Why is everything Italian oriented with me.
Posted by gio23 on April 2, 2007
Through the years, the media has picked on Italian-Americans, especially Sicilians. The Pizza connection did’nt help, the arrest of John Gotti prolonged the agony of honest hard working people. I’ve been asked if I was ever in the cement business, and funeral home operator. I then had to hear about positive comments about what a show the “Sopranos” is, the three Godfather movies, and the sequels that followed “The Sicilian Connection”, “The Palermo Connection” and so forth.
Well, I simply despise all of these shows for they portray criminals, not Italian characteristics. For this reason I try to share my thoughts and knowledge of my cultures. As president of the Italian Club, York College, member of the Italian Charities of NY, and recipient of the DAnte Medal for excellence in spreading Italian Culture to my community in NYC, I will keep on watching, and listening to the radio for unwarrented remarks.
Unfortunately, second generation Italian-Americans have little knowledge of what their ancestors and parents struggled against. They first of all think they are speaking Italian, when the reality is that their grandparents were mostly uneducated and illeterate. they d’ont even mind portraying mobsters or making jokes on tv.
It is remarkable that such a small territory has produced all this talent, from science to literature, from filmaking to the world’s most popular cuisine. I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to live in this country for most of my life, and I must stress that I am an American first and foremost, for this great land has given me the opportunity to pursue happiness.
I can deal with the Ninja Turtle Movie, in the hope that when adults and kids go on google, they will type in Leonardo and get a genius on their screen.
Thanks for listeninng
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usrudy0406,0,3411630.story?coll=ny-top-headlines
snowflake5304 said
John, Keep on dashing people’s misconceptions about Italians. I think it’s a worthy cause for you and since you have been doing it for so many years, you must be pretty good at it. I can’t say that it ever occurred to me to accuse you of any Italian stereotype, but now that you have alerted me to the issue, I’ll watch it. New York accent, yes, but not Italian accent! Sally
mavsfan said
So is the parallel you are making to Ialian stereotypes in response to Cesaire’s quest to discover and embrace his roots? I think it is wonderful to be Italian and be proud of your heritage and all of the richness it offers, just as Cesaire wanted to know and appreciate the true value of his African heritage. Personally, I am a mish mosh of all things from French, English, Scottish, Arkansian and who knows what else, so I don’t have a concrete beautiful culture to embrace. Maybe that is what makes me love discovering new cultures, languages and ethnicities. The differences are the spice of life, don’t you think?
Christa said
Gio, you sound just like my dad
But I mean that in a good way, as I have the highest respect for my father.
I agree with some of what you are saying. I mean, I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked if my family is in the mafia… or how everyone loves pizza. What do they expect me to say? “I will let my people know.” Anyways, you are right. It seems to me that the association of Italians with the mafia seems to create a negative sterotype towards my ethnicity. I used to get angry about it, but then I realized, they just don’t know any better. So, I educate them about all of the good things that Italians and Italian-Americans have contributed. And then they know. (Kind of like when my family in NY jokes that Texans ride around on horses to school)
However, Gio, I resent the statement that you made about 2nd generation Italians. The struggles that my family had to go through,what my father and grandfather went through when they came here are close to my heart. It upsets me, and it hurts me to know how they were treated and what they had to do survive. I am proud of that. Knowing my background, I also realize how lucky I am right now to even be RECEIVING an education. Actually, that is one of the reasons I am in Graduate School… because I CAN be. So you better believe I’ll be making the most of it.
I may be a 2nd/3rd generation Italian-American, but I am not ignorant to that fact. And so what if my Italian is not that great? And so what if my father’s and grandfather’s Italian is uneducated? Are they less “Italian” and is the language less “Italian” because it isn’t formal? Please.
Be careful of what you say about 2nd generation Italian Americans. We aren’t unappreciative fools who have lost our heritage. It isn’t our fault that society plays on ignorant sterotypes. Give us a break.
Christa said
One more thing. What’s wrong with being associated with the first origins of pizza?
And also, to criticize other people for not knowing everything about Italian history/language/culture is to assume that we know everything about theirs. Is that fair? People won’t know until they are told.