Milanese — ungrateful — a proverb that Milanese say about themselves. Milan absorbs immigrants, uses their talent to build its wealth, and is slow to acknowledge the debt.
Milan has been a city of immigration for centuries. In the twentieth century alone, hundreds of thousands of workers from Veneto, then from the south — Calabria, Sicily, Campania — came to build the Milan of Pirelli, Alfa-Fiat, Breda, and the textile industry. They built the city and were not always welcomed. The proverb captures this tension honestly: Milan takes everything from everyone and rarely says thank you. But the saying is also used in a more personal register, about individuals who forget a favour, a loan of money, a recommendation. The Milanese quote it about themselves with the directness that characterises their culture: they know they are not the warmest people in Italy and have no illusions about it. It is a form of self-knowledge that Italians from other regions sometimes find disconcerting.
A proverb Milanese say about themselves. Reflects the city's complex relationship with the immigrants who built it and the transactional nature of urban northern life.
A Calabrian worker reflecting on his years in Milan
Ho costruito questa città per trent'anni. Milanesi ingrati — ma devo ammettere che mi ha dato tutto quello che ho.
I built this city for thirty years. Ungrateful Milanese — but I must admit it gave me everything I have.
A Milanese businessman who forgot a favour
— Non ti ha nemmeno ringraziato? — Milanesi ingrati. Ci siamo abituati. L'importante è che l'affare sia andato bene.
— He did not even thank you? — Ungrateful Milanese. We have got used to it. The important thing is that the deal went well.
A sociologist writing about urban migration
La storia di Milano è la storia dei suoi immigrati. Milanesi ingrati — ma anche straordinariamente capaci di integrare chi arriva.
The history of Milan is the history of its immigrants. Ungrateful Milanese — but also extraordinarily capable of integrating those who arrive.
A native Milanese to a newcomer
— Come mai nessuno mi saluta nel mio palazzo? — Milanesi ingrati. È normale. Tra sei mesi ti salutano.
— How come nobody greets me in my building? — Ungrateful Milanese. It is normal. In six months they will greet you.