Finding Your Roots: How Italians became White

#ancestry #findingyourroots #ancestrydna #columbusday #louisiana #italians #jimcrow #familyhistory #genealogy
Finding your roots? We delve into the forgotten history of Sicilian and Italian immigrants in the Jim Crow South of the United States and origins of Columbus Day. Initially welcomed as a source of cheap labor after the Civil War, Sicilian immigrants faced discrimination and persecution as they sought better wages and living conditions. Despite their efforts to assimilate and build successful businesses, they were viewed as not fully white by white Southerners, who imposed on them the same persecution that was customarily inflicted upon African Americans. Shedding light on a dark chapter of American history that is often overlooked, let's find out how (and when) Italians became "White" in American.
Sources:
lasc.libguides...
Seguin, C., & Nardin, S. (2022). The Lynching of Italians and the Rise of Antilynching Politics in the United States. Social Science History, 46(1), 65-91. doi:10.1017/ssh.2021.43
www.neworleansp...
www.smithsonia...
italianamerica...
Fouts, Sarah. “The Mafia, ‘La Raza’, and the Spanish-Language Press Coverage of the 1891 Lynchings in New Orleans.” The Journal of Southern History, vol. 83, no. 3, 2017, pp. 509-30. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/s.... Accessed 21 May 2023.
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Come join me on a new docu-series that explores identity, racial tensions in the South during the 20th century, and the unique experiences of those who historically called Louisiana home.
My name is Danielle Romero, and all my life, I have romanticized Louisiana.
Growing up in New York, it represented a place where I could step back the sepia-toned life of my great grandmother, Lola Perot, who died before I was born.
Now, it was time to go back to Louisiana--although I had no idea what the truth would be or what questions to ask---who was Lola really? Who were we?
*Amazon links are affiliate links. If buy something through these links, we may earn affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting this project!

[@richarddeguzman8294]

This is the very reason we should teach our true history in schools, all schools. When I say, (Our)I mean Italian Americans, African-Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Mexican Americans, Caribbean Americans, Irish Americans. All American people should know their true history ☝🏽 When we know who we truly are, we can do better.

[@nytn]

Beautifully said. I think a lot of people today dont realize that just a few decades ago, it was THEIR families who were the targets of hate, so we need to do our best to protect those who are in the hot seat today. Really no one has been exempt, but the hierarchies shift.

[@Catlily5]

I never heard about the lynching of Italians in New Orleans or elsewhere. That is awful but thanks for teaching me what really happened. Do Southern Italians consider themselves white now? I heard it depends which part of the country you are from.

[@findingbeautyinthepain8965]

@@Catlily5 There is still racism against southern Italians in Northern Italy today. It’s about 50/50 when it comes to southern Italians identifying as white or brown. However, nearly all northern Italians call southern Italians brown, no matter how light their skin is. My skin is literally a few shades darker than milk. I’m considered brown in Italy, because I’m from Campania. (My parents are actually, literally the color brown though.) I’m considered white in America though. It was very confusing as a child. 😅

[@nytn]

Wow really?! What the heck would they call me? I am so pale right now since it’s still not summer but I’m definitely darker than milk 😩 thank you for sharing this

[@Andrew-gq2ot]

Wrong. Prior to 1965 Blk immigration to America was to the right of the decimal point on a percentage basis. The immigration act of 1965 followed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That's what opened up the door for non European peoples to immigrate here. Because America's immigration policy had been European Centered from After the Civil War to the Twentieth Century on up until 1960 when Euro Migration to America began to decline. Foundational Black Americans are the only ethic group / black group who didn't immigrate to America Voluntarily. And all of these tragic racial incidents that took place in America Were not caused by Blk Americans. And in many instances these newly arrived Euro migrants were hostile towards Blk Americans. And at the same time Blks were being " emancipated" with nothing, through an act of Congress ( Land Grants ) millions of acres of free land was given to newly European Immigrants, they even set up Land Grant Colleges to teach them how to farm the land for free... This should also be taught in American History. As well

[@dirtylemon3379]

My father grew up in NYC in the 1930s & 40's. He remembers looking for work as a teenager and seeing signs in shop windows that said: "Help Wanted. No Italians." The Irish were the cops and politicians and the power and hated the Italians. My grandfather sold fruit and vegetables from a pushcart. The cops would, turn his cart over, smash his scale and arrest him (a US Word War I veteran), on some fake charge. He would have to go to court and the judge would fine him 25 cents. Ironic because when the Irish got here, they were treated like garbage themselves.

[@thegodblogger3812]

Not so ironic that the victimized often become victimizers. Happens all the time.

[@dynasticlight8706]

They hated The Italians , because they both became Gangs in N.Y . They, were beating and killing Italians ,etc. So , the 'Black Hand 'was formed . The resulting rounds ended the Irish dominance. They still had a part during prohibation alot. That's until the St. Valentines day Capone party.

[@cgrphenomics7990]

Exactly

[@pele11201]

This isn’t really shocking. It’s human nature unfortunately. Just like when abused children grow up to be abusers as adults. A sick cycle.

[@dirtylemon3379]

@@pele11201 Its an American tradition. Come to this country poor and uneducated . Endure horrible discrimination and violence that the government and police encourage. Then after hundreds of years of hard work, finally make it and gain some acceptance. Then you can discriminate and hate too.

[@randomhandle0100]

Wow. I’m half Italian half black, and it’s crazy to see that both sides of my ancestry had suffered the same, and were even punished for working together. It makes me feel as if my mere existence is poetic justice.

[@Aphrodite_ErosLuvChild214-80]

Literally all poor whites have suffered greatly by the Brittish ! They structurally absorbed all of our ethnicity into this idea of whiteness ! It's bs

[@viniciuscilla]

The best place for us italians is in Italy itself, maybe in Switzerland, France or Poland too. The US is just to toxic.

[@thetruetreasure1]

Do you have italian parents or are you Born in Italy?

[@SteezyRedStars]

Italians partnered with Nazi Germany back in WW2 do it's not cut and dry. The discrimination was only here in America by Anglo-Americans

[@stefu60]

And come to think of it there is a racist man, a narcissist now running for president, a man who doesn´t care about people who only cares about his own ratings.

[@ThisIsJ.Nicole]

My mother-in-law is Italian and we did a deep dive into her ancestry a few years back. I'm glad we did. Found a cousin who had a ton of pictures and the record of everyone who came over on the boat. I recall my mom saying she was called slurs when she was going to high school and I couldn't wrap that around my mind. This video is very eye-opening, yet heart breaking. We're in Kentucky and much of this history is not shared.

[@Red-Iceberg]

My dad a black man raised in 1950s Chicago I just want to say his best friend until they died both 3yrs ago was an Italian. His parents were killed in a car accident and my grandma raised a baby along with her own, he became my uncle and I loved him like dad#2. I am now in my 60's writing a book for my grandbabies titled what color is love dedicated to their special attachment

[@kylewood5607]

You thinking about publishing? Or is it just a personal project?

[@Drexxaal]

That's beautiful!

[@CarvellaNY]

​@@kylewood5607 Excellent question! Would be interested in reading it.

[@ZionBeast]

​@@CarvellaNY Please Make Sure you Make All Necessary Provisions for your project before you allow someone to read your manuscript. And don't mention your topic or title without a copyright. Good Luck ❤

[@MrAffiliateddealz]

#cosign🫰🏿🫰🏿🫰🏿

[@dylansamuel2159]

As a black man, when I saw this title, I was a bit thrown off. I had NO idea about this side of Italian history. I grew up in an area in Miami with a lot of Italians and this was never mentioned. Glad I learned something new today

[@Ishbikes]

Yea. *do your googles*

[@doitall36]

Once Italians became condidered honorary white they became rascist towards blacks too

[@tashavolovsek9115]

It's because along with many "others" they are systemically racistly omitted from being taught about fairly and equally in the schools. The books have always been geopolitically manipulated . Furthermore Christopher Columbus does not actually represent 99.9% of all Italian Americans.

[@tashavolovsek9115]

​@@IshbikesGoogle is a place to start but beware sone of that is,also omitted

[@evocati6523]

Because Italians don't whine about stuff that happened a century ago

[@kei-te-pai]

As a person outside of America, it's always been so interesting to me just how much Americans see the world as black and white. I'm Polynesian and when I lived in America it was like, no one knew what to make of me. In New Zealand we call ourselves brown, but even then that's such a broad category. We tend to just say what we identify with when we discuss our race. White people will say Irish, or German etc. Asians will say Chinese or Korean etc. Polynesians will say Maori or Samoan etc. It's sad to me how much Americans have erased from their heritage. People are definitely much more proud of their roots in other countries.

[@ragnapodewski4694]

You are right. The Wasps had a narrowed sight, but now comes the contrary like M.Luther said:" Mankind is like a drunken peasant trying to ride, he is falling first on the right sire and then on the left

[@ragnapodewski4694]

Italians were Katholics, a horror to Puritans.

[@jame9277]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@ragnapodewski4694calling the natives of your host nation an insect is a narrowed sight. You should appreciate Anglo Saxons/ native Americans instead of resenting us, we built the cities and states that you moved into out of wilderness.

[@ragnapodewski4694]

@@jame9277 which cheek person used my name? Humans are images of God and never like insects, that is an affront for HIM

[@jame9277]

@@ragnapodewski4694 then don’t call people wasps

[@viniciuscilla]

As an Italian whose family migrated to Brazil, here the history was completely different. Italians were always well received and our contributions to the Brazilian culture and society are deeply and proudly recognised by everyone.

[@taylor.london]

And the Italians who went to Brazil were northerners

[@viniciuscilla]

@@taylor.london not only, my mother's family is from Venice (north) but my father's is from Naples.

[@aldinokalla868]

​​​​​​@@viniciuscillaA BIG PART OF EUROPEAN BRASILIANS IN THE SOUTH OF BRASIL HAVE ITALIAN ROOTS IN SANTA CATARINA, PARANA AND RIO GRANDE SUL........

[@mattc9875]

Because Brazil’s population was not majority Anglo-Saxon/North European…as simple as that. Brazil, along with Argentina, was also the destination of Germans and Italians fleeing Europe after WWII after what they did over there.

[@dhdowlad]

@@taylor.london Italians who emmigrated from Italy were mostly from the south...

[@joekulik999]

I'm a White American who grew up in a 100% Black neighborhood in Massachusetts in the 1950's and 1960's. I can't tell you how Blessed I feel for growing up where I did. It made me open minded to ALL People, not just on the basis of color but on every other social dimension as well. I've never understood how anyone who calls themselves a Christian can discount the humanity of another person based on superficial appearances.

[@veronicahoward4869]

What a blessing… I’m a black 50 sumthin woman that grew up in the 70’s 80’s in a military family but in a civilian (all white) neighborhood.. and I can honestly say, I had the BEST childhood and wouldn’t trade it for anything… This is proof that prejudice/racism is taught !!! I never once felt like I was treated differently… Our neighbors were our “FAMILY”… When anyone needed help .. each family showed up.. when one family had a crisis the entire neighborhood had a crisis… We HAVE to get back to this way of living… ❤❤❤

[@troycleek7394]

Massachusetts? I believe your experience would have been different, in say, Memphis. Don't believe me. Head on out there.

[@NoDiddyllc]

@@troycleek7394nah I’m black from Boston . Believe it or not we had a lot of black history . Specifically some of the first blacks to come to the states (slaves) were brought to mass.

[@troycleek7394]

@@NoDiddyllc That makes sense. They got big money to this day.

[@NoDiddyllc]

@@troycleek7394 not really bro check the household income for blacks in Boston. You wouldn’t believe it.

