Americans Who Have Made Tuscany Their Home

A methodological premise analyzes the advantages of using a video camera during an interview as opposed to a more traditional, audio-recorder approach, making a number of theoretical and technical considerations, both within oral history projects and documentary film productions, which substantiate the choice. The article continues by presenting interviews with three Americans who have made Tuscany their permanent residence. The transcribed interviews serve as the basis for a discussion on issues relating to identity and belonging, as well as to the differences between traditional and more recent migrations within a post-industrial, globalized economy. The interviewees reflect on what it means to leave home, settle in a new country, and to what degree adapting to Italian culture has been a challenge for them, albeit in all three cases the decision to emigrate was the result of a will to experience alternatives to American society.