We Weren't Always White: Race and Ethnicity in Italian American Literature

Quote by James Baldwin: "No one was white before he/she came to America."
Quote by Rose Romano: "I'm tired of being overlooked and then categorized as colorless, as though I've never had a good spaghetti fight in my life. I'm tired of being told to shut up and assimilate."

Interaction between Italian Americans and African Americans on the streets and in the arts of the United States has often gone unnoticed, primarily observed during conflict (e.g., the murder of Yusef Hawkins in 1989).
Italian American intellectuals (e.g., Robert Viscusi, Jerome Krase, Marianna DeMarco Torgovnick) published essays to challenge the stereotype of Italian Americans as racists.
Formation of Italian American organizations, like Italian Americans for a Multicultural United States, aimed to create public forums for discussion of cultural interactions.
Notable event: 1997 American Italian Historical Association conference titled "Shades of Black and White: Conflict and Collaboration between Two Communities."

Reference to African Americans in Mario Puzo's The Godfather portrays them negatively (e.g., described as "dark peoples" and "animals").
Richard Gambino's Blood of My Blood claims Italian Americans and African Americans have "diametrically opposed value systems," suggesting they differ vastly.
- Gambino observes increased conflict over race and space as ghetto blacks and lower-middle-class whites compete for resources.
Patrick Gallo, in Ethnic Alienation, suggests an alliance between Italian Americans and African Americans based on mutual needs and interdependence.

Gambino's views have been challenged by emerging Italian American intelligentsia producing literature that reexamines cultural identity.
Daniela Gioseffi advocated for civil rights in the 1960s, detailing personal experiences (e.g., being raped during a civil rights demonstration).
Frank Lentricchia's essay in Lingua Franca underscores that cultural interactions predate contemporary events like Bensonhurst.

The immigrant experience often involves sacrificing ethnic identity for social acceptance in American society.
An upward mobility narrative emphasizes conforming to middle-to-upper-class cultural values, distorting ancestral languages and traditions.
- A term introduced in this context is "making it" in America, often correlating with the abandonment of ethnic identity.
Ronald Takaki's A Different Mirror argues for the diverse histories of European immigrants existing alongside oppressed minorities, describing the complexities within 00w America.

U.S. media perpetuates a negative image of Italian Americans, often focusing on crime-related associations.
Most Mafia histories commence with negative events, overshadowing Italians’ experiences of oppression, such as indentured servitude and civil rights activism.
The consistent negative framing in media excludes positive representations of Italian culture, maintaining stereotypes of the Mafia and ignorance.

The silence from the Italian American community concerning their representation is attributed to a lack of "discursive power" (Robert Viscusi's term).
Gaining discursive power includes mastering language, crafting historical narratives, and reviving dialectic discussions within the community.
Italian Americans are encouraged to actively change the narratives surrounding their heritage rather than wait for societal change.

Italian Americans are encouraged to confront historical racism and their evolving identity as they navigate their place in America.
Many scholars explore these issues from a socio-legal perspective, highlighting the flexibility of being recognized as "inbetween" in terms of racial identity.
Court decisions in New York have recognized Italian Americans as a cognizable racial group entitled to protections under law, as seen in cases like Scelsa v. the City University of New York.

Aldon Nielsen critiques the tradition of racism in white American literature.
Italian American authors (e.g., Mary Bucci Bush) explore historical voids, such as Italian Americans’ roles on plantations, presenting their complex interrelations with Black communities.
Through literature, Italian American writers strive to deconstruct stereotypes and assert their place within multicultural narratives.

Artists, poets, and writers play pivotal roles in redefining what it means to be Italian and American, highlighting experiences that counteract racism and policing identities.
Works such as A Bronx Tale illustrate cultural mixing, complexity in racial identity, and the deep historical ties between African Americans and Italian Americans.
The chapter advocates for recognizing and addressing Italian Americans’ positions in society, articulating the fight against limiting narratives connected to whiteness/history.

The discussion leads to a broader understanding of racial identity, advocating for the dismantling of whiteness as an exclusive label and encouraging solidarity across racial and ethnic divides.