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'Ethnicity: Italian or Sicilian?' UK schools provoke row with online form
The Local (Italy) ^

Posted on 11/05/2016 5:07:32 PM PDT by nickcarraway

The Italian Ambassador to the UK has intervened after parents complained about the distinction made between Italy, Sicily and Naples in school district questionnaires.

When selecting their ethnicity from a drop-down menu on school district websites, Italians in the UK faced a surprising choice. They were asked to define themselves as either 'Italian', 'Italian - Sicilian', 'Italian - Neapolitan' or 'Italian - Other'.

Complaints initially came from parents in Bradford, north England, but it became clear this was not an isolated case, and that several school districts in England and Wales differentiated between northern and southern Italians.

The Italian Embassy "intervened, requesting the immediate removal of this categorization", it said on its official Facebook page on Tuesday evening.

It also found time to give the UK authorities a quick Italian history lesson, reminding them: "Italy is a unified country, since March 17th, 1861."

Ambassador Pasquale Terracciano told Ansa the choice was a "local initiative" and that rather than being discriminatory, the three options were probably motivated by a desire to identify any "non-existent linguistic needs".

He added however that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions".

Italy and Brexit

The incident comes at an important moment for Italian-British relations, after the UK voted to leave the European Union in June, leaving the thousands of Italians who study and work in the UK with an uncertain future. The vote was particularly bad news for Italian youngsters, many of whom move to the UK where they can often find better employment opportunities..

While UK Prime Minister Theresa May has said she "expects" to be able to guarantee the rights of Italians living in the UK, no promises have been made.

Furthermore, the shock of the 'No' vote appears to have made PM Matteo Renzi about his own upcoming referendum on December 4th.

Although Italy's referendum is about constitutional reforms, it is feared that the wider consequences of a win for the 'No' camp could include a boost for the populist Five Star Movement, who want Italy to hold its own EU referendum.


TOPICS: Education; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: brexit; britain; disunity; divisiveness; england; eu; europe; identitypolitics; italy; naples; sicily; unitedkingdom
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To: nickcarraway

They’re all Italian. Saying you’re Sicilian is like saying instead of I’m American, I’m Nebraskan.


21 posted on 11/05/2016 5:44:16 PM PDT by BlueHorseShoe ( Let us all speak out, rise up, lead and conquer!)
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To: nickcarraway

Don’t Sicilians have some Arab background?


22 posted on 11/05/2016 5:51:38 PM PDT by SkyDancer (Ambtion Without Talent Is Sad - Talent Without Ambition Is Worse)
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To: nickcarraway
When selecting their ethnicity from a drop-down menu on school district websites, Italians in the UK faced a surprising choice. They were asked to define themselves as either 'Italian', 'Italian - Sicilian', 'Italian - Neapolitan' or 'Italian - Other'.

What - they didn't have 'Italian - Jersey'?


23 posted on 11/05/2016 5:52:31 PM PDT by COBOL2Java ("He may be a sinner but she's the Devil" - a minister on the candidates)
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To: nickcarraway

Cause you, you’re part eggplant...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3yon2GyoiM


24 posted on 11/05/2016 6:39:17 PM PDT by Chode (You Owe Them Nothing - Not Respect, Not Loyalty, Not Obedience, NOTHING! ich bin ein Deplorable...)
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To: nickcarraway

It’s no different than asking if a person is “British - English”, “British - Scottish” or “British - Other”. Before the mid-1800s Italy was divided into several countries, the “Kingdom of the Two Sicilies” being one of them.


25 posted on 11/05/2016 7:11:01 PM PDT by captain_dave
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To: BlueHorseShoe

Except, politically, the island of Sicily is semi-autonomous ...Nebraska ain’t.

Also, the Sicilian language is significantly different from Italian. Similar, but different...sort of like Spanish and Portuguese.


