[John K.]

I believe this is something that originates with the racism of Western Europe - the lighter, the better. Italians, especially Sicilians, tend to have a darker complexion. Because of this, they would get a great deal of ridicule from the more 'acceptable' northern Italians and white Europeans. Add to that the common resources that many Italians and blacks had to fight over during the early part of the 1900s, when both groups encountered similar prejudice, and you have a combination that continues to influence the descendents of Italian immigrants to this day.

My grandfather escaped the fascists in Italy during that time and grew up within the context of these attitudes. Even as a northern Italian, his nationality made him a 'nigger' for many years. He came to hate blacks (and pretty much all other non-whites) for the rest of his life. And there are members of that side of my family who have yet to unlearn the lessons he taught.

User Detail :  

Name : John K., Gender : M, Age : 27, City : Cranford, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : Chemical Engineer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,