Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nicam]

It's true that most Italians in NY did come from the south of Italy, and were poor working class, hence the culture being handed down from generation to generation.

I did not find it to be true that people have dark features in Sicily however. In Bari, and in a few parts of the south they do, but in Naples and Sicily (Sicily more so) people are very fair. I find the variation in color to be no different than it would be in, say, France, or anywhere in Europe with the exception of the far north. Sicilians (in Sicily) are really hot, actually! There are just as many blond, blue-eyed, and even ginger people running around there as anywhere else in central/southern Europe. I guess with it being so hot down south their skin tends to be tanner, so a person with brown hair and brown eyes may get that dark look, but...

I think Sicily was invaded by soooooo many fair-skinned countries that it's sort of got its own thing going on. All I'm sayin', is DANG they are smokin' in Sicily.

[alphakennyone]

Don't make judgments about me, I'm not from Wisconsin!!! *indignation*

My beliefs about Italian Americans are purely based on Rocky movies and having a drink at the "British" pub in San Diego's "Little Italy." The food in that district is a bit expensive, but at least the chefs are undoubtedly real first generation (illegal) immigrants from Mexico! But pfft! They aren't even in a drug cartel, they are so fake...driving those beat-up pickups and listening to norte�o music - who do they think they are fooling?

I've been to that country dozens of times, and in the rich tourist areas I visited I never saw anyone who dressed or acted like the guys standing in the Rite Aid parking lot waiting to get picked up for a day's labor. I bet they even eat burritos, which have been highly Americanzed, rather than true Mexican tacos. And don't even get me started on Corona beer! Everyone drinks Tecate and Modelo south of the border. Posers, I'm tellin ya.

Anyway, the whole basis of this thread basically seemed to be a bunch of feelings of self superiority. From "I'm European and you're not, neener neener" to "I'm more Italian than others are" to outright racism. But I noticed John_ESL_White's post using a racial slur got removed, so that's that.

[samcheokguy]

People want to be special. Americans lack ethnic nationalism for the most part. Thus we end up wanting fatherland. Hardly bizzare.

[Tiger Beer]

I can 100% understand why a European wouldn't understand this, as there is NO modern similarity there whatsoever.

But for Americans/Canadians who don't get it...where are you guys from? Some whitebread nowhere land kind of place of complete generic-ness?

So for either really whitebread Americans/Canadians with no diversity/mix of cultures or Europeans who aren't exposed to it as its a different country/culture, it probably IS difficult to get.

As an Irish-American myself...there is a COMMON culture unique to Irish-American that is NOT Irish, and NOT American exactly either. I think it is important to make this distinguish. For Irish, it is strange, because the culture between Irish-American and Irish is so different.

But for an Irish-American...whereas the mainstream American is predominately Southern Baptist or evangelical or tele-evangelist on one end, or completely liberal on the other end. Irish-American fit into the CATHOLIC undercurrents. Additionally, there are prominent Irish-Americans like JOHN F KENNEDY and the Kennedy Family. Additionally, there are Irish Catholic jokes up the ying-yang if you're from a family with an Irish background...plus a bunch of little common things you'll notice - large families, tons of clothing hand-me-downs, and a bunch of traits that are pretty unique to the Irish-American experience.

For example, I have 100s of cousins, uncles and aunts. Most of them have names like Patrick, Mary, John, etc. Crucifixes and scalpels and all that stuff that most Americans now associate with Mexicans - all the Catholic stuff, a Virgin Mary planted firmly in the yard knd of stuff.

Anyways, I personally never bring it up with Irish myself, as they don't share the same culture...even though its half of the equation...it isn't the same recent history and experience, anymore than I'd understand current Irish politics or anything Irish. But I would have a strong understand of the Irish-American experience. There is something different from the mainstream American experience.

Italian-American..there is a STRONG culture there too in the U.S. Italians do not get it at all, because there is little modern connection. Italians think it is some archaic version of Italy that people are adhering too, and not modernizing, but stuck in some old world version of what it means to be Italian. Those are strong traits passed down from parents to kids, but not necessary connected to Italy in the modern experience of it.

I got it all with Irish-American...shelves on the bookcases devoted to the Irish-American experience. If you don't understand it, AND you have some Irish blood, you were probably WAY TOO waterdowned into the American mainstream and too much intermarriage or parents didn't pass it down or whatever.

MINE DID. I can relate to it VERY well...and most Americans with Irish blood are just mainstream white Americans with little of the Irish-AMerican influence, but others had a lot of it growing up, and quite a few common characteristics related that are completely different and unique in contrast to the mainstream white American experience.

I guess you have to 'be one', to really know what its all about. IF you aren't, then you just simply won't get it.

[JMO]

[shifter2009]

[Sergio Stefanuto]

[AmericanExile]

First, another persons identity is not anybody's business. The only exception is when they lay claim to something you are that you suspect they really aren't.

Second, I am Irish-American and I have been to Ireland. That trip convinced me it makes a difference. Odd little similarities like speech patterns crop up. Things you would never had thought to fake.

Third, why do you feel the need to hassel people about something that makes them happy and doesn't hurt you in the least? You should see a doctor for that. It isn't healthy.

Finally, it isn't what Americans call themselves that I think is odd. It is Europeans who insist on calling all Americans "yanks" or "yankees." This is a regional term. I'm not from that region. I don't qualify. I'm a Midwesterner. Completely different thing.

[bundangbabo]

[Adventurer]

[bundangbabo]

[JMO]

[bundangbabo]

JMO,

I support Wales (through my dad) and Peru (my mum) in international football - I am English but when I was growing up - Lots of nasty NF/BNP types followed England who would boo John Barnes for example and of course the England national team is very 'London-centric' I could not with all conciense support a team like that with their loutish, stupid, racist fans and London-centric attitudes - things changed a great deal after Euro 96 (If we put aside the battle of Marseilles, the rioting in Euro 2000 - actually - it may had changed after the Dublin riot of 95 when England played you lot.. ) when England and their support became more reflective of the players and the supporters around the nation and England is all the better for it - still I support Wales and Peru!

Club team - Wigan Ath - though I was born and raised in Wigan...

And if you like to watch Barca and go out of your way to watch them on the telly - surely you support them whoever they are playing against?

[Rory_Calhoun27]

[calicoe]

America was a multi-racial and multi-national society from its inception, and then became the nation of immigrants. It's quite simple really, we ALL are from somewhere else or something other than white, anglo-saxon and proud of it. So, the hyphens are relevant, because that is also what it means to be an American.

So, it's your problem if you don't understand.


*Also, as a mixed-heritage person with a complicated background, I find the attempts of others to whitewash and/or push my ethnicity into "sameness" totally offensive. There is strength in diversity, and we don't need to "sanitize" everyone into singular blandness to be united.