[@DonIzNice1804]

The fact that history, like this has been kept from us, is the reason why the children and grandchildren of immigrants today will have hateful views towards other immigrants. If we were taught exactly where we came from, and how much are histories overlap, we all would’ve gotten along a little better, and ultimately lead to a better world. Thanks for sharing this.

[@spirit5228]

Erasing history is why info like this is hidden from the public.

[@getlost3346]

No, this was well known for hundreds of years both in the US and Europe. Hint! Multi culturalism does not exist in other parts of the world,nor is it wanted today. See Soviet Union, Africa (no Pan African unity), Jugoslavia and its failures. Once Chinese Communist fall out of power, China too will splinter and divide across 4 to5 different new ethnic based nations.

[@getlost3346]

Add India, which was dominated by Muslims before the British.

[@777tommie77]

Well, if you don't pay your dues, you can't join the club.

[@anyawaleofondo]

@@getlost3346 🐥

[@angelalimon5693]

I had no idea of this History. I do remember my Grandparents saying that Italians or any immigrants that came to America were ashamed to speak their native tongue as they were horribly discriminated against. Although many, many immigrants didn't let those crazy people dictate who they truly were. Thank you so much for all you do to bring light to Identity and ancestors.

[@lisafiore7081]

Same thing happened to my Italian family in Canada. We were prevented from speaking and practising our culture, many of my older cousins totally lost their heritage and identity. They know very little Italian. We were made to feel ashamed of ourselves. I remember that I was too, as a little girl growing up in the 80s in Toronto. There is still a lot of racism towards Italians in Canada, mainly from the BIPOC community and new immigrants.

[@GaiusAgricola]

The Italians are the real parents of Europe! Beautiful art, language and culture.....

[@channel-gt1cb]

Yeah they welcomed Adolf....good one????

[@MrSpotface]

more like older brother. The parents would have to be greece. Im both so i love both cultures.

[@antonio.nirta8821]

@@channel-gt1cb l'impero romano è durato più di 1000 anni, voi luridi americani e inglesi nemmeno tra 100000 anni creerete un impero come quello romano

[@djo-dji6018]

​@@channel-gt1cb​​ The Americans and the English were and are not better than your friend Adolf. They only used a different strategy to invade, steal and kill.

[@djo-dji6018]

​@@MrSpotface Not really, Greek and Romans had different but equal (in terms of strength) influences on European civilisation.

[@DarrenCondron]

The Irish and Italians were treated very similar, it’s amazing how both countries are now so influential in American society.

[@VesperJester]

How?

[@Nico_420]

@@VesperJester everything in nyc is either Italian or Irish

[@VesperJester]

@@Nico_420 No it isn’t. So again how? The main things Italians/Irish in NYC are know for is being on the police/fire departments. And those departments have horrible reputations and are extremely corrupt.

[@invader7191]

@@Nico_420 NYC was founded by the Dutch that’s why you still have Dutch names of areas like Harlem.

[@TheOpenSociety777]

​@@Nico_420 does it bother anyone else that this lady cannot pronounce dago correctly??? 😂😂😂

[@abbracadabbra7514]

Being anti Black is key to becoming accepted into American society.

[@nytn]

The Italians must have missed that note😂 I was really proud to learn about the decision to integrate even during Jim Crow.

[@abbracadabbra7514]

@@nytn pardon me, I misspoke. I’m from New Jersey. I’m not speaking on all Italian people. I’m just saying that a lot of Italian people have an anti Black attitude. I always thought that was crazy, especially being that Italy is so close to Africa, and Italian people’s curly hair, love of gold chains, and sweatsuits. Shit, you may be Black on both sides.

[@nytn]

No I get you! I just am glad to know that there are parts of the Italian story to be proud of, and integrating during Jim crow is one of them. ETA: I am African on both sides! I didn’t know the gold chains and sweatsuits made it so obvious, I’m all about them 😂😂

[@abbracadabbra7514]

@@nytn I respect that 💯✊🏾❤️

[@ehrren7228]

@@nytn No, they didn't miss that memo, not at all. They've benefitted from whiteness & white supremacy quite well.

[@michaellucido1883]

74 people were massacred at the Calumet Italian Hall of the deaths 3 were Italian Americans while they were on a Copper mine strike. In Calumet, Michigan, there was a significant population of Italian immigrants who worked in the copper mines. It’s a tragedy and I believe another story to support your perspective. Great video.

[@MarcelleSims]

Hannibal a African Ruler conquered Rome, hence the dark skin, eyes, curly hair of Sicilians, southern Italian's were not considered white because of their African heritage.

[@Judge_Magister]

⁠@@MarcelleSims Hannibal never conquered Rome, Rome conquered Carthago.

[@antonio.nirta8821]

@@MarcelleSims povero ingnorante

[@antonio.nirta8821]

la maggior parte erano finlandesi e croati, non italiani.

[@eddiel7635]

@@MarcelleSims lol, you’re wrong. Hannibal, and most Carthaginians, was racially Phoenician, so he was Levantine. Definitely not black or North African.

[@matteoventurini6582]

I'm Italian and I moved from Italy to New Orleans last year. Hopefully, I won't get lynched. Jokes aside, thanks for the video; this was quality information!

[@ninauccello360]

My dad was Sicilian and I grew up in the Boston area . I was born in 1941 and experienced some really bad race prejudice as a child, even though my parents forbade me to tell any of my school mates what my ancestry was. I grew up with severe emotional trauma, eventually leaving the white community and feeling more safe with black people. I totally believe that we are all one people, and am at peace with my identity as a human being. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed your video. Love, Nina

[@applejack2911]

Wow! Never knew this. Truly sickness. Must be fought at every level. I grew up in Louisiana, didn't know about the Italians.

[@nicolecastrogiovanni385]

My Dad is also Sicilian! Our last name was a town in Sicily that is now called Henna. I had no idea there was even a difference until I was called a slur but didn’t know what it meant. When I learned more I was horrified. I’m so sorry you had to go through that, I have no idea what it’s like to be discriminated against and I’m sure it was hard.

[@user-gy5hq1ql8n]

Oh please cmon ! The moors invaded Sicily and what not , and planted their seed, no different from the Spanish in north, central , and South America , and no different from the US slave owner porking their African slaves.

[@tjaydagreat]

This sucks. Imagine still going through similar shit today. It's rough man.

[@mypiebecamepizza9503]

Morocco is a more white supremacist country than today's Germany, wish I was joking, and it always was one. Mediterraneans are self haters too, just because they hate anything making them remotely related to the south, even if the south are the innocent ones and the actual good ones

[@gregoryfortner6038]

My Sicilian grandparents came to America when they were 13 years old. They entered into this country at New Orleans. And picked sugar cane for a living. They moved to the Mississippi delta because there were a lot of Sicilians living there. They operated a grocery store and later on a restaurant. My grandparents taught me a lot about life. I wish I would have written down all of their history.

[@user-ey4rc5tu4t]

Picked? Holy moly, if only. Your ancestors cut cane. This means so much more than picked. You should watch some videos on it. That work caused revolts.

[@tychris9464]

There's a great movie on this. Vendetta, starring Christopher Walken. Great movie.

[@Frederm]

​@@tychris9464 Thanks bro

[@olmedogaitan4224]

You still can write their history, there are all types of public records that can be used...

[@Frederm]

I went to Sicily last year June. The people were very friendly, welcoming and nice.

[@susan8823]

Excellent presentation, I’m Italian/Irish, and we heard stories of “Irish need not apply” from my grandparents on mom’s side. My Italian family hails from Tuscany and Abruzzi. Viva Italia!!

[@claudiosolomon1324]

Stop trying to speak Italian, you can't even pronounce the region from wich your relatives came from

[@Erl0sung]

@@James12361 There are more Irish people in America than in Ireland, cope.

[@antnam4406]

Tuscany is in the North, you can't be part of this oppression reflection.

[@mario8833]

I am from Abruzzo! Greetings from Italy❤

[@pattiniamo10]

Guglielmo Marconi was Irish Italian like you

[@peterfazziola9081]

Thank you for this very enlightening video! Most of my non-Italian friends have no clue that Italians were ever discriminated against in this country.

[@arthursdave]

As a Greek American I appreciate your well researched podcast. My grandfather was most likely a victim of the Omaha burning of Greeks out of the city. We only know something terrible happened there that resulted in him moving to Chicago and starting over. He did everything after that to appear as “Anglo Saxon” and blend in as possible. As a result we lost our heritage and even connections to our extended family.

[@naverich4603]

I am so sorry to hear that. I had a chance to hear a Greek language and clearly up close just a couple weeks ago (I live in very homogenous country) and I fell in love with the sound of it. Such a beautiful language. It sounds like a mix of romance language and turkic language spiced with an elegance. Wish I had more time to learn it.

[@wa2368]

This explains why the Italians and Greeks currently in America are the most racist creeps one can find. To fit in with the anglos, they act like the worst racist bholes.

[@humanrobottorch8493]

A white person is any of the original peoples of Europe, Middle East, and North Africa, so that includes italians. Ameriva is even named after an italian, "Amerigo". There's two kinds of white people: those who get pink & red in the sun and those who get gold & bronze, every white community/country has both kinds, some just have more of one kind than the other.......

[@drew2smoove208]

Damn bro im sorry to hear tht

[@Aurora-tp3dy]

So many stories like that 😥

[@dollyshortcake7515]

Im Sicilian American..this makes me sad but im so proud of my heritage. I wish more Americans knew this history ,and celebrated all heritage and groups. Thank you for this! ❤

[@kristoffMR]

American simply dont care cos they dont teach fuck all in schools here, they also think they so much smarter than the rest of the world!

[@IValueYourOpinionAsAirInPoop]

Choose One: Sicilian or American. You can't be both, because being Sicilian means hating america and being American means hating the world

[@jamesMcCarthy-uq3bn]

Italians were always considered white. the discrimination that Italians faced was not because they weren't considered white. There have always been ethnic hostilities among white people(Just look at the history of Europe), but that doesn't mean they didn't consider each other white.

[@dollyshortcake7515]

@@jamesMcCarthy-uq3bn I understand your comment but growing up in the 70's I was considered a"black Italian" because I'm Sicilian. We may be considered white in America now but Sicilians were treated much different throughout history

[@IdiotBoxProductionsTV]

And now they call us white racists

[@user-xn2kt2lw4n]

This is total news to me. We never learned this in school either. Be thankful that over time things have changed for your people and I'm truly happy for you. No one should have to endure such racism , but as a black American we still have to endure racist actions against us. We are the most hated because of the false narrative against us just as your people once did. I have subscribed to your channel to learn more of your history. Thank you for sharing.

[@inaridats]

Thanks for tour contribution. As an italian teacher in Italy,it's important to learn the immigrant's stories and how they were treated by the "locals". Grazie mille e buon lavoro!

[@aymar73]

I am african... I studied in Italy, universita di Bologna, between 1998-2003... Sicilian people are just wonderful! I knew the information you delivered here by then. Unfortunately, the majority of Italians do not know how badly they were treated in the USA and not only there... Thank you! I love what you are doing, and I do not struggle with myself when I listen to you!

[@hillsane9262]

Part of the price to admission to be "more American" and more white, especially for southern italians, was to become more racist against black people.

