One thing I know about Italians is that … they are always a proud people who are always about themselves
It’s not hard to sway the population as long as you promote the idea of nationalism, racism and identity - Italy for Italians and no one else.
It’s the same format they have for America … except it’s harder to do in America because they always have to admit to a historic multicultural background.
It’s often easier in Italy which has a very long, historic, proud and well documented monocultural past. (Yes, yes, I know … Italy also has a multicultural past, but to most modern Italians, most average Italians like to believe that they have a monocultural past)
Monocultural past?
Italy is not a single country even today. People 200km apart can’t understand each other if they would speak their local language.
People hate each other even within the same region (e.g., Pisa vs Livorno).
There is quite a lot of hate and discrimination even between South and North, between cities (Naples/Milan/Rome), especially due to internal migrations (many people go from South to Rome to study, or north to work).
One of the major parties (today) rebranded as a nationalist party just recently, but is still called “north league” and was a secessionist party until 10 years ago or so (probably still is to some extent).
Everyone in Italy is absolutely aware of local culture and differences, and Italians have a very vague idea of what Italy is as a country. The national identity is really weird, and often people feel more part of their local heritage than Italian (e.g., Sicilian or roman).
Also dunking on Italy is basically a national sport, almost everyone in Italy is convinced that abroad “things work, not like here”. However, people get protective when an outgroup criticizes Italy, that’s when you get a “nationalist” perspective. This is quite common for many groups though.
Not being a settler colony doesn’t automatically mean you’re monocultural.
In my experience, Italians are acutely and constantly aware of their regional differences and their regional language. They often switch between local language and standard Italian in their day to day life. Even more so than Germans.
Of course, there are those who believe they’re monocultural. But that’s the same in the US, you have people who say to every non-white person:“go home to your own country.”
You are First Nation, so you’re aware of the peoples that have been there. But the average American (Canadians probably less so) thinks about Native Americans zero times in a year. (This is a hypothesis)
I would say the centuries of fragmentation of the Italian peninsula actually bolstered the nationalist spirit more than in countries with a long history as a unified nation (England, France, Spain…) and much literature taught at school treats this topic.
But yeah history doesn’t teach shit, it looks like…
I’m not Italian but I have several Italian Canadian friends.
I just had this conversation with an older Italian Canadian friend of mine … she’s first generation Canadian and her parents were from northern Italy in the Veneto region. She told me a story about how she went back to visit relatives of hers years ago. They called her Canadian but didn’t call her Italian. They said you have to be born in Italy as an Italian with an Italian family and grow up in the language and the culture in order to call yourself Italian. Anything else and you weren’t Italian.
I am Italian from a nearby place to Veneto: can confirm that there is an obnoxious cultural protectionism that’s appalling. In general people are very friendly and kind, but so close minded… I only grew out of it (I think?) once I moved abroad. It’s bittersweet, because it’s nice to be proud of being part of a community, but at the same time there is much emptiness in thinking of oneselves as something special just for what’s on the passport.
The funny part was that she traveled to Italy alone from Canada … her Italian relatives scolded her and said that is definitely not something an Italian woman should do. If they were Italian at all.
One thing I know about Italians is that … they are always a proud people who are always about themselves
It’s not hard to sway the population as long as you promote the idea of nationalism, racism and identity - Italy for Italians and no one else.
It’s the same format they have for America … except it’s harder to do in America because they always have to admit to a historic multicultural background.
It’s often easier in Italy which has a very long, historic, proud and well documented monocultural past. (Yes, yes, I know … Italy also has a multicultural past, but to most modern Italians, most average Italians like to believe that they have a monocultural past)
Monocultural past? Italy is not a single country even today. People 200km apart can’t understand each other if they would speak their local language. People hate each other even within the same region (e.g., Pisa vs Livorno). There is quite a lot of hate and discrimination even between South and North, between cities (Naples/Milan/Rome), especially due to internal migrations (many people go from South to Rome to study, or north to work).
One of the major parties (today) rebranded as a nationalist party just recently, but is still called “north league” and was a secessionist party until 10 years ago or so (probably still is to some extent).
Everyone in Italy is absolutely aware of local culture and differences, and Italians have a very vague idea of what Italy is as a country. The national identity is really weird, and often people feel more part of their local heritage than Italian (e.g., Sicilian or roman).
Also dunking on Italy is basically a national sport, almost everyone in Italy is convinced that abroad “things work, not like here”. However, people get protective when an outgroup criticizes Italy, that’s when you get a “nationalist” perspective. This is quite common for many groups though.
I think you’re wrong on this one.
Not being a settler colony doesn’t automatically mean you’re monocultural.
In my experience, Italians are acutely and constantly aware of their regional differences and their regional language. They often switch between local language and standard Italian in their day to day life. Even more so than Germans.
Of course, there are those who believe they’re monocultural. But that’s the same in the US, you have people who say to every non-white person:“go home to your own country.”
You are First Nation, so you’re aware of the peoples that have been there. But the average American (Canadians probably less so) thinks about Native Americans zero times in a year. (This is a hypothesis)
I would say the centuries of fragmentation of the Italian peninsula actually bolstered the nationalist spirit more than in countries with a long history as a unified nation (England, France, Spain…) and much literature taught at school treats this topic.
But yeah history doesn’t teach shit, it looks like…
I’m not Italian but I have several Italian Canadian friends.
I just had this conversation with an older Italian Canadian friend of mine … she’s first generation Canadian and her parents were from northern Italy in the Veneto region. She told me a story about how she went back to visit relatives of hers years ago. They called her Canadian but didn’t call her Italian. They said you have to be born in Italy as an Italian with an Italian family and grow up in the language and the culture in order to call yourself Italian. Anything else and you weren’t Italian.
I am Italian from a nearby place to Veneto: can confirm that there is an obnoxious cultural protectionism that’s appalling. In general people are very friendly and kind, but so close minded… I only grew out of it (I think?) once I moved abroad. It’s bittersweet, because it’s nice to be proud of being part of a community, but at the same time there is much emptiness in thinking of oneselves as something special just for what’s on the passport.
The funny part was that she traveled to Italy alone from Canada … her Italian relatives scolded her and said that is definitely not something an Italian woman should do. If they were Italian at all.