Reply to Why do some people of Italian descent do this?

Forum Index » Off-Topic

Reply to "Why do some people of Italian descent do this?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A bit off topic but I can't take Italian-Americans that can't speak/comprehend Italian seriously when they swell up in pride over their Italian heritage. Like-wise Irish-Americans, who are laughed at in Ireland as being Plastic Paddies.

Language is a huge part of cultural identity. If you've lost it, you are just another american no matter how much you try to connect to your roots. Blame your parents for not learning from your grandparents so they [your parents] couldn't teach you.

Liking Cacciatore and wearing clothing with il tricolore on it does not make you an italian-american.[/quote]

BS.  My grandmother (now 102) was second generation German, born in Indiana in 1910.  Everyone in her family spoke German and went to German language schools until the start of WWI when it became unpopular to be heard speaking German.  My mother never learned German but many of the things we did were still culturally German.  I was an exchange student to Germany when I was 14 and was surprised at how similarities there were.  I was spent significant amounts of time in Italy (I have a BA in Classical Languages) and Asia. Those cultures were not nearly as familiar to me as German culture.

It doesn't really matter if you consider someone Italian-American or German-American.  In America, we're allowed to self-identify. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics