Why are Italians patronized?

email | Craig J. Cantoni

[hsmomx3]

Last night, as part of a school assignment, I took my son to an exhibit on aviation. There was only one display at the exhibit that spotlighted ethnicity, and true to form, it was about Italians -- Italian pilots to be exact. How embarrassing and insulting to feature my ethnic group and no others, as if it was surprising to the organizers of the exhibit that Italians have enough intelligence to fly an airplane.

There was a front-page story the same day about Italians in the Arizona Republic, which is the largest-circulation daily in the Gannett empire next to USA Today. The story was even more embarrassing and insulting than the exhibit. Fortunately, I was able to throw the newspaper away before my son could see it and think that there is something wrong with his ethnic heritage.

The story said that Italians are a minority, because they represent only 6 percent of the United States population, have olive skin, are not Anglo, immigrated to this country speaking a foreign language, and took menial jobs that no one else wanted. It went on to say that Italian students have difficulty adjusting to college life, due to their minority status and due to the fact that they are often the first member of their family to attend college and don't have anyone to explain the ropes to them. Accordingly, Arizona State University singles them out for special hand holding, apparently assuming, as the organizers of the aviation exhibit did, that all Italians are inherently inferior because of their ethnicity and can't make it on their own.

Isn't that the definition of racism? Whatever it is, I find it very troubling that when my son goes to college, he will treated differently, solely because he has a vowel at the end of his name. That's not why my impoverished grandparents immigrated to this country.

Thank goodness I was not treated differently when I went to college, even though, as the son of working-class parents, I was the first Cantoni to attend college. Had I been singled out, I might have grown up with an ethnic chip on my shoulder and viewed myself as an oppressed minority the rest of my life.

Okay, time to come clean. The exhibit and newspaper story were not about Italians. They were about Hispanics, who outnumber Italians in Arizona by a factor of four but are mislabeled as "minorities" by the establishment media, the government, corporations and universities.

The question is, why don't Hispanics feel insulted and embarrassed over being patronized and treated as inherently inferior to other ethnic groups? ____________

Mr. Cantoni is an author, columnist and leader in equal rights for 30 years. He can be reached at ccan2@aol.com.

[gaspar]

Was there anything on Italo Balbo?

[AzSteven]

Well, I don't know about racism, but the Italians were absolutely among the best aviation designers in the pre-WWII era. While the Italian aviation industry was never up to the par of their designs, Italian desin concepts heavily influenced German and English aircraft throughout WWII.

I beleive the first practical jet aircrfaft engine design was Italian, as well as some of the fuel injection and turbocharger systems that made the German FW-190 and later-war German Me-109 models such impressive flyers.

Maybe the author is a bit too sensitive in this case.

[firebrand]

have olive skin

Olives come in two colors: green and black.

[So Cal Rocket]

Italians have been involved in aviation for a long time:

http://www.museoscienza.org/english/leonardo/aliante.html

[So Cal Rocket]

[You Gotta Be Kidding Me]

Personally, I'm more a fan of Italian race car designs and drivers than Italian aircraft design and pilots.

My wife is Italian, however, and she can "fly off the handle" at times.

[aquila48]

You should read the whole thing... to the last sentence.

[ArrogantBustard]

Did you read the article?

Can you identify the ethnic group the author is really discussing?

[Larry Lucido]

Bernoulli's Principle of Pressure

Daniel Bernoulli studied the flow of fluids (liquid or gas) as it reaches a region where the pipe diameter is reduced. Bernoulli stated that the velocity of a fluid, as it flows through the narrowest diameter is increased and that the pressure in that region is decreased.

A practical application of Bernoulli's Theorem is the Venturi Tube. A Venturi tube consists of a tube which narrows to a throat (reduced diameter). The airflow at the throat is increased while the pressure is decreased.

[Beacon Falls]

When our Grandparents got here. Mine to Statten Island after Ellis, it was not acceptable to be on the dole.

Now it is almost expected. You have only shown what that does to a person or whole ethnic group. Thanks all you libs out there.

Myself and most of my very large Italian family still live and do well in the tri-state area. I know many people of various ethnic backgrounds living here in the New York City area most of which work hard to achieve the same American dream my Grandfather worked hard to achieve.

I did live out west for about ten years and it is different. Some people believe the crap you hear on the tube about racial and ethnic divisions. I'm glad I grew up and live in the true melting pot.

Wasn't there a song about one bad apple spoiling the whole bunch. thank God that guy is in the minority.

[CatoRenasci]

Well, the last socially acceptable ethnic prejudice is against white ethnics, such as Italians and Poles. I'm a little surprised to see it so virulent in Arizona, but it is clearly strong in the Northeast: Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia.

[End Times Sentinel]

Okay, time to come clean. The exhibit and newspaper story were not about Italians. They were about Hispanics, who outnumber Italians in Arizona by a factor of four but are mislabeled as "minorities" by the establishment media, the government, corporations and universities.

The question is, why don't Hispanics feel insulted and embarrassed over being patronized and treated as inherently inferior to other ethnic groups?

Sigh...

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

[BadAndy]

As an American whose ancestors came from Italy, I am relieved that this was just a journalistic ploy and not a true story.

[ZULU]

Amazing.

Nobody bothered to read the article.

Its NOT about ITALIANS!!!

Its about the idiocy of affirmative action!

[Beacon Falls]

I read it. Duh, thats why I thanked the libs out there.

[MineralMan]

Did you read the whole article? Apparently not. Sheesh!@

[MineralMan]

"I'm a little surprised to see it so virulent in Arizona, but it is clearly strong in the Northeast: Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia.

"

Sheesh! Read the article...the whole article...not just the first paragraph.

[LibWhacker]

The question is, why don't Hispanics feel insulted and embarrassed over being patronized and treated as inherently inferior to other ethnic groups?

Huh? They do. (Surreal lead up, Cantoni.)

[HitmanLV]

Personally, I'm more a fan of Italian race car designs and drivers than Italian aircraft design and pilots.

Personally I am a fan of my namesake, Enzo Ferrari. I like his secret of eternal youth and vitality - lots of lusty young italian women to keep the blood pumping!