[@buveusedencre]

As a Sicilian girl, thank you so much ❤

[@AntonioCunningham-jr2oj]

Many of them became stone cold racist themselves against black people so let's not forget about them

[@lawrencesticca9842]

Thank you for bringing this to light. My Grandpa was discriminated against in the early 1900's when he arrived in New York. We've come along way fighting stereotypes, but there's still much more ground to cover. When we realize we're ALL God's kids, then we'll make real progress. Thanks again, Prego Seniora

[@GeorgiaViking]

I don't mean this in a condescending way, there is nothing "unfortunate" about it. My grandmother is from Palermo Sicily and my grandfather from Naples. I liked the video, so nothing on that, but who cares if all Italians or Sicilians know what happened? It ain't like that now, what are we supposed to do? Piss and moan about stuff from the past? It was different times and all of those people are dead. Moving on, now if we could just get everyone else on board with that logic and agree we are now all Americans, we can move tf on to the important issues...

[@danieledaroma1446]

As an Italian, I do appreciate this video. It shows how Italians were considered just a couple of generations ago and it is quite sad that nowadays Italians do not know anything about these things...

[@nytn]

I did a follow up video about the Italian-American prison camps in Montana during WW2. It shocked me. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIiWdJ2Bht1jnJY

[@raz6630]

Italians were always white if by that you mean European and Caucasian . Just because they are tanned dummy 😂.

[@ZoomZoom-ng6sn]

Filipinos are worse. History wasn't much discussed in public schools. Most Filipinos never even heard of the Spanish-American war in the Philippines.

[@diegobigbennardini1466]

Purtroppo è così… da noi nessuno sa una mazza😢😢😢

[@dontknowdontknow9769]

Cause we're not like the americans that want to be the eternal victims?

[@elenalatici9568]

Wow! So glad you turned up on my KZbin feed. I'm an Italian -Irish American who's always identified as Italian because I was practically raised by my Italian grandparents and relatives in a small north eastern Connecticut town. Not only have I never heard of what happened in New Orleans, I never knew that ANY Italians had ever been lynched. My first experience with racism, although I didn't recognize it as such, was being asked by a third grade classmate if my grandfather belonged to the Mafia. This would have occurred around 1953-54. Having no idea what the Mafia was I told that boy that my grandfather worked in a factory. My grandfather was born in Rome and was given away by his mother 3 days after his birth. He was brought to the "commune" with the name Latici pinned to him. The name does not exist in Italy, although it is the second half of the Tuscan name, Montelatici. All of my grandmother's relatives came from the Province of Ferrera with the exception of two aunts, one Bolognese, the other Piemontese. I don't recall ever hearing anyone speak degradingly of Southern Italians or Sicilians. Flash forward to 1966 when met the love of my life in college, a Neapolitan/Sicilian boy. When I spoke of him at a family dinner gathering, I was shocked to hear my grandfather say, "If he's Napolitano/Siciliano you better check his pockets for knives before you let him in the house." I was so shocked I didn't ask my grandfather to explain himself. I ignored it. I went through three breakups and reunions with that boy before breaking up for good for reasons having nothing to do with his being Southern Italian. I have lived in Italy now for 21 years. I first lived on the Bolognese pianura. At yhe place where I lived there were gardener, a married couple. She was Ferrarese, he was Tuscan. My bedroom was directly over their cantina and I heard their daily conversations. They referred to the husband of a woman who lived above me as a "mulingnan" a eird in dialect meaning eggplant, slang for a Sicilian or Southern Italian that referred to their alleged dark skin. The husband in question was Sicilian. The year was 2003. So the racism that led to the lynching of Italians in the United States was very much alive here in Emilia Romagna and Tuscany. BTW, the gardeners were horrid people. I won't go into details. In my time in here I've been fortunate enough to travel around the country for work. My two favorite places so far are Puglia and Sicily, especially Sicily, for its beauty, culture and most of all, people. I wanted to move to Sicily after my first visit. Oddly, I never once saw a dark skinned person. I DID see in Sicily stunning faces that looked as if they'd jumped off of ancient Greek urns. When I say stunning, I mean literally breathtaking to yhe point that more than once I was unable to prevent myself from telling a few young women how beautiful they were. I don't know where all the dark skinned people were hiding. Same in Puglia. Not one. I have Calabrian and Sicilian friends here. No one is dark. I HAVE seen old photos of Southern Italians with what I suppose might be referred to as dark, but I would call it a shade of olive, a color so stunning I would trade my pale skin for it in an instant. Interestingly, when I look back at myself at age 19 I realize that a paler shade of that olive hue was in my blood. I had a job working in Sturbridge Village, a recreation of an 18th Century village. I was obliged to wear a costume, and the costume I was given was a light purple. When I put it on I saw that my skin took on a pale shade of olive green. Purple being the complementary color of green brought that color to the surface of my white skin. I was fascinated, though it took me years to understand yhe the meaning of it. As I've aged my skin has become increasingly devoid of any melanin. I don't even tan darkly as I did when young. From the moment I understood what it meant to be Italian I was proud of what that meant. I still am. Only after watching this video (I've subscribed) did something incredibly disturbing occur to me. Having grown up in New England I had several WASP boyfriends

[@anthonyiocca5683]

Taking dates to Church is the best way to find a keeper.

[@ChristopherMcGhee-cz7xs]

Thank you so much Danielle for sharing this great story about your family. With the history of our nation being dictated by the victor, there are so many fascinating stories to be heard. They are both dark (Individuals perishing, thriving communities destroyed) and beautiful (a melting pot). You are so correct that with every country, an underclass is created. I learned of unfair practices of Italians from friends in NYC during my life there for several decades but yours threw an even different twist. As an architectural designer, it also made me ponder if the skilled craftsman of Italy was also an epiphany that was realized during the ban of immigrants. Your documentary brings about an even deeper perspective and history of another beautiful group of our nation. One great aspect about technology is having these opportunities to share another great chapter of history. Looking forward to the next posting.

[@jmfa57]

My family are Scandinavians. In the 1960s, my late older brother met, fell in love with, and married a lovely Italian girl. She was just the nicest person ever. My Dad was fine with it but my mom treated her like DIRT, called her all the pejoratives, and just embarrassed the rest of us. I still get sick to my stomach thinking about it.

[@dominicj7977]

But when the Roman empire was at its peak, the barbarians from the north had not yet come out from their caves

[@Samael6685]

​@@dominicj7977 amen

[@sandycheeks1580]

🎉😢Did you ever ask her what or who brainwashed her hate Italians?

[@mjAdamsSellsHomes]

Much of this is covered in a 2019 NYT article.

[@dominicj7977]

@@divynerosehealing8546 What about the franks, angles, saxons and britons?

[@Eddie_Barzoon]

I'm an Italian from Sicily, I was completely unaware about the New Orleans massacre and the segregation that Sicilians suffered in Louisiana. Thank you for letting me know.

[@Terminal-Vet]

It wasn't like that. My Catananna was from Agrigento and immigrated through New Orleans. The reason for the lynchings were because Chief Henessey was murdered after he got between two warring Sicilian clans who ran the docs. So, the townspeople naturally blamed the Sicilians who had all been arrested in suspicion of the murder. I'm related to the guy they wanted to lynch, who was most likely responsible, but he managed to hide under a mattress and avoid being killed. Sicilians thrived in New Orleans and for the most part, people there liked them.

[@davegorko7647]

It was for a great reason lol. I grew up in a mafia area. I once read a study the US did on the Italian mafia that covered the US and Italy. The findings were that Southern Italians were extremely selfish narcissists who were only interested in their selves or immediate family. They would think it nothing to murder and create chaos in public as long as it was not in their area. Meanwhile, Northern Italians, who are like Germans/Celtic people, hate Southern Italians too and want nothing to do with them. A trait Southern Italians have with other troublesome groups is to deny everything. Thankfully, things seemed to have smoothed out a lot in the US.

[@kdog6384]

Stop it. First the Irish were " slaves" now the supposed mistreatment of Italians. Yes , anglos discriminated against foreigners, immigrants, however none of them were brutalized for 400 years like Blacks were in the US. The Irish, Italians and others could assimilated by changing their names and speaking English. The Black people could not change their skin color. The Irish, Italians and others thrived after awhile, while Blacks didnt get their freedoms until the 1960s.

[@Alexo9118]

​​​@@davegorko7647Bruh, what does the german heritage of northern Italy matter? Southern people got viking blood in their veins for all that matters. Also, northern people doesn't hate southern italians, wtf are you talking about; just a small part of the northern italians is so fucking dumb to blame south for all the italians problems, just as some of the southern people blaming north for all their problems. The fact that mafia exists doesn't automatically make all southern italians criminals you donkey

[@marianlucas2947]

I am also an Italian as well as Sicilian. This presentation is eye opening

[@ISCREAMCRONE]

Sicilian here! ❤❤❤

[@FunnyMan-ez9vq]

People should not forget the only reason folk became „good“ with Italians or other ethnicities is because the problem with one ethnicity has been replaced to another

[@leogolive]

The one thing that all these groups who became “white” have in common is their shared view and treatment of Black people. They may look at each other differently but they’re united in their disdain of us.

[@sunniesofit]

Absolutely correct. I mean it’s not even a surprise they say it openly.

[@sunniesofit]

@lawrencedaniels9231how is he wrong? It’s not a secret that Italians hate blacks. They are very vocal about it. Then and now.

[@babyboy562]

@lawrencedaniels9231truth hurts Albion ✊🏾

[@jimmyolsen5897]

The hatred is the black on white even though only 2to3%of whites owned slaves 8000 blacks owned black slaves in America the white peoples didn’t start slavery they ended it

[@starrr365]

100 percent *and* I think they learned that alongside their assimilation into whiteness... I'm sicilian-american & there absolutely is racism, anti-blackness, and even anti-immigrant sentiments in our community which is so wild to me- but I think it started as a way to climb the social ladder... i.e. to act white, sometimes that means being racist 😬

[@deborahpondermance2795]

Well done! About 10 years ago, I wrote a book on my own family’s Sicilian heritage. I did not want it to be simply a genealogy of names and dates, but a personal story told within fact-based historical context. I very carefully researched and included a lot of the information you presented in this video about the Italian immigrant experiences with racial, employment, financial, and societal discrimination. Many family members, who had assumed that we had always been “white” were surprised at what they learned. I firmly believe that when we know what our ancestors went through, we better appreciate what we have now.

[@andrewx7806]

Where can we see or read your book?

[@insipidharpoon982]

Can you post the title of your book? I’d love to read it, because my grandmother’s family were Sicilian immigrants.

[@rocketman7471]

Have you published your book yet? I would love to have a copy as I am Italian My family been here since 1902. Three brothers one wife one cousin Nicola, Micheli,Veto Glaviano they were from the mainland I just don't quite remember the name of the town. But as many Italians will tell you they were deported or left from the island of Sicily and so when they ask them where they come from when they arrived here they told them they came from Sicily or sometimes the Italians could not understand English and they would just simply put down their origin was Sicily . I guess in the rush of things so many coming over 4 million I think she mentioned I guess it's easy for some misinformation. Someone like yourself I'm sure we're clear these things up so that we can all be proud of our Italian heritage. Our last name was Glaviano

[@miguelquazar883]

Zionists want you to hate yourself and everyone else.

[@mrflynn01]

Did you mention your African bloodline?

[@Mama4Life]

Just found you. what a wonderfully done piece. I had read about the inching but there was no “story” behind it. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. 🇮🇹🇨🇦

[@w.l.6005]

Wow! I'm an Italian-American born and raised in Florida. English is my language . I'm light olive skinned, dark curly hair, dark brown eyes, experienced mild discrimination growing up but didn't understand what it was until I became an adult. Worked in the Florida school system for 28 years and experienced extreme prejudice by mostly white Anglo women. I have never been treated as an American. Always a minority. Funny thing I'm Sicilian and I went to Italy and was discriminated as an American which I found a little shocking. My grandparents on both sides of my family of course were from Sicily. If only I understood what was happening to me back then.😢

[@rororose70]

I swear history is so prevalent for every race. Leave nothing out, teach factual truths; no matter how difficult it may be. I’m black but my family consists of people from most races, cultures, and religions. We all love another and are stronger as a unit.

