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# 62 • June 12 , 2015
cians, and film critics against
us. Those groups of people
- college educated and pro
“diversity” - turn a largely deaf
ear to Italian stereotypes. They,
too, accept them as “real,” and
dismiss our concerns with derision.
Do you think that the Italian
Americans should have fought more against the stereotyping against them? And,
what should they do now,
when sometimes it seems that
America is politically correct
towards everybody but them?
Ironically, promoting positive
images and correcting distortions WAS an early focus of the
Italian American intelligentsia.
But somehow, such efforts became overshadowed by hugely
successful Italian American business leaders who often cared
more about money and prestige and becoming “American.”
These leaders began a tradition of spending money on
everything except Italian culture. Instead, they raise money
or spend money on non-ethnic
causes such as hospitals, charitable groups, generic college
scholarships, etc. Their purpo-
se is to show non-Italians that
we’re really “good” Americans,
not Mafiosi.
What they don’t realize is that
non-Italians still make jokes
about how these charitable organizations are run by “gangsters.” Such gestures of good
will mean nothing.
Until the issue of media images is fully addressed - and we
believe our film study is a step
in the right direction - Americans who have a vowel at the
end of their names will continued to be looked down upon
as socially inferior.
WE THE ITALIANS | 9
www.wetheitalians.com