A
• Executive Producers: Jacob Motz (
@jacobmotz ), Brittani Kagan (
@brittanikagan ), Sam Clanon (
@instasamcc )
• Producer: Sandie Cheng
@sandiepantss
• Director: Brian Lee
@brianlee
• Director of Photography: John Zeng
@johnszeng
• Camera Operator: Zheng Ningyuan
@zhengningyuan
• Editing: Kyle Tisdel
@kylecarvelle , John Zeng
@johnszeng
• Prato Consultant: Marco Wong
@marcowongita & Elisa Wong
@petitewong 
