I'm of Italian heritage as many of you know and I like Spike Lee's movies. It never bothered me none how he "portrayed" Italian characters in his films. Some people I knew were like that.
Blacks have taken their share of hits. Just as Irish and Jews have too. Sometimes, you have a perception of yourself that's not the same as another person. Get it?
It was interesting to see a film as told through different eyes.
Are stereotypes about Italians a lame game these days? Perhaps. However, I don't think Italian-Americans getting sensitive on the issue is energy well-spent.
It goes the other way too. Italians are often portrayed in a positive light either as singing artists, first rate food lovers, fashion experts and so on.
Italians: The good, the beautiful, the bad and the ugly. Take it or leave it the way I see it.
And I totally agree with him about the 'Jersey Shore' quip. I have no idea how these people are getting on television.
It's not words that keep a people down, it's how well they can blend in. I think that's why Italians, Irish, Eastern European, and other minority immigrants have had fewer (not none, fewer) problems, while black people have the most trouble.
ReplyDelete"But what about Asians?"
What about them? Well, the ones who move to America did not tend to be the poorest, nor did they start from nothing (like freed slaves). It tended to be the affluent who came to America for higher education. A very high percentage of Asian immigrants attended college, so they had quick access to the middle and upper class societies.
But again, it's never words that keep people down. When was the last time you heard someone say a kind word about politicians or lawyers? And they're doing just fine.
Imagine if you're a black, Asian Muslim!
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