[@zhaystyle]

THIS!

[@drumguru8737]

She preaches racial bias against Whites and the United States who freed her ancestors from "Confederate" slavery. Their Black ancestors are the ones that sold Blacks into Slavery. If it aso wasn't for the slave trade these miserable, hateful Blacks wouldn't be alive and be in the 'FREE" UNITED STATES. This preaches and establishes the "INFERIORITY" and hate that is in the majority of Blacks in the United States.

[@cacatr4495]

To note the truth: there is ONE race, the human race. Many have been bigoted, but none are racist because there aren't multiple races, just one. The false teaching about there being "races" is actually used to perpetuate the bigotry and problems of the past. They simply changed the wording of their old teaching, the one that claimed some were "sub-human" to teaching the word "race/races/racist/racism," and we need to understand that "race" is used as a synonym for "species," and that different species can't interbreed and remain reproductive (examples are horse and donkey make mule, but mules can't reproduce, just as lion and tiger can make a "liger" but "ligers" can't reproduce) but all humans can. What we have are many lineages, ethnicities, and cultures, but only one race. When we use the word "races" or "racist/racism," we are continuing to teach ourselves and those that hear us that there are multiple races when there are not. The "race" teaching is used against us to divide us, to perpetuate the same divisions of thought.

[@themaskedman221]

Factual truths? This video lacks context and is mostly pseudo-historical nonsense. Italians didn't need to "become white" because they already were -by US law. That "Italians" (mostly Sicilians) faced some discrimination does not mean that any significant number of people thought they weren't "white".

[@LettingGo757]

@@cacatr4495 to deny there are races is to deny the atrocities committed by Caucasian men who created racism and classism bc they felt "racially superior" and that they inherited the Earth

[@mikesitzler1106]

I’m a 4th generation Italian American born in Pennsylvania, but now lives in South Carolina. I knew there was hatred towards Italian immigrants at several points, but I had no idea some of us were lynched. It’s odd to think that I would be considered inferior to others in another time to people who didn’t know me and didn’t know better. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

[@nytn]

There is SO much hidden Italian American history, I am working on telling it all.

[@monicasmith923]

@@nytnplease tell it all. Though I’m glad to see the support here, there are some who don’t want this story told.

[@ROMESKIable]

Imagine being black! How do you view black people now that you know your immigrant ancestors were considered less than black folks. Now that your 4 generations removed from the racial hate and now comfortable in the whiteness they didn’t enjoy, how does that make you feel? I’m just curious! Thanks!

[@bradleykramer316]

@@ROMESKIable bro it's wild. I'm shook. I'm half German-half Italian, but even Germans immigrants during the World Wars era were being harassed and beaten. Mobs would go out and kill Dachshunds and German Shepherds. And I'm Catholic lol. In the end, it's just another reason why we're all the same.

[@alimcb94]

@@bradleykramer316saying we’re all the same is just delusional.

[@travel734]

Thanks for sharing this. As a Canadian, I learned about lynching in the context of African-Americans, but not in relation to Italians. I had definitely heard about anti-Italian discrimination. I married into an Italian family and I was appalled to hear the stories of police officers mis-treating Italian-Canadians in the 1960's and 1970's. By contrast, I have spent a lot of time in my in-laws native village in southern Italy. I have never felt anything other than acceptance there. Yes, I speak Italian, but with a French accent.

[@mattc9875]

Italians are far from being open minded people, immigrants have a hard time over here and will never be accepted as Italians even after spending generations in Italy…and we are not exactly a country that doesn’t know what racism is…your experience is very limited unfortunately

[@terivansteel3425]

The movie "Cabrini" highlighted the plight of the Italian immigrants in NYC. Blocked out of jobs, health care, and anything you needed to survive, crime and poverty greeted the main character, and what she accomplished was amazing. Based on a true story.

[@melissaskitchen8832]

This was an amazing video. As a biracial Black woman from the South I literally empathize with the experiences you shared on the struggles of Italian-American immigrants. I pray that in my lifetime America will stop caring about having a racial and ethnic hierarchy. I think it’s important that we all have compassion for each other as humans because we all have more in common than many people think.

[@christopherjames9843]

Well said.

[@ronny-lb1cr]

America needs to have a conversation to get rid of racial hierarchies. A party is literally white washing history while erasing black history. It's really happening

[@vegan1dmd]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@tanman49]

I hope so too but sometimes I loose faith when I see South Americans come here and call themselves white. Then I realize people are still trying to play the hierarchy game.

[@AdamBalbo]

Amen to that ❤

[@nicklucca7570]

Excellent content! As a 58-year-old Sicilian American growing up in NYC in the 1970's, I can tell you that we did not identify as "white". White people to us were white Anglo Saxons Protestants. My parents made sure that my siblings and I understood our roots and the treatment our grandparents received as dark-skinned non-English speaking immigrants in an effort to teach us to never judge a book by its cover. My wife who is a Peruvian immigrant and I have taught our children and grandchildren to do the same. As many have mentioned here, this is why the history of all Americans from all backgrounds should be taught in school. We really have so much more in common than in differences.

[@marcellocolona4980]

My family still refers to non-Italian Americans as “‘merican” as in “he’s a nice boy for a ‘merican”, meaning he’s not Italian.

[@Wasserkaktus]

I am patrilineally Sicilian, even though the rest of my ancestry is clearly from the more northern reaches of Europe. I look about as Northern European as you can get, and I find this "otherness" Americans once thought of Italians extremely bizarre yet also predictable: Southern Italians were encouraged to leave Italy en masse because of the contempt Northern Italians had for them, and despite some of the animosity put towards them like this video suggests, life for those Southern Italians and their descendants is far, far better than had they remained in Italy.

[@filippomonaco2303]

Italians are white

[@ZionBeast]

​​@@Wasserkaktus I Own The Complete "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alghlieri. And I find it fascinating that Italians were classied as Black and White Race prior to the 13th century. 😮

[@cartomancycarmen]

I’m sure you know Fabrizio the Doorman. I met him in 2007 when I moved to nyc and loved his style. He was the first Italian who taught me that he wasn’t “white”

[@yuccalyptus]

These Anglos were just jealous of Italy's rich history (Rome, the Renaissance, etc).

[@shawngillespie3532]

Everybody needs to know the full American history, it’s not harmful but informative and fascinating.❤

[@erossinema8797]

It's also sickening, depressing, pathetic

[@antonchapman5173]

​@@Warm-qq2wowhat?

[@jaengen]

Tell that to today’s GOP who are trying to erase history. .

[@bikefixer]

This puts me in mind of a story my Dad told me. He was born on Staten Island in 1918 (his parents immigrated from St. Martin, the Dutch West Indies in 1911). Many people from St. Martin settled in Staten Island around that time. A little later, Italian immigrants also arrived, and friendships and alliances were formed between the two ethnic groups, including going to church, going to public school, and even eating at each other's houses. My father, who was black, claimed many of his best friends during his childhood were Italian. In 1942 when they were drafted into the service for WWII, a group of these friends took the ferry to Manhattan to be inducted. Once there, they were split up by race ("whites over here, colored over there!") The war took over their lives from that point. When it was over, my Dad never re-established contact with his old friends. If he saw one on the street, he might nod a quick hello, but that was it. I always found that sad.

[@Patriot1789]

Black citizens in the US were treated badly after the CW and returning vets were treated abominably. The modern movement for blacks to get equal rights began as a consequence of the hurt and anger felt by these returning vets

[@tesmith47]

​@@Patriot1789not true BLACK folks have fought since 1865 for justice, WW2 made racism harder to defend morally

[@Shineon83]

Really sad. (Even sadder is that without talking to each other, they would never even know if the other might have wanted to rekindle that friendship-but both too embarrassed/nervous to say anything)….I get it, but so sad

[@sfwx4]

​@@tesmith47ill do you one better and say black folks have been fighting injustice since slavery for hundreds of years whether trying to escape slave masters or trying to live free when "allowed"

[@jdenino6022]

I didn't know a lot of people from St. Martin settled in Staten Island, NY. Very interesting. NYC was settled by the Dutch as well. Cornelius Vanderbilt is buried on Staten Island in the Moravian Cemetary he was born on S.I. as well. I have family members from Staten Island and Brooklyn. My grandparents lived in Brooklyn, some of their children later moved to S.I., NY some moved to Long Island and some to NJ.

[@rickcaruso5918]

It is interesting that even in 1972 when I went to university in Southern California I was able to receive an Equal Opportunity Grant because as an Italian I was considered a Latin. However in 1973 I was told I was no longer considered Latin but my ethnicity was listed as White. I was a Sicilian and Calabrese (listed as South Italian). 80 years before that my Grandfather coming to Ellis Island was listed as “black”. The irony of race has never been lost to me. In fact even today in Latin Countries Southern Italians are still considered as latins. Southern Italians make up 95% of all the Italians in the United States. It is said that Italians took close to 100 years to assimulate in the United States. When I was At college there were mothers who would let me date their daughters because I was Italian . When I became a chef in the mid 1980s running a successful restaurant and catering business I had been hired by a large pharmaceutical company to cater a large party at their house . The president of this company and his wife were both Italian. They were very pleasant people. But the wife seeing my name was Italian wanted to know what part of Italy my family was from. I told her that I was Calabrian and Sicilian. She laughed and told me “Oh you are not Italian”. I had never heard that before . As a fiercely proud Italian American I was really thrown for a loop. This post is important and our history and how we were treated is important.

[@Cobalt1520]

Italian is not a race. Its a bit like "American". Is American a race? No. What I believe happened in US was, because the majority of Italians that migrated to US are from a specific region of Italy (mainly from the south) they look alike and are "easier" to identify and stereotype. But Italians from other regions may appear different from those Italians that went to US, they have, on average, a different phenotype. Making an analogy, if many Americans from Vermont would immigrate to Italy, Italians would be convinced Americans are all white. But that's not true, we know. Also, in the sense that Americans give to the word, you are not "Latin", or better, you are not "Latin-American", because you are not from a Latin-American country, nor your ancestry is from there. That's clear. Latin is the origin of the Italian language, as well as all the Romance Languages. French people are latins... from a language point of view and... maybe, generally speaking... culturally. Also, don't be offended, but you are not Italian also, because you are not born in Italy, nor you live there or are a citizen of Italy. You are an US American with Italian ancestry, an Italian-American.

[@transistorradiorecords3661]

Northern Italian roots here. Northern, Southern... We all eat the same spaghetti! 🤣😂 🍕

[@tommiedezerne1782]

Man, I'm an older black man, and I appreciate the education. You blew me away. Thanks.🥰

[@tinahaines6259]

Wow. There are a lot of Black families in New Orleans who carry Italian names. My parents and many people from old New Orleans who considered them as “Dagos.” I never knew where that term came from. Thanks for giving light in this dark history. It’s so sad that people are treated so badly because of skin color

[@philipethier9136]

I heard Dago was originally a knock on Spaniards, keying off the name Diego. In Saint Paul Minnesota, some old-Italian-family-run restaurants embrace the term. A common item on the menu in these places is a "Hot Dago Sandwich".

[@clarencewalker236]

Only white people created different laws to discriminate against people on the basis of their skin color. They're the ones who fostered hate against dark skin people, Jews, Italians, Greeks, and Chinese people. Whites are the architecture of racism.

[@dylannaenzo9737]

Dago may have been derived from term "Diego", which means "Spaniard" ...The Romans laid the foundations for modern Spanish culture and identity, and Spain was the birthplace of important Roman emperors such as Trajan, Hadrian or Theodosius ...So Italians were Romans first, then Spaniards, then Americans, much like Hassidic Jews. However, WOP actually stands for "WithOut Papers" W/O P and would apply to many immigrants, not just Italians, but somehow it stuck to Italians.

