Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 19 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 8 months ago by
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- Why do Italian Americans hate African Americans? I feel it's safe to say that most blacks don't understand where this comes from, because our two peoples don't have a history of animosity - no border disputes, no history in ancient times of doing things to one another. Also, we know that what happened to our people here in this country had nothing to do with the Italian people or other people who came later during the days of heavy immigration from Europe. When we speak of racism, Italians don't even enter into our minds. Why do they hate us?
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Name : Jada, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 33, City : Boston, State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Probably for the same reason members of any group hate members of any other group. The majority of 'white people' in America today are descendents of immigrants who came after the Civil War, and therefore had no more part in slavery than the German-American settlers' descendents had in Adolf Hitler. Some Italians hate blacks, some blacks hate whites, etc. A lot of the Italians you're talking about are probably from poorer neighborhoods and grew up with poor blacks, and both groups probably have those stereotypes in their heads.User Detail :
Name : Brian22987, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 25, City : Peru, State : IN Country : United States, Occupation : Management, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,This is a guess, but it seems to me that blacks and Italians have inhabited some of the same neighborhoods in U.S. cities throughout the last half of the 20th Century. Generally the Italians were entrenched in these communities first and saw the incoming black populations as intruders. And while you state that there's no historic precedent for conflict between these peoples, I think you'll find that the Moors and the Sicilians had all kinds of problems with each other back in the day.User Detail :
Name : Emma25381, Gender : F, City : L.os Angeles, State : CA Country : United States,I'm sure you didn't intend to generalize to the effect that all Italian-Americans hate blacks. I understand your question, though, especially given the fact that you live in Boston; even having never been there, I am aware of the neighborhoods where blacks take their lives in their hands by stepping foot inside. I think there are Italian-Americans who hate blacks for the same reason there are Irish-Americans who hate blacks. Both of these immigrant groups suffered similar discrimination and hatred that we did when they first came here. You should see some of the old hate propaganda perpetrated against the Irish and Italians from the early 20th century. Very similar to the white supremacist propaganda against us that persists to this day, including references to monkeys, laziness, filth, idiocy, childlike impulses and uncontrollable sexuality. However, one of the rights of passage for non-black immigrants to this country was and is climbing above blacks on the social scale. The way to do that, to distance oneself from 'the lowest of the low,' requires a mirroring of the attitudes evinced by the mainstream. The closer you are in appearance and culture to the 'lowest of the low,' the more virulently you must deride them, so that those who have the power will consider you more one of them. _______________________________User Detail :
Name : Jennifer R., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Humanist, Age : 29, City : Saint Paul, State : MN Country : United States, Occupation : Writer/Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I am an Italian-American (I prefer American) who spent the first seven years of her life in South Boston. I don't know what you're talking about - all my problems have been with the Irish. My family was forced to move out of Southie during the '70s because my brother was getting beaten up every day by the Irish kids in the neighborhood. I married an Irish guy, by the way, so I've obviously gotten over my prejudice. As has the rest of my family. I can honestly say I have no idea what you're talking about. It's too bad you've obviously been subjected to prejudice from Italians; it embarrasses me.User Detail :
Name : Rose29481, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, City : Marshfield (formerly S. Boston), State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : Systems Analyst, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,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.
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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,Alot has to do with History, in the Old World and New. Rome was under the shackles of Graecia(Greece) and steadily defending their land against the various peoples of -Africa! Then came the Muslims; Arabs and -Blacks vying for Europe. So now today in America, alot of them feel sorry for Blacks, but when you see what's really going on it reminds them of -HISTORY! I have many Italian friends who know why they're tan-skinned, but still have many Black friends. But if we're out and some men who are Black get rowdy, some will say 'just fagetaboutit' while others will- remember History.User Detail :
Name : Kevin, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : multiracial, Religion : Monotheist, Age : 23, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : Sales, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class,As with any racial fear or hate, Italians don't truly know African Americans, so they assume what the media potrays. Most Italian-American people I know are really involved in their culture, society and family. It is very rare to see an Italian-American person interact with another race. A rich culture caused the Italian community to be blinded from other cultures. From that, we see curiosity blinded by hatred.User Detail :
Name : Bmarsco, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : Business, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,I am black, and interestingly enough, when I went to Italy, I could not keep the men away from me. And of the white men I have dated, a large number of have been Italian. Robert DeNiro, for example, almost exclusively dates black women. I have definitely seen and heard incidents of Italians hating blacks, but I've heard of Italian guys digging black women just as, if not more, frequently.User Detail :
Name : Julie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Methodist, Age : 30, City : San Francisco, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Manager, Social class : Upper middle class,I am half Sicilian and have heard that part of my family demean and alienate black people all my life. I asked my father once why this was, and he stated that a long time ago the Moors conquered Sicily, and Italians' animosity toward black people never went away. I do not think any of my current Sicilian family has any idea why they are supposed to 'hate' blacks. I was not raised that way, but they perpetuate the stereotype they have heard all their lives. Not all Italians hate blacks, and not all blacks hate whites, but my family hates anyone who is not obviously white or Sicilian/Italian. And yes, I have been to Boston, New York, Cleveland and San Diego's 'Little Italys,' and it is definitely known that black people are not allowed in these neighborhoods. Just as I believe black people of the modern generation should not hold grudges toward their contemporaries for the slave era, I do not hold a grudge against the Moors. They both were devastating parts of history, and we should now be in an era in which the hatred ends and the stereotypes cease to be perpetuated, and we realize we are all made the same inside. Our ancestors should be worshipped and remembered for all they have endured, but I am not responsible for what happened anymore than the German, black or Japanese person sitting next to me is. It's really sad.User Detail :
