Yesterday we went to the market in Piazza Vittorio, Rome's unofficial China town. Strangely, this particular market place felt a lot more like Seattle than anywhere else I have been in Rome. A more diverse group of people frequent the market--the majority being of Eastern origin, and this reminded me of home.
On the way to the market I walked past a long row of Chinese-owned clothing and retail stores that seemed barren and carried a lot of the same products. This is because in 2007 Rome passed a city ordinance that targeted the Chinese business community. The ordinance banned the sale of wholesale products within the city limits, and, since this is how most Chinese shops obtain their products, the shops were turned into mere "showrooms." The wholesale warehouses that contain the actual products for sale have been moved outside the city. Customers place their orders, and the merchandise is then brought into the city.
Piazza Vittorio made me realize how the rest of Rome is not very diverse. The people are by no means homogenous--but there are a lot of white shopowners and tourists throughout the historic district. Piazza Vittorio was clearly not a tourist destination.
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