Between Distance and Presence: Ghanian Funerals and Fantasy Coffins as Community Building in the Italian Diaspora

In the landscape of contemporary migration, the movement from Ghana to Italy represents a relatively recent transnational phenomenon, one that began in the 1980s. From the very beginning, this migration has carried a diasporic dimension, symbolically linked to the memory of the first great forced exodus of the transatlantic slave trade. Since then, Ghanaian migration to Italy, including that of both Ga and other communities, has unfolded along multiple trajectories, all sharing a common thread: the creation of reciprocal networks between the communities of settlement and the homeland. These connections are sustained through social and cultural structures that, while rooted in the traditions of extended family and local affiliations, have adapted with flexibility to the demands of transnational life. Rather than returning to the Ghanaian context, which I have explored extensively over the years, I decided, precisely because this essay is addressed to an international audience, to shift the focus to the presence of Ghanaians across the world, particularly to those living in Italy, which is also my home. Here, funerals are not merely cultural expressions, but vital instruments that strengthen community bonds across distance. They are collective gestures that, moving beyond an individualistic concept of life, offer a deep lesson and serve as an ethical and relational compass for navigating the world. In a time marked by global conflict and fragmentation, these practices, often overlooked, emerge as acts of generosity and solidarity deeply embedded in collective life. By centering the experiences and voices of Ghanaians living in Italy, this article seeks to acknowledge their essential, and too often invisible, contribution to the country’s social and cultural fabric. In this context, funerary rituals are not simply acts of farewell, but also practices that keep the community alive, build and nurture connections, and give form to a sense of home and continuity over time. This reminds us that, ultimately, all meaningful research is a shared, collective act of co-learning, not an individual endeavor. For this reason, this essay is also a tribute to those who are here, to those who are no longer with us, and to those who walk beside the researcher today, here in Italy.