A Spiegel Online reader, Catia Porri, recounts her family’s experience immigrating from Italy to Switzerland in 1962. Upon arrival, Porri and her parents faced an environment where she was compelled to remain largely hidden indoors for months. This was due to the social climate surrounding seasonal Italian workers in Switzerland during the 1960s. Porri’s story highlights the difficulties and anxieties experienced by immigrant families during this period. The lack of freedom and the need to conceal herself from public view profoundly impacted her childhood. Her narrative offers a personal and poignant perspective on a lesser-known aspect of Swiss-Italian relations. The experience demonstrates the human cost of immigration policies and societal biases.