[@hondacbrification]

@@philipethier9136 Dagonites . Southern Italy was fundamentally invaded by Greek-Jews whom had invaded Eastern Mediterranean coastal line and had a substantial Northern African genetics .

[@hondacbrification]

@@dylannaenzo9737 Dago or Dagonites or Fish people is whom Jews and Roman Catholic Church venerates .Southern Italy like Eastern Mediterranean coastal line was invaded by Greek-Jewish SeaPeople whom had a substantial amount Northern African genetics hence when a so called “Greek” speak English will often have the same accent as a Spanish person just as Greek-Jewish SeaPeople would and do share common cultural and genetic traits that are different continental and pastoral,societies.

[@coolbreeze5683]

Your videos are so fascinating! My husband is Italian (born in Northern Italy) and he didn't know anything about Italians (especially from the South) in America and their journey. There is still discrimination in Italy between the North and South but not as pronounced now as in history. I am mixed race and can understand how the passage of time definitely changes perceptions. People always tried fitting me into a box when I was younger. Not asking, but telling me what race they thought I was. I would say I'm mixed race and would be told to my face "that's impossible. Mixed race doesn't exist." Now, you see people of mixed race everywhere. I still have the after taste of my childhood though that influences how I think about society. I'm specifically triggered by when someone says something is "impossible". I think of the ignorance and stupidity of when I was once called "impossible" but I knew the truth and obvious reality that I did, and do, exist. It's the world that lives in delusion.

[@joe_blunts]

I'm Sicilian where from borgetto my parents migrated here in the 80s we live in New York I had no clue about this. Until I was sent this video from a friend. There's a lot missing from history I wish you all good fortune

[@Faith-to7df]

Same for my Sicilian family.. my grandfather’s nickname was “Blacky” because of his dark complexion. I just found your channel and look forward to listening to all of your content as I’ve spent over a decade studying the 1800s. Really terrific work!

[@Appetitebeats487]

Are you referring to Louie Argento?

[@wayneh1562]

did you know that the Romans had strong trade ties with Southern India, the Romans and Greeks also had trade settlements in Southern India, they amassed most of their wealth from their trade with south India. they used to take ships laden with gold in exchange for black pepper. The dravidians are the original mediterranean and sumerian people who were in the west and east . In the West they were mixed with the Akkadians and Amorites and also the Indo aryan Lydians(neo Hittites) who also went into the Mediterranean and are known as the Minoans and Etruscans, they were dark and fair and had striaght to wavy hair quote” The word 'Dravidian' comes from the Tamil words Tbirai Ahvidar, meaning 'sea people'. A popular Tamil saying was 'cross the oceans and acquire gold' Quote” The Mediterranean Peoples (Dravidians) (Extracts from ‘The Original Indians â€" An Enquiry’ by Dr. A. Desai) How the Mediterranean people came to be called Dravidians makes interesting story. The Pre-Hellenistic Lycians of Asia Minor, who where probably the Mediterranean stock called themselves Trimmili. Another tribe of this branch in the island of Crete was known by the name Dr(a)mil or Dr(a)miz. In ancient Sanskrit writings we find the terms Dramili and Dravidi, and then Dravida which referred to the southern portion of India. South India was known to the ancient Greek and Roman geographers as Damirica or Limurike. Periplus Maris Erithroei (Periplus of the Eritrean Sea) in the second or third century AD described the maritime route followed by Greek ships sailing to the South Indian ports: “Then follow Naoura and Tundis, the first marts of Limurike and after these Mouziris and Nelkunda, the seats of government.†Dramila, Dravida and Damirica indicated the territory. Then it was applied to the people living in the territory and the language they spoke, in the local parlance Tamil and Tamil Nadu or Tamilakam. ----------------------- The Mediterraneans or Dravidians were associated with the ancient Sumerian civilizations of Mesopotamia and of Elam (southern Iran). Authors have pointed out ethnic, linguistic and cultural affinities between the Sumerians (Mesopotamians) and the Dravidians of South India, and concluded that both probably belonged to the same ethnic stock. HR Hall writes: “The ethnic type of the Sumerians, so strongly marked in their statues and relofs was as different from those of the races which surrounded them as was their language from those of the Semites, Aryans and others; they were decidedly Indian in type. The face-type of the average Indian today is no doubt much the same as that of the Dravidian race ancestors thousands of years ago...And it is to this Dravidian ethnic type of India that the ancient Sumerian bears most resemblance, so far as we can judge from his monuments. He was very like a Southern Hindu of the Deccan (who still speaks Dravidian languages). And it is by no means improbable that the Sumerians were an Indian tribe which passed, certainly by land, perhaps also by sea, through Persia to the valley of the Two Rivers.†Hall is of the opinion that Dravidian people must have migrated to Mesopotamia from India, whereas others think Dravidians came from Mediterranean regions, which was their earlier home. KP Padmanabha Menon writes about their close relationship: “Orientalists, many of them, are prepared to concede that the Sumerians, the Mediterranean race, are branches of the early Dravidians.†Quote"Dravidians In Crete they were known by the name which the Greeks wrote as Termilai, in Asia Minor as 'Trimmili' or Trimalai (Sastri p60), and in India as Dramiza, Dravida, Dramila and finally Tamil. Their deity was "Mother-Earth" who gave them grain, vegetables and food. The 'Mother Goddess' cult belonged exclusively to Crete where it was known as Durgha (compare Trqqas mentioned in Lycian inscriptions in Asia Minor) as Uma or Parvati. (Sastri p61) They probably brought along with them to India this Mediterranean or Aegean Saivaism, Mother Goddess with her consort Siva.Dr K Loganathan Inanna is the ancient Sumerian goddess of love quote ⭐"Inanna[a] is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess associated with love, beauty, sex, desire, fertility, war, justice, and political power. She was originally worshipped in Sumer and was later worshipped by the Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians under the name Ishtar⭐.[b] She was known as the "Queen of Heaven" and was the patron goddess of the Eanna temple at the city of Uruk, which was her main cult center. She was associated with the planet Venus and her most prominent symbols included the lion and the eight-pointed star. Her husband was the god Dumuzid (later known as Tammuz) and her sukkal, or personal attendant, was the goddess Ninshubur (who later became the male deity Papsukkal). quote Astarte is one of a number of names associated with the chief goddess or female divinity of those peoples.[1] She is recorded in Akkadian as As-dar-tu (D), the masculine form of Ishtar.[2] The name appears in Ugaritic as ʻAthtart or ʻAṭtart (), in Phoenician as Ashtart or Aštart (), in Hebrew as Ashtoret (עשתרת).[2] The Hebrews also referred to the Ashtarot or "Astartes" in the plural. The Etruscan Pyrgi Tablets record the name Uni-Astre quote"Astarte (Greek: Ἀστάρτη, Astártē) is the Hellenized form of the Middle Eastern goddess Astoreth (Northwest Semitic), a form of ⭐Ishtar (East Semitic), worshipped from the Bronze Age through classical antiquity. The name is particularly associated with her worship in the ancient Levant among the Canaanites and Phoenicians. She was also celebrated in Egypt following the importation of Levantine cults there. The name Astarte is sometimes also applied to her cults in Mesopotamian cultures like Assyria and Babylonia. Quote"The Hyksos practiced horse burials, and their chief deity, their native storm god,⭐ Baal Quote" The Canaanites and, whose language is very similar to the Hebrews worship (el) a ⭐bull god Quote" Shapash is the Phoenician sun Goddess, called the "Torch of the Gods", or "Pale Shapash". Tanit is also called Tinnit, Tannou, or Tangou. The name appears to have originated in Carthage (modern-day Tunisia), though it does not appear in local theophorous names.[4] She was equivalent to the moon-goddess ⭐Astarte Quote `(Hittites This empire reached its height during the mid-14th century BC under Suppiluliuma I, when it encompassed an area that included most of Asia Minor as well as parts of the ((((Northern Levant and Upper Mesopotamia)))). After c. 1180 BC, the empire came to an end during the Bronze Age collapse, splintering into several independent "Neo-Hittite" city-states, some of which survived until the 8th century BC. Quote Lydia arose as a Neo-Hittite kingdom following the collapse of the Hittite Empire in the twelfth century BC. According to Greek sources, the original name of the Lydian kingdom was Maionia. Quote”The Hittites adopted many of the gods of the Sumerians and Old Babylonians Quote "The people of Akkad worshipped, as what is generally described as, the Sumerian religion, the mythology, rites, and cosmology of the Sumerian civilization, however there were differences between this religion and the one worshipped by the Akadians. These myths were passed down by oral tradition until the early Sumerian cuneiform was invented, and it wasn’t until the early dynastic period that religious writings became hymns and incantations. The Akkadians worshipped the Sumerian triad of An, Enlil, and Enki, however they changed the names to Anu, Bel, and Ea. Anu and Ea were created between the union of Apsu and Tiamat, and along with them the rest of creation came." Dravidians belief of India Thai Pongal (Tamil: தைப்பொங்கல், /ˈθaɪˈpoʊŋʌl/) is a harvest festival dedicated to the ⭐Sun God. It is a four-day festival which according to the Tamil calendar is usually celebrated from January 14 to January 17 Quote "Ancient Tamils worshipped the ⭐crescent moon on the third day (Kuruntokai verse 170). Tamil epic Silappadikaram has a prayer for sun and moon.( tamil is a Dravidian dialect)

[@MG-mt3ss]

You do realize that Sicily was under Arab occupation from the year 827AD to 1091AD? A minority of Sicilians are descendants of those occupiers. It was the Normans who actually liberated the island over a period of thirty years. The Greek speaking residents of the island welcomed them. This is a reason of why there are also blond haired blue eyed Sicilians, even though there are some blond haired Greeks.

[@MichelleK.B.]

I found this very interesting. My husband is half-Italian. His mother’s parents were born in Italy. When I had asked him which part of Italy he had always said it was central or northern. When I did a tree on Ancestry I found they were from Campania which had been part of “The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies” in the 1800’s. I never knew there was discrimination based on which part of Italy a person came from. I knew my husband’s paternal grandfather wasn’t happy when his son married an Italian around 1960 in Pennsylvania. The discrimination I think tapered away as more Italians became “Americanized” and other groups became more demonized. René Giraud’s scapegoat theory is interesting to look at as part of why groups tend to create “us versus them” narratives and dehumanize each other.

[@nevaehlheaven]

It's funny how petty humanity is. One leader's insecurities can cause a whole movement. Turning on eachother because of skin tone, lifestyle, traditions, language, stuff that doesn't matter when all is said and done. We all go into the ground at some point. So we should just be respectful while we still have the time. Fighting over dumb stuff that doesn't matter.

[@nagone11]

Very good comment.

[@citizenkang2524]

Columbus Day was launched as a marketing tool for the 1893 Columbian Exposition and continued as a peace-offering for the infamous 1890 lynching over that assassination of that New Orleans public official automatically blamed on the Black Hand, the forerunner of the Mafia.

[@cgrphenomics7990]

Its a product of the Royals or actually Robber Barons who destroyed tribal culture to create a caste or class system controlled by the royal oligarchy. It was the original crime that created the mess of social disorganization we have today. All hate and racism result from the self hate imposed by patriarchal class society with sick people as the elites. Those who need others to look down upon to feel adequate are sick weaklings. This will destroy us all if we do not re embrace strong cultural or matriarchal communities.

[@AaronWilkerson]

To this day, Northern Italians refer to Southern Italians by the slur "terroni" (plural for terrone"). The country is still divided North v South politically and economically.

