Introduzione. La penna dei gastarbeiter

The present volume intends to propose an overview of the literary pro- duction of immigrants and authors of foreign origin who passed through or were residents in Switzerland and post-war Germany, that is the two European countries whose migration policies best corresponded to the model that identifies the immigrant with a “guest worker” (gastarbeiter). The immigrants’ condition in these two countries could vary accord- ing to the quality of bilateral agreements between local governments and the ones of their countries of origin. In addition, due to the Eu- ropean integration process, their condition has undergone important transformations from the post-war period until now. Nevertheless, as some of the essays highlight even from a cultural-historical perspec- tive, the structure of the initial migratory policies has continued to have consequences on immigrants, on their descendants, and on their self- perception. The collected essays deal with the works produced by individuals belonging to different national groups, analyze them from different theoretical perspectives, but try to keep alive the dialogue be- tween migratory history and the respective literary production.