Southern Italian immigrants and identity

As discussed by Orsi, Southern Italians struggled because of the United States’ binary definition of race. People were categorized by the color of their skin, and for most there were only two options–white or black. Because Southern Italians fell “in between”, they found themselves cast into the same group as African Americans. This was no different than the discrimination they experienced at home. The southern Italians identified more with families and village than with the Italian nation-state. They were dismissed as “dark-skinned outsiders.” After moving to the United State, they were not allowed to forget this. In an attempt to fight this, the southern Italians crafted an “Italian American” identity and fought to distance themselves from African American, Puerto Ricans, and other groups they were largely associated with. However, by attempting to distance themselves, many Italians cling to the supposed differences and attempt to turn similarities into differences. This is most notable when “differentiating” between Italians and Puerto Ricans. Though both groups are predominantly Catholic, are particularly strong devotees of Mary, and speak Latin-based languages, some Italians are quick to downplay the similarities. As Orsi reports, one older Italian describes Puerto Rican Spanish as a “corrupted, barbaric form of Italian” and he describes the Puerto Ricans as “dirty, thieving, and lazy.” Though it is understandable that southern Italians are anxious to separate themselves from Hispanic immigrants, doing so may perpetuate discrimination and uphold racial barriers. Though the southern Italian may finally gain acceptance by creating their own identity and by describing other immigrant groups negatively, they are simply passing down onto others the same treatment they experienced. They aren’t gaining standing or acceptance, rather they are shifting the weight onto someone else.