Ancestral lineages

Interestingly, as highlighted by Cologna, the majority of Chinese residents in Prato can be traced back to ancestral lineages originating from the vicinity of the Chinese city of Wenzhou.

Yan Xiaohai, an officer of the Overseas Chinese Bureau in Qingtian, a small town near Wenzhou, said Zhejiang province has witnessed four major waves of immigration to Europe, with the immigration from Qingtian playing a crucial role.

"It began in the late 19th century when opportunities arose through exhibitions," Yan said. "In 1911, a devastating flood struck the county, prompting people to seek new opportunities elsewhere, leading to an increase in immigration to Europe."

The first major wave of immigration occurred in 1925-30, ending with the onset of a worldwide economic crisis. World War II further slowed immigration for about 20 years.

The second significant wave began in the 1980s, after China's reform and opening-up.

Yan estimated that the population of Qingtian is about half a million, with approximately 300,000 individuals officially recorded as having emigrated to Europe, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the population.

"People from Qingtian were among the first Chinese immigrants to Europe, primarily due to the limited resources and opportunities in their small county," Yan said. "The lack of natural resources and limited space for agricultural work pushed the rural population, including the farmers, to seek better prospects abroad."

But why did a large number of people from Wenzhou choose to settle in Prato, a city 20 kilometers from Florence with a population of 200,000?

Zhang Yili, a professor of economics at Wenzhou University, whose research focuses on Wenzhou immigrants in Italy, said that in the late 1980s, the local youth in Prato showed less interest in working in their parents' textile workshops. Instead, they sought opportunities in larger cities, including Milan and Rome, which caused a decline in the development of the garment industry. This created a pressing need for a new labor force.