What - they didn't have 'Italian - Jersey'?
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.
They’re all Italian. Saying you’re Sicilian is like saying instead of I’m American, I’m Nebraskan.
Don’t Sicilians have some Arab background?
What - they didn't have 'Italian - Jersey'?
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.
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.
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”...:^)
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.
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.
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.
Yeah, and prior to the 9th century, sicilians were more like northern eurpeans, mostly blonde and blue eyed.
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.
I’m half Sicilian and that side gives me the light skin and blue eyes :)
Northern Europeans invaded too!
Could be worse, the choices could have been, “Dago” or “Wop”.
Or Italian Staten Island! :)
See post 33!! :)
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.
This Polack can relate.
Good thing she didn’t tell you the one about the “Italian Tires.”
Italian Tires? Have to know now. Dont worry, not thin skinned :)
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