Are Italians really like this?

Question

I understand stereotypes are generalizations, but it's said they come from a shred of truth. Here's the synopsis of the movie A Wake In Providence: "Going back home can be hard, particularly when you come from a traditional Italian family, and especially when the girlfriend you bring back is not Italian. But the roof caves in when she's African American. This is the problem that Anthony faces when he brings Alissa from Los Angeles to his boyhood home of Providence, Rhode Island to attend his grandfather's funeral."

Are Italians really that racist? Why? So many of them are mixed with African blood, especially in the South. They aren't really white.

Answer 1

When you aren't really white as you put it, you are more insecure and want to highlight your whiteness by downplaying anyone "less" white than you. That goes for a lot of cultures that are not northern european yet still not african. They try to distance themselves from black. After all, who wants the plight of the African-American. Also, "Traditional" implies less wordly, less educated, so you'd tend to be more racist. Racism and ignorance are correlated.

Answer 2

There are very little mixed races in Italy - even in Sicily, closest to Africa. In fact, the millenaire history of Italy has included Normandy, Vikings, Spanish, Arabs, French, Austrian colonisations... but not africans, since Hannibal went down the peninsula with his elephants.
Most Italians are whiter than nordic populations... blue eyes exist and hazel, green eyes are common. very similar coloring in fact to French, mostly lighter than spanish.
The concept of Italians as "not quite white" is a gross misconception. Anyway, I'd like to warn you not to take a movie synopsis for a portrait of reality...

Historically, until the '80s, there were very few colored folks in Italy - the society was exclusively white. Then, there was a "extracommunitary" immigration, mostly paperless - unfortunately this did not help.
There are currently initiatives trying to provide papers to all immigrants, to avoid pushing people in criminal organizations...

Answer 3

Certainly not all Italian Americans are racist, yet there are are many racists in the world. I doubt that Italian Americans represent a higher ratio of racists than any other group in the country. Racism is a systemic cultural issue and is prevalent in many, if not all societies.