National Library To Host Public Lecture On Maltese Migrants In Early 20th Century Tripoli
The multiplicity of identities among the Maltese of Tripoli in the early 20th century will be discussed during a lecture to be held at the National Library of Malta, Valletta on 25th April at 6:30pm.
The lecture will be delivered in English by Mario Xuereb, CEO of the Malta Business Bureau. This lecture is part of the seventh edition of the National Library of Malta’s public lecture series “Collective Memories of an Island” in honour of Professor Henry Frendo.
During the lecture, items from the national collection related to the subject will be on display. One of the points that will be discussed is the British subject status that was very much desired by Maltese migrants.
One of the Maltese migrants in Tripoli, Emilio Carabot, declared “Io sono maltese di nazionalità Brittanica” when addressing British Malta’s first minister in 1933. This very sentence in itself is proof of the Italian heritage that the Maltese had while claiming Britishness out of self-interest, whilst also resisting absorption by a prominent colonial power.
Tag a history buff in the comments to attend the lecture together.
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