Bern, 10 March 2009 - swissinfo.ch is launching a multimedia networking platform for Italian-speaking Swiss emigrants and their descendants. People from around the world who have their roots in Ticino and the valleys of the southern Graubünden tell of their ancestors. In its Swiss-Italian Migrations special, swissinfo.ch – the international voice of SRG SSR idée suisse – takes an in-depth look at this wave of emigration.

Luigi Jorio Dale Bechtel

The 19th and early 20th centuries saw tens of thousands of people emigrate abroad from remote areas of Ticino and the Italian-speaking valleys of Graubünden. They journeyed to Australia, the United States and to other countries in Europe in search of a better life.

swissinfo.ch is devoting a multimedia special - in English and Italian - to this emigration wave. The reports, with many videos and slideshows, explain the historical reasons behind the outflow of people from Switzerland. Included are interviews with migration and genealogy experts. Background information and documentary features give readers a clear impression of southern Switzerland then and now. swissinfo.ch also visits descendants of emigrants and reports on how they live now.

The dossier allows people who live abroad but have Italian-Swiss roots to find out more about their ancestors. In addition, swissinfo.ch offers a blog in which they can swap family histories in text and photo form. A genealogy database enables users to search for people and families with roots in Italian-speaking Switzerland. swissinfo journalists reporting Australia, California and Britain will be blogging about their own experiences.


Contact:
Dale Bechtel, Project Manager, Swiss-Italian Migrations
+41 31 350 95 85

Luigi Jorio, Italian Production Team
+41 31 350 95 25

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