Will Italian Americans ever be on the same playing field as other ethnic and racial groups?

5/2/2014

Many of you are aware of the unacceptable remarks made by Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling and Nevada cattle rancher, Cliven Bundy, about African Americans. Senator Harry Reid is also advocating the elimination of the Washington Redskins name on behalf of Native Americans.

I believe that bigotry, racist and negative stereotyping should never be tolerated in any form. Unfortunately, it is tolerated and is alive and well.

The question I must ask – are negative statements and remarks about Italian Americans viewed and addressed in the same way as other groups?

Many good people don’t find negative remarks about Italian Americans to be bigoted, insulting and demeaning. That may be the main reason that people can say what they want about Italian Americans because they are never held accountable by anyone, especially the news media. Say what you want about us and we’re supposed to laugh it up – “it’s entertainment,” “it’s a parody,” “it’s satire.” Say it about any other group – well that’s different … that’s Racism and Bigotry!

Here are just a few unacceptable remarks that the News Media didn’t feel to be newsworthy:

Bob Beckel calls Italian Americans “Greaseballs” and Guidos and refused to apologize.
Imus Executive Producer, Bernard McGuirk called Supreme Court nominee Sam Alito a”meatball sucking wop.”
During the Jan. 18, 2006 nationally televised PBS news program, “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) commented, “Having Senator (Rick) Santorum talk about [lobbying] reform is like having John Gotti talk about doing something about organized crime …”
Nationally syndicated cartoonist Pat Oliphant drew a cartoon featuring Vice President Dick Cheney and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on a hunting expedition. Scalia was depicted with all the nuances of the stereotypical mobster – holding a machine gun.
In the spring of 2002, co-hosts Craig and Blain of “The Sports Guys,” a WNEW-AM, New York City radio program, repeatedly refered to N.Y. Jets quarterback Vinnie Testaverdi as “Vinnie the Guinea.”

Did you hear any of these slurs and unacceptable remarks on the the News Media? Did they get any attention?

I guess ethnic slurs about Italian Americans are not newsworthy.

It’s time Italian American demand to be treated like other Americans.

And it’s time to rid this country of all RACISM and BIGOTRY for all Americans.

Hopefully, Italian Americans will be on the same playing field as other ethnic and racial groups when it comes to stereotyping and denigration?

Manny Alfano

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