[@Pontiacman1964]

Thank you for this informative video! I was aware of the hell that the Irish were put through in this country but I was totally unaware of what the Italians endured.

[@thearyamehrrf6886]

Sicilians are a hybrid Mestizo race of Arabs and Romans, Greeks and Phoenicians and a smidge of Moors and Jews

[@user-rn4pu3qx3y]

Don't forget you also had centuries of Normand and French ruling ...😉🌈

[@eleanor9004]

And Normans, we had three centuries of Norman dominations in the South of Italy, so isn't uncommon to see blond /red haired and blue eyes Italians. More you go to North more you find various mux of peoples but Americans have to stop to think that "white" means anglosaxons, in Europe we are all Caucasians but in the last 30 years we have been giving home to many immigrants from Africa, so if you come to Europe and you see sub saharian people, they are "new" acquainted Italians or Europeans. I don't know why Usa has this obsession with colours and races.

[@fulippuannaghiti1965]

​@@eleanor9004the Normans in the south of Italy were a very small group, it's estimated around 1000 knights, so too small to leave a substantial genetic footprint. Those blonde hair people you may see in the south of Italy are either Lombard descendants or greek Doric, just let's stop this lie that sicilians have Vikings blood and so on.

[@FunnyMan-ez9vq]

Everybody is hybrid ;)

[@thearyamehrrf6886]

@@FunnyMan-ez9vq I agree :) “Races” are always either evolving, dying, or being born.

[@foxburrowfilms]

I’m from SC, now living in NC, and I had always wondered why there wasn’t as strong of an Italian-American presence in the south as there is in the north, and only now do I have a plain and simple, clear to understand answer. And it really hurts, but it needed to be known and it needs to be shared. I really appreciate the way you presented the facts, here!

[@marcotelli1601]

Italians don't do trailers

[@scwiggie]

This comes with mixed emotions as on the one hand I feel sorry that Italian Americans were treated with bigotry in the early times of our country. However, knowing the full history we know how Italian Americans en masse look down on African Americans, treat them with the same bigotry once they became "white", ex. Italian parents and the community not allowing interracial dating or marriage with black persons. It seems everyone couldn't wait to throw off their culture and background to become like the oppressors. And Italians are not the only group with this strange, very anti Christ or anti judeo Christian act. The Irish, Mexican, native American, Asian , other Latino groups and Jewish community all looked down on the negro with the same hate and discrimination as the Anglo Americans.

[@thatguybill34]

*God's Chosen (ISRAEL)*

[@m.woodsrobinson9244]

Hating black became a status symbol, - even with blacks.

[@rickeyfloyd1572]

What most Italians fail to realize is they have black blood in their lineages

[@jaeboston9228]

Great comment.

[@jaeboston9228]

@@thatguybill34 Crossed my mind today for some odd reason while driving. Just thinking how Zionists even today feel this to be true. Not necessarily secular Jews but the Zionists that mistreat Palestinians. For this reason, I believe that is why they cannot have their own homeland. It's sad.

[@914peru]

I wish more Italians would be informed

[@tosapai297]

They are.

[@h3m1cuda]

My great great grandfather immigrated from Sicily to the U.S. through Louisiana. Growing up I heard stories about my grandfather and his family being called dago niggers and being treated poorly. They left and ended up in Colorado. I had no idea how bad they actually had it. Thank you for the info.

[@tsitsiteca]

Colorado, part of the territory they STOLE FROM MEXICO

[@jamessalemi1477]

SIMPLE : TO THIS VERY DAY, ITALIANS REMAIN DIVIDED. FIRST THING A FELLOW ITALIAN ASKS YOU : CHE PARTE ? ( WHAT PART OF ITALY YOU FROM ) THIS IS WHY ITALIANS CANT ELECT EACHOTHER... THEY'RE BOUGHT OUT WITH SOME DRIVER OR LABORER JOB AT WHATEVER MUNICIPALITY. LIKE BIDEN, NOT ONE ITALIAN ON HIS STAFF, CABINET.

[@NPFfumbi]

America was and still is a wild place sheesh

[@omar1545]

Holy shit man Dago Niggers?! Forgive me as a black man I had no idea that Sicilians and Italians suffered the same shit that my ancestors and so many others went through weather they were from Africa Europe or indigenous . But hey your here due to his strength one way or another. I knew they went through some hatred but it’s definitely not taught in school like that.

[@RahAsia-yd2cr]

Most of them are related to the Moors

[@giovanniserafino1731]

It is great to see so many Italian Americans proud of their Italian roots, particularly after all the prejudice we endured in the USA. Unfortunately, many of us lost our connection with Italy and our Italian culture in order to fit in and “ Americanize.” Several years ago, I applied to the local Italian consulate and was recognized an Italian citizen “de jure sanguinis “ ( by blood) . I now have an Italian passport, Italian birth certificate, and I vote in all the Italian elections. I studied and speak fluent Italian, and visit Italy every year. Yes, I am American by birth, but I am also a proud Italian. Viva l’Italia ! 🇮🇹

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

BRAVO!

[@candidonigris1793]

Sempre wwww l'Italia ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@cappyvas]

Good for you! My papa (grandfather) made the conscious decision not to speak Italian because he wanted to fit in with the rest of America (his mother was fluent in Sicilian). This video helps me understand maybe why that was, but I had never understood it. So much of the culture was lost in that decision as now all of my American relatives from Sicily are deceased and my papa died before I was born. Since then, I've been learning it all on my own and have been using Duolingo to learn the language. I've been wanting to look into getting Italian citizenship but I don't think I could afford to travel there anytime soon, haha!

[@giovanniserafino1731]

@@cappyvas congratulations to you for for wanting to learn about your family’s culture and background. Sicily is one of the most beautiful and historic places Italy with its ancient roots in Greek culture and language. While you may not be able to go to Italy now, you still should checkout the possibility of Italian citizenship, there are all kinds of information online. Continue with your Italian language studies as well. “In bocca al lupo!” ( Good luck!) Viva la Sicilia! Ciao.

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

Sorry, it is impossible to have an Italian birth certificate and an American birth certificate. Were you born twice!?

[@ALI616MITTEN]

I did not know some of these things and had no idea about the discrimination of Italians. As a black man we often forget that others have a similar experience. Thank you for sharing this.

[@Anonymous-yy7ur]

Italians have always been White Thing is the back in the late 1700s White's even hated other whites like the Polish or the Italians or the Irish etc. But it wasn't for their skin colors but rather mostly just for their Catholic beliefs

[@KingMattTheGod]

italians were olive (black) & only became pale from genes they got from interbreeding with neanderthals

[@dalinaddei]

@@KingMattTheGodeverybody was black/brown, even in northeurope

[@Anonymous-yy7ur]

@@KingMattTheGod olive skin is still White, and also, that's not true neanderthals were actually brown skinned.

[@KingMattTheGod]

@@Anonymous-yy7ur research SL genes acquired from neanderthals.

[@antonio.nirta8821]

@@KingMattTheGod ahhahahahah cosa stai dicendo? la pelle diventa scura a causa del sole, ignorante. è normale che gli italiani del sud sono più scuri, in Sicilia c'è molto caldo non è come il nord

[@nytn]

Did you know about the origins of Columbus Day here in America? Are Italians "white"? ⚪ WATCH: Violence against Italians over school segregation in Mississippi, 1907: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpPdYndmq5qXj8k ⚪Learn how to save YOUR family history with my "Be a Good Ancestor" course. Grab yours now at www.nytonashville.com and embark on a transformative journey of preserving your family's history! 🟢Send me a coffee!: ko-fi.com/nytn13#linkModal ⚪Support more storytelling and get behind the scenes videos: click the "Join" button. 🟢Watch the docu-series "Finding Lola" : kzbin.info/aero/PLvzaW1c7S5hQcox9CjaJWA7QKTYXw9Zn2 ⚪Want to connect? facebook.com/findinglolafilm/ 🟢Grab your own Ancestry DNA test now*! : amzn.to/3UxGKJx

[@AdultThirdCultureKid1971]

I think Italians, especially southern Italians, are an admixture. You mentioned the swarthy complexion and kinky hair. Some Arabs have those characteristics, too. I didn't know that Italians were also lynched.

[@clementmckenzie7041]

You hit on one of my favorite American transformation stories. The Italian Americans' journey to whiteness. It might surprise you to know that African Americans consider Italian Americans particularly racist towards black Americans. Especially in the North. It is an interesting axe because the communities used to be so close once upon a time, Napoleon said of southern Italians that Africa starts at the Pyrenees. Kinda funny because southern Italians are the actual Romans of history, Northern Italians are the barbarians who tore down their society. The first groups of Italians to start coming to the U.S. came after the civil war and they came seasonally, they returned to Italy in the winter and returned mostly for the planting and harvest, So it was a predominantly male population. There was a great deal of sexual and cohabitation relationships between those first Italian men and black women, producing a not insignificant number of mixed-race children. many of these men maintained two families one in Italy and a black family in the United States. There came a point however when Italians started to stay, and brought their families, and life in the US without the protection and opportunities of whiteness was untenable. A concerted effort to separate themselves from the previous stigma of proximity to Blackness had to be made. Part of that was adopting American racism. Italian Americans were forced to fight for whiteness and prove their whiteness and part of that was rejecting blackness publicly. It was a long hard fight. Italian Americans would not be accepted by the general population as white until after world war 2. Well into the 1980s Italian Americans were still just completing the transition from exotic to white. Justice Scalia The first Italian American supreme court justice was subjected to the kind of questioning during his confirmation that normally only black judges are subjected to. He was subtly being asked to prove his whiteness and some would say he went to extremes to do so during his tenure on the court. Your generation may be the first who could see themselves as intrinsically white rather than defensively white.

[@user-ls8bn8wz3r]

I have Italian ancestry on my father's side, and you've answered so many questions that I've always wondered about my great great grandparents that immigrated here in 1904. I appreciate the research you have done.

[@nytn]

I appreciate that. Hidden history is often the most incredible

[@Gianluca-]

You have South Italian ancestry at most and this video shows what happened to some of them non to all Italians. North and Central Italian didn't undergo anything of the kind, first because very few and second because they were feature and cultural wise different from South Italians.

[@susanpendell4215]

Mine too. I doubt that we're cousins though as I know all of them from the offshoot of that side and it's extremely small, unless you are a 2nd or third cousin, that's possible.

[@JustYvette]

I'm puerto rican/sicilian. Learning about my ancestral roots has been quite an eye-opener. Thank you❤

[@rpinarreta]

Recently did my genealogy Sicilian mother from Siragusa (GM)and Modica (GF), was not surprised based on the history of Sicily to find out I was agent Greek, Sardinian, Phoenician and Carthusian (North Africa bordering middle east).

[@jesusyepez7896]

What an eye-opening video! As a first generation Mexican who grew up in the Midwest, I clearly remember how my father had this undercurrent of love for the Italians in our neighborhood in Chicago. He would even root for the Italian team in the World Cup!

[@nytn]

This made me so happy to read for some reason

[@pipeflush]

Similar culture cause of southern europe. Both groups are not anglo saxon

[@calcagnolibero]

70% of Spanish and Italian words are mutually intellegible as both languages are an evolution of vulgar latin.

[@lornarichardson5063]

Then WHY do some Italians practice the SAME bigotry against Black people?? There are SO many immigrant groups that practice this same bigotry once they’ve transitioned into the so called American dream??