26 posted on 11/05/2016 7:39:30 PM PDT by moovova
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To: captain_dave
It’s no different than asking if a person is “British - English”, “British - Scottish” or “British - Other”. Before the mid-1800s Italy was divided into several countries, the “Kingdom of the Two Sicilies” being one of them.


It is different... the boundaries for England, Wales and Scotland still exist on the map, and they do have separate assemblies.

My mother is from Trieste and she thought all of the rest of the Italians from Rome south were “lower class and lazy”...:^)

27 posted on 11/05/2016 7:39:40 PM PDT by az_gila
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To: SkyDancer

Pretty much any country that sailed a ship across the Med, or swooped down thru Italy, conquered Sicily. Normans, Vandals, Romans, Greeks, Spaniards, Saracens...lots more. Greek Syracuse rivaled Athens militarily, and actually beat back an attack by the Athenians.

Wonderful/interesting island.


28 posted on 11/05/2016 7:52:14 PM PDT by moovova
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To: SkyDancer; moovova

One of the theories of the root of the mord, “mafia,” is from the Arabic word for, “refuge.” When Sicily was conquered in the 9th century, the resistance lived in the hills. Of course, after the Moors, they were invaded by the Normans and other groups.


29 posted on 11/05/2016 8:29:04 PM PDT by nickcarraway (.)
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To: SkyDancer; moovova

One of the theories of the root of the mord, “mafia,” is from the Arabic word for, “refuge.” When Sicily was conquered in the 9th century, the resistance lived in the hills. Of course, after the Moors, they were invaded by the Normans and other groups.


30 posted on 11/05/2016 8:29:05 PM PDT by nickcarraway (.)
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To: nickcarraway

Yeah, and prior to the 9th century, sicilians were more like northern eurpeans, mostly blonde and blue eyed.


31 posted on 11/05/2016 9:00:42 PM PDT by correctthought ("Obamunism is a temporary setback on the road to freedom" - Liberty Prime)
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To: Sacajaweau

My mom and pop were from Italy and pop treated mom like gold.

Pop from Naples and mom from Sicily.

Sorry you got the wrong impression about “old Italian” whatever that is.


32 posted on 11/05/2016 9:30:06 PM PDT by dp0622 (IThe only thing an upper crust conservative hates more than a liberal is a middle class conservative)
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To: ronniesgal

I’m half Sicilian and that side gives me the light skin and blue eyes :)

Northern Europeans invaded too!


33 posted on 11/05/2016 9:31:27 PM PDT by dp0622 (IThe only thing an upper crust conservative hates more than a liberal is a middle class conservative)
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To: nickcarraway

Could be worse, the choices could have been, “Dago” or “Wop”.


34 posted on 11/05/2016 9:31:56 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: COBOL2Java

Or Italian Staten Island! :)


35 posted on 11/05/2016 9:32:03 PM PDT by dp0622 (IThe only thing an upper crust conservative hates more than a liberal is a middle class conservative)
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To: correctthought

See post 33!! :)


36 posted on 11/05/2016 9:32:33 PM PDT by dp0622 (IThe only thing an upper crust conservative hates more than a liberal is a middle class conservative)
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To: dfwgator

And then my choices would have been left hook or right upper cut :)

Took an Irish gal on staten island out for a date. Blond/blue I am so she must not have thought I was italian.

She said “the WOPs really flooded staten island after the bridge was built.

I took her right back home.


37 posted on 11/05/2016 9:34:08 PM PDT by dp0622 (IThe only thing an upper crust conservative hates more than a liberal is a middle class conservative)
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To: dp0622
And then my choices would have been left hook or right upper cut :)

This Polack can relate.

38 posted on 11/05/2016 9:34:54 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dp0622

Good thing she didn’t tell you the one about the “Italian Tires.”


39 posted on 11/05/2016 9:35:51 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator

Italian Tires? Have to know now. Dont worry, not thin skinned :)


40 posted on 11/05/2016 9:39:54 PM PDT by dp0622 (IThe only thing an upper crust conservative hates more than a liberal is a middle class conservative)
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