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Ironically, Houston (and Galveston) has some influential Italian Americans. Prominent Italian families like the he Carrabbas, Mandolas, and Fertittas, known for their restaurant, casino, and development holdings, are big in Houston. In fact, I think of Tilman Fertitta as the 'Donald Trump' of Houston.
Houston has an Italian Cultural Center, an Italian Embassy, and an Italian Festival so it is possible to continue being Italian in Houston. I am hoping we develop a Little Italy some day (more in tribute than actual).
From what I've been told by a co-worker originally from the Amalfi Coast is that Northern Italy is more urban and individualistic versus Southern Italy, which seems to be more rural and family centered. In my area, it seems like the Italians have roots in Calabria, Kazoo, Abruzzo, Apulia, Campania and Sicily, with a strong Tyrolean contingent in Solvay.
correct....outsiders really have view Italy as two separate countries. The rich, industrious, and sufficient north with their culture and the poor, crime ridden, agricultural south (except for some large cities like Palermo, Napoli, and Bari) and their culture.
Almost all of the Italians that came to the United States in the late 1800s/early 1900s are from the SOUTH.
Almost all of the Italians that came to the United States in the late 1800s/early 1900s are from the SOUTH.
And the Northern Italians look down on the Southerners as rural idiots, pretentious rural idiots (Romans), or dangerous rural idiot gangsters (ahem, someone mentioned Calabria and Sicily...).
Rome and Milan are as different as two towns that close to each other get.
correct....outsiders really have view Italy as two separate countries. The rich, industrious, and sufficient north with their culture and the poor, crime ridden, agricultural south (except for some large cities like Palermo, Napoli, and Bari) and their culture.
Almost all of the Italians that came to the United States in the late 1800s/early 1900s are from the SOUTH.
This co-worker said that Napoli can be pretty rough in terms of crime. Here is an Italian based club in Solvay that refers to the region of Italy that many of them came from: Solvay Tyrol Club
P.S.-It should have said Lazio instead of Kazoo. Crazy auto correct.....
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Originally Posted by H'ton
correct....outsiders really have view Italy as two separate countries. The rich, industrious, and sufficient north with their culture and the poor, crime ridden, agricultural south (except for some large cities like Palermo, Napoli, and Bari) and their culture.
Almost all of the Italians that came to the United States in the late 1800s/early 1900s are from the SOUTH.
This raises an interesting point. Since many immigrants from a particular country come from a specific part of that country, often the most poorest/most famine/warm torn whatever, the image that others have of the typical person of this country is actually of people from a specific region. The same can be said of the Chinese who immigrated to America, who largely came from just two provinces: Guangdong and Fujian in the South-East. The people from this province look different to those in Northern China. For instance, most are shorter, which in part explains the 'short Asian' stereotype (as well as SE Asians which are as short or even shorter). As I see more people from the PRC, Korea etc here I notice a lot more tall Asians. Many people might see a European looking person in the street who is Italian and not even realise it because they don't fit the Sicilian stererotype.
I would love to elaborate on this topic...but like I said a few months ago I don't have the patience to write all I could about it. I will say however, to answer the thread question quite simply...YES Italian-American is it's own culture...it is NOT authentically "Italian" (obviously that means nothing either when considering extreme regional differences), and it is NOT mainstream American either. There has been a unique development with Italian-American culture however, I understand why there is so much snarling and rolling of the eyes towards it...believe me, this is something I have had to dealt with throughout my growing up. I have only recently begun to embrace it and think of it as somewhat part of my upbringing rather than completely shun and scoff at it, and god forbid EVER show any signs of it especially to my real Italian friends and family. The thing is is there is A LOT of ignorance, A LOT of arrogance, and soooo many misunderstandings within Italo-American culture and also by those who criticize it. Yes Italian American wear a badge of pride about their heritage, a heritag that they generally have no idea about...but this kind of ignorance to the world and your own personal origins is common in all americans...and Italian-Amercians, we are guilty...guilty for being a major contribution to this....I would love to see a peace between the two cultures, being Italian-American and Italian, there needs to be a general understanding of the difference and, dare I say it, the similarities so Italian-Americans can accept the organic development of THEIR culture, and understand that it is different than Nonna's...and bisnonna's...and bisbisnonna's....
I really hate it when people just try not to assimilate and this isn't just Italians but Irish and Polish too. I'm not buying that "sticking together" nonsense either. Those days are long gone. For the most part all of these nationalities fit in with all the other whites but there are always a few who just can't let go to the point they're learning Italian and flying the flag on their porch. You know I can trace my ancestry back to the first settlers in the early 1600s in just about every colony and you don't see us flying the British flag. No. We fly a little something called the stars and stripes and we do it in style
I really hate it when people just try not to assimilate and this isn't just Italians but Irish and Polish too. I'm not buying that "sticking together" nonsense either. Those days are long gone. For the most part all of these nationalities fit in with all the other whites but there are always a few who just can't let go to the point they're learning Italian and flying the flag on their porch. You know I can trace my ancestry back to the first settlers in the early 1600s in just about every colony and you don't see us flying the British flag. No. We fly a little something called the stars and stripes and we do it in style
If you don't like it, ignore it. Most of these people fly both flags. Many of these people are only a couple generations removed from the old country so many of the traditions still exist. America doesn't have a long rich history and is a mashup of several cultures so nothing wrong with celebrating your ancestors.
If you don't like it, ignore it. Most of these people fly both flags. Many of these people are only a couple generations removed from the old country so many of the traditions still exist. America doesn't have a long rich history and is a mashup of several cultures so nothing wrong with celebrating your ancestors.
Many of them are like four generations removed from their little irrelevant "old country" that would get its ass handed to itself by us. I don't care how recent you are either. They're in America now and if they feel the need to fly a foreign flag then it's obvious where their loyalty lies. Most of them are not like this and are proud Americans but I have seen people who seem to go out of their way. Obviously these are the types who don't really care for America and as far as I'm concerned aren't American. This goes for everyone who's a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or whatever generation. If your country was so great you wouldn't be here in the first place. You wouldn't even exist without America so that alone should be like a big F-You to Italy. Yeah yeah this country is a mashup and it has been since the colonies. One of Thomas Jefferson's closest friends was Italian. An Italian founded the first European Illinois settlement. 300 Italians migrated to colonial New York and more were scattered throughout the colonies but Europe is a mashup too. Italians themselves have German, French, and Greek blood. The French have Greek, German, Spanish, and Italian blood. The British have Irish, German, French, and Scandinavian blood. What those flags are are political symbols, a nationality that these people are not and yet they fly it on US soil like it's going out of style and it pisses me off. Italy as we know it didn't even exist until 1861 because they were too busy being ruled by Germans and especially the French for the past 1,500 years.
It's just a pet peeve of mine. I've said it to people before and they've all agreed for the most part.
Last edited by lobsta; 03-13-2013 at 02:35 PM..
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