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Some Latin Americans mostly in South America have Italian ancestry
U.S latinos? I don't think so.... most are Americanized Mexican and puerto ricans, maybe they are similar to Italian Americans in some ways.... I don't know.
Actually, you wouldn't be technically be Japanese, as there is no birthright citizenship in Japan. There are people who were born and raised in Japan whose parents and grandparents were born and raised in Japan who are still not citizens of Japan.
Anyway, I was referring to southern Italians/Sicillians whose skin color is dark. I'm sure they are mixed with African, but it's a mixture that occurred hundreds of years ago, not due to recent migration from, say, Ghana.
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Lucario
Wrong, they don't have African blood. They are not mixed with Africans.
Black people in this part of the world were testimonial as late as ten years ago.
I used to visit Italy a lot some 35 years ago and there was not a single black, just a few Ethiopians brought by the Duce during the 30's.
Just as Spain, the only blacks in Spain during the 50's and 60's were Machin and Legra.
All I am going to say is, people should take pride in their own culture and not try to latch onto someone else's. Latin Americans should embrace their African and/or Native American roots and the rich contributions to their culture in addition to the Spanish, rather than trying to latch themselves onto Italians or other Southern Europeans who, for the most part, would not recognize a kinship with them.
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They'll do it that the same day that Americans stop calling themselves "Italian-Americans", "Polish-Americans", etc.
Many millions in Latin America have no African or Native roots, just as there are some people in the US with no Indian or Black blood that are even capable of tracing their ancestry to Europe and speaking their language.
Yes, Italy recognizes kinship granting Italian citizenship to fourth generation Italians born in Latin America, Spain does the same to second generation Spanish born in Latin America.
And yes, Italy and Latin America are very similar, and it does not have anything to do with race, but with culture, religion and history. Latin culture since Rome is not based in race, but in culture and "civilizatio". Germanic based societies are still based in "tribum", tribes, such societies are still tribal, not "civilized".
Roman (Latin) "Civilizatio" involved putting different tribes in a city (civites) so they become ONE under Roman culture and religion, eliminating tribes and removing them from mountains and fortifications. Spain followed the same approach in America.
Do you guys feel Italians and Hispanics have some similarities? I'm Latino and when I think of the Italians I've met it feels like they're almost my people in a way. It seems like there's not so much differences. What do you think?
There are many similarities to Latin American and Italian culture. I feel the same as you do. The issues are those who have European ancestry 500+ years ago and try to so desperately to hold on to that and claim they are European. It's as if they are embarrassed to be born in Latin America and are trying to hold on to something distinguished.......being European. In my family we eat lasagna on Sunday, spaghetti, rice and beans......but we are not trying to claim we are the same as our ancestors. We are not ashamed of what we are, quite the opposite, we are very proud. We have traced our ancestry to Spain and Portugal 5 generations ago, but it's part of family history, we don't dwell on great, great, great, great, great grandpa.
But, you have a few countries in Latin America and the Caribbean who really are ashamed of where they were born. Those are the Cubans, Argentinians and Venezuelans. Cubans with their claim to Spanish lineage and Argentinians who claim they are the 'Europe of Latin America' and Venezuelans who love to tout their 'Europeanness'. I know, it's hilarious. Personally, I can understand why they are embarrassed of their homeland, but I still think it's a shame to be in denial.
Well I guess I can compromise.. Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil etc. have a basis for comparison to Italy, but I still stand by what I said before; Mexico, Dominican Republic, most of Central America, and the heavily Amerindian countries of South America like Bolivia do not.
And there are perhaps 50 to 70 million South Americans that want to stress their Italian roots. They are not insecure since they can trace their people to Italy, more so than the Italian immigration in the US.
And like I said, I am not taking issue with this. I am taking issue with your average US Mexican (most likely a mestizo) of Spanish-Amerindian heritage trying to liken themselves to Italians. Mexican Americans are owed absolutely nothing from any Italian nor Spaniard.
Btw, it annoys me to hear them calling themselves "Spanish", too. Spanish = from Spain and Spain only.
And like I said, I am not taking issue with this. I am taking issue with your average US Mexican (most likely a mestizo) of Spanish-Amerindian heritage trying to liken themselves to Italians. Mexican Americans are owed absolutely nothing from any Italian nor Spaniard.
Btw, it annoys me to hear them calling themselves "Spanish", too. Spanish = from Spain and Spain only.
THANK YOU. I have NEVER heard a Mexican claiming they are Italian. Maybe YOU have heard of ONE or TWO examples but by and large this is not the case...
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