Bodies that threaten, instrumentalized bodies

race and gender in the public debate on immigration in Italy

Abstract

The public debate on immigration in Italy has been marked, since the 1990s, by the link between popular racism and institutional racism, as well as by various expressions of sexism. Voices clashing with the ongoing security paradigm have been a constant target of attacks from both social movements on the right wing as well as from political parties and exponents, the preferred target of these attacks being women who occupy prominent political positions and act for the fundamental rights of immigrants, such as Laura Boldrini and Cècile Kyenge. Migrant women have also been the target of xenophobic and racist speeches and practices, linked to misogyny and sexism. Thus, the objective of this article is to analyze the multiple forms of mobilization of racism, sexism and the instrumentalization of gender violence, pointing to the construction of stereotypes about bodies considered dangerous in the public debate on immigration in Italy.