[@italocacike9208]

Italy and italians no matter the pregiudices, mafia, no white, pizza and spaghettis ect, ect, ect, has been one of most important and influencia people in human history in all sense , art, science, culture , Rome , florrence, Milan ect, ect, no matter what people who knows history said or not, At the end of this day and the ones to come , the country that it self (USA) named AMERICA , was discover for the New world by a italian Cristoforo columbus) the name tha they use for calling they self AMERICA , is Am italian fermale name, the first european man that arrive to colonize de capital of world (NY) was an italian ( VERRAzZANO) and the every one of them , keep goin eaten italian pizza, spaghetti, buy ing a Ferrari and drive ir with Dolce Habana or Bulgari suite, a gelato,lasagna ect, ect, ect, seaten confortable see ing a Robert deniro or al pacino in taxi driver or the Deer hunter movies or maybe hearing “in my way “ for Frank Sinatra and franki Valli , thats mean maybe for sure , a lot of parta that they proclame of their greatness of AMERICAN to the world , is a bebts the they have with ITALIANS greatness.❤️🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹❤️

[@steveneardley7541]

My mother was an Italian war bride who married my dad and moved to the US in 1945. We were taught to be very proud of our Italian heritage, which is of course very easy to do. My mother did not run into anti-Italian sentiment, but we were in Washington D.C., a liberal, diverse, and fairly educated city. My mother spoke impeccable English, but never lost her accent. She didn't really like English vowels.

[@DumbseekerFrampt]

I love italian americans who speak italian and keep our culture

[@vicvic2081]

You acting like liberals aren't racist. That's so stupid

[@mathfrom0to96]

Italian can mean sicilian and blonde with blue eyes... so when you say Italian, what do you mean? North, South, Central or the two isles of Sicily and Sardinia?

[@steveneardley7541]

My mother's family is from Ancona, which was a Greek settlement before it was Roman. From my DNA testing, we are about half northern, half southern Italian, with some Greek thrown in. One of my great-grandparents was Socrate Montano! We are all brown-eyed and brown-haired.

[@serahloeffelroberts9901]

The Italian language has pure vowels which is why Italian songs are the most beautiful.

[@angie-dm3bo]

My mom said the reason my Italian immigrant grandfather was so strict with her in the 70's and not let her out much is because white people were racist against italians and he was afraid they would hurt/attack her

[@Nobllshit]

My grandmother was Sicilian and grand father was Avellinese. Not many people know this but there was a study done not to long ago on the majority of the sicilian people in Sicily in an effort to see what the most dominant functioning DNA was within the majority of Sicilians. Very interesting results. The only not italian or non sicilian functioning DNA. (Functioning, meaning enough to possibly warrant behavior differences) was viking only, other blood in there like all races today around the world but not enough to have ant real effect. Similar study on countries the Roman Empire invaded. The people showed very little Roman blood. The Roman Empire didnt rape and pillage like other conquerors. They would fimd the best of the best at each trade and make them an offer they couldnt refuse.

[@donnamcdonald3709]

Fascinating but sad history. As a Caribbean American teen I was aware of the prejudice faced by Italians when they came to America due research done for a term paper in high school. However, I don't remember reading about the lynchings. Thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention. It's time we all embrace, learn from , and appreciate each other as individuals and celebrate our diverse cultural backgrounds.

[@dietlindvonhohenwald448]

I never heard the term “Caribbean American” before. Is that a Haitian, a Dominican, a Jamaican or a Puerto Rican? Most of those do not want to be compared with each other.

[@tazzy4624]

​@@dietlindvonhohenwald448Everything you said is a load of unseasoned bull caribbean American is a thing same as aaian American.

[@mrcocoloco7200]

​@@tazzy4624 Relax buddy, they where just asking.

[@user-hb6ht4vx6n]

All over the place. Hundreds in Colorado. Like it was a sport. The Tampa ones make me the proudest

[@charlesdonahue3667]

@@mrcocoloco7200 They were not just asking. It was a disingenuous, loaded, comment.

[@fenrisanderson1717]

In 1999 I served with Italian troops under NATO command (SFOR V ). From day 1, I was shown nothing but the utmost respect, and in a short period of time I became their brother. Despite the fact that most of them spoke English, they appreciated my interest in learning Italian. I've always known of the oppression of Italian immigrants, but never heard of the scale of abuse they had endured. Among all of the Europeans I had the pleasure of meeting, it is the Italians that are perhaps my favorites . ( don't tell my French and Norwegian brothers and sisters! ) Thank you for bringing this ugly truth to light.

[@allcolorsareentombedinblack]

It's because Italians (by not being a defined ethnic group, rather a multitude of ethnicities all lumped in together) have always been taught to blend in with the rest of the population. Ever asked yourself why Italians seem to find themselves "at ease" wherever they go? Here's your answer.

[@airaction6423]

Nato brothers? Jesus

[@shardan8151]

@@allcolorsareentombedinblack tra le regioni italiane ve n'è una che nel 1390 era una Nazione! La Sardegna! Lo studio del loro DNA dimostra che non sono veri italiani ma sono un etnia a parte! La più antica del Mediterraneo! Poi la geopolitica ha fatto il resto!! purtroppo..

[@raz6630]

Italians were always white if by that you mean European and Caucasian . Just because they are tanned dummy 😂.

[@OFFICIALRAMKO]

Well your NATO “bro’s” are being slaughtered in Ukraine by the Russian military as we speak. Imperialist leaches. 🇷🇺🇷🇺ZOV

[@k0nstntcs798]

wow. this explains so much. thank you for sharing 🙏🏼

[@francescostrina5734]

Americans should be grateful to Italians. An Italian (Cristoforo Colombo ) faced a difficult journey to discover their unknown land. Another Italian (Amerigo Vespucci) was kind enough to baptize them with his name.

[@gregsatoro1302]

Thank you for spreading the word about the Italian lynchings. My grandparents were also immigrants from Palermo via New Orleans to pick sugar cane in the late 1800s. I would love to understand more about this history and look forward to seeing more from you.

[@rocketman7471]

I'm sorry sir but no one picks sugar cane they cut it That's what my grandparents did too and donaldsonville Louisiana when they first came here in 1902

[@h2w25]

I’m so sick of hearing about race and shit that happened 100 years ago which nobody cares about now Somewhere, somebody fooled people into thinking that there is power in victimhood That’s a lie. There’s power in Jesus and the Bible never mentions his race for a reason. Because it’s inconsequential and it’s a distraction just like endless lineage DNA studies. Stop obsessing over melanin Content , and pigmentation. It’s not your identity.

[@stinald]

@lee_9837 But don't also forget that North Africans are not the same things as Sub-Saharan Africans. You colonizers should leave North Africans alone too😠

[@TheDarkAdventure]

@lee_9837 Europeans are Caucasian. Not white.

[@antoniobuonanno7902]

watch the movie (vendetta 1999) and you will know more...

[@LaB567]

My family told us these stories. I was fortunate to be brought up close to the older generations and geographically close to where we started out in America. It wasn’t easy for us Italians to become part of the American story. But we never gave up or stopped contributing and that’s why we are so proud.

[@donatonamusic]

I’m from Philly (huge Italian population) and here Dago is pronounced “day-goh.” I don’t hear it much these days, but heard it a lot growing up. Mainly btw Italian friends teasing each other. Great video! Thanks for sharing this info!

[@sir.fuentes7642]

Remember when in the Titanic Irish and Italians could not travel together with the rest. They were steerage passengers.

[@TommeahTommeahTommeah]

That was more of an issue of class. The Titanic had plenty of Irish passengers from higher social classes in second and first class. The Irish passengers in steerage were mostly leaving Ireland and emigrating abroad and were in many cases peasants or working class people.

[@stacygradisher984]

My grandmother spoke of being harassed on her way to Polish school. Most immigrants were and are vulnerable to attack and being taken advantage of. Thank you for this well done video.

[@nytn]

That is so heart breaking. I did one on the Polish as well, they had a hard story here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJWTp36XftWAbKM

[@JKNat9004]

I've learned that the Italian, Irish and Polish were discriminated against because when they immigrated over to the US, the greatest plurality of them were Catholic, and members of Protestant denominations felt threatened since the US was founded on grounds of religious freedom from the Catholic Church.

[@terencelee7761]

Then become the abusers..

[@Assata_Shakur]

@@terencelee7761I was JUST about to say that! How can you expect us to feel bad for them when they turned around and did the EXACT same thing to black people? I don’t, and that’s that!🤷🏽‍♀️

[@Yep6803]

Europeans are celtic, not white.

[@massimosquecco8956]

Thank you to keep History alive! Better never forget these monstrosities, because they could happen again. Proud to be an Italian!

[@medinahoward6485]

I had no idea! Thank you for your research.

[@lucasgambino7162]

It's very interesting learning more about italian american history. Thanks for the informative video

[@patricktuorto]

I remember my grandma telling me a story when she was a kid, (she didn’t live down south though, she lived in Newark NJ) she was playing one day with another little girl who had blond hair and blue eyes, they where getting along and having fun together playing, the little blond haired girl invited my grandmom over to her house, when they got there the little girl told my grandma that she couldn’t come in because her mom said that my grandma was “dark”. I never forgot that story and neither did she.

[@nytn]

I hope the next generation will be a little bit better in realizing how silly these binary groups are for people. This made my heart hurt so much.

[@lizzysbeautyshowetc.6895]

That is so heartbreaking

[@michelleobrien6996]

I experienced this as a child from an Italian family. My mother said this might be due to me having a physical disability and that some people believe this happens because of a curse or wrong doing. Fortunately my family did not hold this belief and it was only one family which treated me this way.

[@Mia61224]

I'm not even 50, and I remember kids racially teasing me when I moved to NJ from Queens, NY. It wasn't subtle. My dark knuckles fascinated... 😅

[@MG-mt3ss]

That is sad to hear this happened. You do realize that Sicily was under Arab occupation from the year 827AD to 1091AD? A minority of Sicilians are descendants of those occupiers. It was the Normans who actually liberated the island over a period of thirty years. The Greek speaking residents of the island welcomed them. This is a reason of why there are also blond haired blue eyed Sicilians, even though there are some blond haired Greeks.

[@deedeedurden5247]

My mother is of Sicilian, Native American, and Samoan decent. My Nana is Sicilian and she always told us that they are black because of their Moor roots. And her father, who was from Sicily, told her that. Thank you for this. I'm sharing this video with her ❤️

[@MoGhotbi]

The Moors were all over Siciliy - there are actually old Mosques there that have been converted to cathedrals. Quite possible that your Nana was telling the truth.

[@henriqueesteves7162]

Sicilians are not black, they are tanned like every other ethnicity that lives along the Mediterranean. And what to Americans mean by "Moors"? It was the name given to muslims in Iberia, more specifically north africans. Muslims having a presence in Sicily didn't change their skin colour because Mediterraneans are similar to each other.

[@henriqueesteves7162]

@@deedeedurden5247 With all due respect, I don't think you know where Sicily is or the people that inhabit there. You being black and your grandmother coming from Sicily does not change that sicilians are a Mediterranean people. South italians not being allowed to register as "white" (whatever tf that means) in a deeply pseudo-scientifical system of race, doesn't change the fact they have much more in common with european Mediterraneans and north africans than with black people. "Moors" are NORTH AFRICA, BERBERS, SPEAKERS OF AFRO-ASIATIC LANGUAGES SUCH AS AMAZIGH, ARABIC AND HEBREW. They are tanned like everyone around north Africa and the Mediterranean. I get that you're probably american, and education in your country isnt great, but North Africans are not black in any way. The fact that they live in in the same continent doesn't make them black. Your "nana" has the same energy as that old lady that said Cleopatra was black. She might be black, but sicilians aren't just like north africans.

[@henriqueesteves7162]

@@deedeedurden5247 And moolie is a slang use by Italian-Americans to refer to blacks, it's not even an italian word.