Name : Jennifer B., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Humanist, Age : 25, City : Cleveland, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : Child Care Worker, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,I strongly feel it is wrong to say Italian-Americans hate blacks. I'm an Italian-Canadian, and one of my best friends is black, and the person I have the biggest crush on is black, and my mother thinks black girls are the prettiest and cutest children. Maybe Italians in your neighborhood have heard some bad things about black people. Maybe they grew up with the stereotypes of black people. It's not fair to judge Italian-Americans as black haters when only a small percentage is like that..User Detail :
Name : Zip, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Italian Canadian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 17, City : Vancouver, British Columbia, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : Student, Social class : Upper middle class,I am not sure what you have based your conclusion on. If it just your experience, well you are not alone. I am not black but I am of South Asian origin and I find Italians from where I lived in Canada to be extremely arrogant and hostile. Almost all the ones I ever ran into. Maybe it is just a cultural thing. I am not sure if it is just blacks they are prejudiced against. I think they are clannish in general and may be a little suspicious of anyone who is not white or Italian.User Detail :
Name : Serena, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States,The problem with America is that the issue of skin color still plays a large role in American society and it's something that many Americans still can't completely over look, despite the fact that many claim to. There is no such thing as a color blind America or a color blind world. In Europe color is not as big of an issue as it is in America and people tend to be more Liberal in Western, Northern and Southern Europe and interracial dating.marriage isn't that big deal and people aren't put into categories, you are only labeled according to your citizenship. There are Blacks who are of French and British nationality as well as other countries, there are also many mixed race people who are European and people of other faiths. Europe is indeed a melting pot, but that doesn't mean it is completely immune to racism. In Europe politics and religion play a greater role whereas in America there is more discrimination against color. Americans aren't as educated about various countries, cultures and religions like most Europeans are and many tend to confuse skin color with nationality or religion with nationality. to get it straight Jewish is not a race or a nationality, it is a religion and there are Jews all over the world, and Black is not a natioanlity, there are Blacks all over the world. The problem in American society is that beauty and opportunities are still very much associated with having white skin, thus many non-ethnic whites want to simply fit into this group in order to be excepted and receive the privledges that come with claiming white and passing for white. Instead of just excepting themselves many chose instead to envy ethnic whites, because that's what American society has taught them for the most part. Along with this longing to fit in comes also prejudice against those who have the hardest time fitting in which are Blacks. Some minorites feel that in order for them to fully fit in then they must downgrade others otherwise they will not be fully accepted. Others feel since they have ben able to cross over into whiteness that they are somehow superior to others who cannot. There are also those who wish not to be associated with Blacks, because they are seen as being the lowest group on the ladder and associating with Blacks would somehow question their whiteness.User Detail :
Name : Tatjana25271, City : The heart of Europe, State : NA Country : Europe,First of all the moors were not black and neither was hannibal or cleopatra. Many people in America believe these things, because many Americans don't know enough about history, even their own. A common belief that the White Supremacists have is that the Romans were white skinned with blond hair and blue eyes until the moors came invaded and changed that. The Romans were not blond-haired and blue-eyed they had darker features and olive skin, there were also those with blond hair and blue eyes who were of Germanic decent and Eastern deecent when Rome became known as The Holy Roman Empire. For many years Romans of German heritage rule Rome during this period. Rome had vast control over various countries extending to the Middle East as well. Hannibal was from Carthage, he was of Mediterranean Middle Eastern heritage and not Black. The Moors were people of Middle Eastern, more commonly Arab decent who had darker features ranging from dark olive complexions to brown. It seems that many Blacks and Whites in America seem to be misinformed on this issue. Having dark skin doesn't mean Black, if that was the case then everyone who's not lily white would be considered black and they are not in America. In England, however a few years ago anyone who was not lily white or looked darker was considered black no matter if he was spanish, italian and so on. In some cases it still remains so for some people of the older generations. Another myth is that Egyptians were Black. Egyptians were and are Middle Eastern and not Black. just because Egypt is in Africa doesn't mean they were ethnically black, just like whites in south africa. Egyptians immigrated to Africa and formed their own country. Cleopatra was Greek and not Egyptian and far from being black.User Detail :
Name : Tatjana, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Multicultural: German, Black, Italian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 25, City : Heidelberg, State : NA Country : Germany, Occupation : Computer/Web Design, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,my parents grew up in boston, but Ive actually never been around a rasist italian, but I see it on TV. I am 14 and I always have crushes on italian guys and had a few italian boyfriends. so I think that in california they arent as rasist as they are in the east coast. But they have no reason to be rasist, because they are pretty much black, I mean they dark, theyre a minority, theyve been hated on. Ive also had the same question for a while, if italians are rasist.User Detail :
Name : kyah, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Catholic, Age : 14, City : California, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : high school, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Upper class,
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