[@deedeedurden5247]

@Henrique Esteves I will stay listening to My Nana who is Sicilian. Italians and Sicilians didn't even get along over there. But I guess next your gonna tell me you lived there and that's not true either right... don't @ me again. It's always an outsider trying to tell somebody else about their culture or blood line. Worry about your Fiestas.

[@TLouise1959]

My grandparents came through Ellis island in the 1920's from pizzoli Italy and Naples. They worked hard and ended up buying a beautiful home in Yonkers. I am very proud of them. My dad did tell stories of how he didn't like his parents to speak Italian in front of others.

[@rpinarreta]

I recall Tony Danza (actor) discussing what you said regarding southern Italians and his families experience on the show "Finding Your Roots".

[@katrinaseymour6666]

Years ago I met a woman from Sicily. I was shocked. She was very dark, much, much, darker than me with auburn hair. I and my family are considered African American despite our American Indian heritage. To be honest I had never seen anyone like her or since. I was absolutely floored at her appearance and probably stared. As I got to know her (as much as you can at work), I found out about her heritage. Plus, I had opportunity to study this and the way Italians, Chinese, and Mexicans, were treated in America along with African Americans or Negroes. However, southern Italians were elevated to “White” whereas African American despite being here for four hundred years with mixed ancestry are still considered Black. America is a racist country. Maybe not person to person but it is certainly baked into the system. The same can be said of our current immigration of people from India. They too are very dark people but are considered “White.” And those that made it to this designation of White quickly forgot and lacked compassion for those considered permanently Black even if Black skin is much lighter. Interesting and destructive to say the least. It would be beneficial if we were all Just Americans and judged by the content of our characters. But maybe that would be just too difficult.

[@juliostevens9480]

Anyone considered different could have been lynched 100 years ago in some parts of the country. Those White folks didn't play. Don't get it twisted you say Mexican but what you should say is Latino. I agree overall though.

[@danielmota1095]

I remember in the 70s a tv commercial about pollution showing a Native American crying and them I found out he was Italian.

[@AndrewUnruh]

My mother was Southern Italian and, like me, had brown skin. I have never been fully comfortable with being considered white. I think some of that comes from knowing how my people were treated, some of it comes from the fact that overall, I’ve been treated better by non-whites than whites, and some of it because my skin is more like someone from Mexico, the Middle East, or North Africa.

[@bobfaam5215]

I don’t know anyone who considers Indians as White 😂😂 Don’t spread fake stories .

[@bobfaam5215]

@@AndrewUnruh They meant only the Southern Italians . Northern and Central Italians were considered White because they looked like Germans . Northern Italians were tall , white , Blonde hair and Well built . On the other hand , Southern Italians were physically small , brown skinned .

[@adamromero7290]

Hi there Ms Romero, great video! I’m Adam Romero from Nola & south louisana Keep our Italian roots rolling!

[@nytn]

How awesome!

[@anneandkent]

Thank you for shedding light on this event. You barely touched on HOW Italians became White in America, except for briefly talking about Columbus Day. Add more of your complex heritage, I'd love to hear about it. BTW The slur is pronounced "Day-go". I've been the butt of it and you don't forget.

[@reverendsandralynnbarber3750]

TY SO MUCH!!! AS AN ITALIAN AMERICAN ( PART TUSCANY, SICILIAN, AND PIAZENSIA) MY MINISTRY OF TEACHING ABOUT RACE AND SPECIFICALLY DISCRIMINATION AGAINST BLACKS, THIS WAS PERFECT!!! PEACE SISTER!!

[@nicolasmartin-minaret6157]

I worked and studied in Louisiana. I even published a book about the French derived languages of Louisiana. When I first arrived there, I was surprised by the number of people of Sicilian descent. I just wanted to ad that Cajuns had also been victims of discriminations (and those people traditionally speak a langue derived from my own and come from my land). The were called "coonass", and were also considered "on the same level as negroes". On the other hand, Louisiana had a fair amount a free people of color too.

[@TheKarver21]

Opelousas, Louisiana had one of the largest free mulatto populations in America prior to the end of the Civil War, in 1865. Many of which were plantation owners and owned enslaved Africans. New Orleans is always the center of stories like that or historical events but as much can be said as in the town of Opelousas.

[@victorcarrasco3040]

This is the same with the Mexican race. I’m 60 years old and my birth certificate identified me as white. My Beloved Father who was a World War Two Veteran and whose Father also was a World War One Veteran would tell me stories of how not just the blacks were racially discriminated and abused but so were Mexican’s and Italian’s. I, at so young an age couldn’t understand why people of other ethnicities that fought for America could be treated differently because of the color of skin or ethnicity. Thank you for sharing.🙏🏽🌹✌🏻😎❣️

[@freedomthinker3041]

Because they were used for the benefit of a false foundation. I encourage you to dig deeper to actually understand who your ancestors were and are. You just might realize what was forcefully taken and I could only hope you reclaim it one day.

[@MaryLou913]

Yes, many Mexicans were lynched also but no one talks about it. I dunno if it’s because Mexicans often identify as White so now they don’t want to talk about it or what.

[@stevepope6095]

In Mexico I can never own land or vote , participate in protests against government policy .

[@stevepope6095]

​@@MaryLou913 FyI Mexicans are being lynched daily in Mexico . Mexican police just found 45 garbage bags filled with the body parts of an entire call center.

[@805hiker2]

Mexicans are not a separate race, we’re an ethnicity composed mainly of Native American and European blood. My belief is that when we are forced to categorize ourselves most of us do not check off the “Native American” box because typically that applies to Native American tribes of the US, which we are not. So, that really only leaves us with the “white” box to check off since nothing else really applies. Sometimes we get the option to elaborate a little further and have an additional option to select Hispanic/Latino which I presume most people do. I wish they would just add a box we could check to say “human “

[@koolaidman239]

This is fascinating stuff I’ve never heard of before. So cool. Thank you!

[@rickwallin3834]

Thank you for educating the truth about Sicilians/Italians to whomever watches this video.

[@henrikrolfsen584]

Any person who has been to Italy, including the South, and Sicily, knows that Italians are typical White Europeans. This is also true of the Spanish, and Portuguese, (who also get accused of not being White). Many U.S. Americans, who have never been outside of their country, labor under the delusion, that Italians are not quite White. The best explanation for this phenomenon, is that during the 19th Century, and before, uncounted numbers of non-Europeans crowded into the USA via Ellis Island, without papers. Since it was widely known that Americans had restrictions on non-European immigration, they simply claimed: "I am Italian". By this means thousands of Egyptians, Arabs, and other Central and South Asians, made in into New York without papers. The term "WOP" was coined for these paperless immigrants, (Without Papers). If anyone has doubt about this: Go to Italy and see for yourself just how White Italians are. You will witness how commonplace Blonds, and Blue-Eyed Italians are, just like any other part of Europe.

[@teller1290]

Finally, intelligence appears.

[@ugur4511]

Turks are a whiter people than Italians. They are not of Middle Eastern origin.

[@antoniolavecchia1464]

,,,,,, e anche un po di cuore!!! 🎉--Mia madre, Siciliana al 100x100,,,,,aveva dei bei occhi griggi-blu e carnaggione Chiara. Gli stessi occhi si rispecchiano oggi, su due NIPOTE,,,e una PRONIPOTINA,,,,, e ha vissuto : Anni 101 +3 mesi.,,,,, e Molto Umana!!!

[@ugur4511]

Turks are whiter than Italians. Turks are related to the Huns in Hungary and are not of Middle Eastern origin.

[@henrikrolfsen584]

Turks are not "whiter" than any Europeans. Remember: The Turks invaded Anatolia, from Central Asia, and in the process, pushed out many of the native GREEK inhabitants. All of Anatolia is part of Europe, and is the ancient homeland of White Europeans. Turks are related to the Mongols of Central Asia, from which their language derives. "White Turks" are clearly descend from Turks that mixed, over the centuries, with the native White inhabitants, (Greeks), of Anatolia. I am glad they celebrate their mixed status!@@ugur4511

[@teritowells5168]

Thank you for bring out the struggles of Italian immigrants from the turn of the century , especially the contribution that southern Italians and Sicilians brought to America. I’m an art and an architectural historian headed to Sicily to see and visit my family roots. Sicily is so significant to world history, finally, after we proved the mafia destroyed our reputation. Hopefully now that Sicily and hopefully America can be anti mafia can we finally be respected for the history, and the beautiful mixing of cultures that Sicily is known for. Again thanks! Teri D’Amico, friend

[@user-if7zq1vx6i]

The mafia was the tactical destruction plan of Sicily by the colonisers of germany, america, brUtain, france etc

[@ChazzPalminteriShow]

That was a wonderful podcast… Very articulate and very informative… God bless you for being a proud Italian…am 100% Sicilian and very aware of the lynching… Keep up the great work CP

[@nytn]

I would love to have you on to share some of your family story. If you want to do that, let me know! my email is howdy(at)nytonashville(dot)com. It would be so great to hear that.☺

[@omarpasha9855]

Wow! This is some heavy stuff!

[@DavidRCelebrezze]

I really appreciate the time and care that you took with putting this video together. You really hit the nail on the head with the racist structure that is set up and used on different ethnic groups over time. My dad's side is Italian (from Anzi) and my great grampa came over from southern Italy in the early 1900s. He worked on the railroads as a line walker--a very dangerous job and lived in the slums in Cleveland. He had to give some of his earnings back to the company for the "privilege" of having a job there. My grampa worked in the rail yards for a bit and was called slurs daily. Even after he was successful he was still stereotyped by some. He also had to let the mafia know that he wasn't their guy. Maybe it is because of their experience and learning how the system uses the same tactics towards different groups in time, but I don't understand how any Italian American can be callous to the current plight of African Americans, Latinos, and other marginalized groups.

[@rickhigginson8546]

We should all have self ~ esteem. Insecurity may undermine this, even make a person doubt themself, not particularly like themself, or others. This is one reason that people lash out, criticize others, as a matter of personal rote, routine, "put down others," including slurs, as you mention, and more aggressive behavior, when this is unnecessary, and perhaps illogical. These are also behaviors learned by observing other people. If, when a person has self ~ doubt, this may be assuaged, if briefly, by thinking, "Well, I'm imperfect, but at least I'm better than, superior to, this other person." {Thoughts such as this usually don't provide personal improvement, are very temporary, "fixes."} A source of overly aggressive behavior, conflict, misunderstanding. We many times, intrinsically want to associate with others who appear to be, "like myself, us," visually, audably, mannerisms, habits, & so on. Can we understand, appreciate, even like others who are not, "like myself, us," at least part of the time? Be positive? We can try to do this! Not just indulge in knee ~ jerk criticism!

[@vanirkitsune6642]

My grandparents came from Napoli to NYC in 1905. Im half Italian and Puerto Rican. I knew about how Italians weren’t considered white until the 20th century but had no idea about the violent history in New Orleans. You hear so much about Italian immigrants settling in areas like NYC, NJ, and Boston.

[@nytn]

Same, my family went right to NYC and stayed in NY. I had no idea some Sicilians made it down South. I think some of my dad's family came from Napoli as well! I remember seeing that on a manifest.

[@gram01]

Your grandparents probably went to NYC because they were wyt Italians

[@whoahna8438]

None of those cities (maybe NYC) received more Sicilian/Immigrants than New Orleans.

[@judymoss1363]

It was hard for jews too. Being beat up a lot. New york was better but not great but they had each other and made successful kids. In the midwest it was horrible. Henry ford and father coughlin.

[@whoahna8438]

@@judymoss1363 Some Jews were very prosperous slave owners in the South