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Italian Skin Color: what you need to know
I spent a glorious September weekend in Palermo, Sicily, just roaming. I wandered the palm-lined avenues, gazed at the Moorish architecture, shopped for souvenirs at the markets, and daydreamed on the beach.
With me, hundreds of locals – families, groups of friends – all on the go, enjoying life and their beautiful sun-drenched city. As I sauntered along I watched the crowd: playful children, smiling teens and adults, men and women.
It was then that it hit me. What?
The Colors!!!
No two people had the same skin tone, or build or hair color! You would see a tall, lean blonde green-eyed daddy and dainty olive-skinned mommy with their dark and curly-haired kids. Or a dusky brother hand-in-hand with his strawberry blonde freckled sister. And so on.
A random, bizarre question sprang to my mind…
Is there a common Sicilian Skin Tone?
Looking at the dappled multitude scattered all along Mondello’s sandy shore and eating pistachio gelatos, I saw thick-set dark ones, lanky Swede-looking pale (sunburned!) ones, dainty redheads and swarthy brunettes.
So, I thought, there is no such thing as a typical-looking Sicilian.
What Color Are Italians?
What about a typical-looking Italian? Nope.
And why is that, I questioned myself?
First of all, I conjured, whatever they look like, the Italians have been up and around for such a long time. And, on top of that, well, foreign invaders have never just let us be!
I surfed the web to see what people thought, and ran into a series of puzzling queries, among which what race are Italians? Are Italians considered white? Both of which are, in my opinion, obsolete, old-fashioned and definitely politically-incorrect concepts.
People have been fascinated with skin color ever since the dawn of time. They have wondered at its variety, and “classified” its beauty (or non-beauty) forever.
Are Italians Black?
Now, fascination with a physical feature is one thing, science another, and studies actually show how skin tone has varied greatly among humans for at least the last 900,000 years. Basically, the truth is all Homo Sapiens were black to start with, and loss of melanin pigmentation occurred under natural selection as Homo sapiens dispersed into non-tropical latitudes.
So, back to the Italians, what we can actually try to talk about is ethnicity.
What was Italy like before the Roman Empire?
In classical times the Italian boot was home to the ancient Phoenicians, Greeks, Etruscans, and Celts, alongside a variety of indigenous Italic tribes and Carthaginian colonies.
Even then all these different peoples and tribes moved around. Hence, the cultural and ethnic medley had already started.
And all this was before the Romans “latinized” the peninsula and held on to power. They did so whilst maintaining unity and peace by allowing freedom of worship and traditions to the various people, until the 5th century AD. Meantime, Jews had arrived in Italy too.
So, Are Italians Roman?
No, actually, Italians are much more!
When the Roman Empire collapsed, the whole world – well, at least those powerful enough to act on it – suddenly realized an important fact. How very appealing that nondescript territory was, smack in the most strategic position of the Mediterranean.
So, Germanic tribes – the Ostrogoths, the Lombards – crossed the Alps and grabbed what they could in the northern part of the country. In the meanwhile the Mediterranean seafarers first – the Byzantines, the Saracens – and then the Normans (tall blonde Vikings!), flooded into Sicily and the south.
Quite evidently, all these centuries of diverse dominations had changed consistently Italy’s human landscape. A population that was originally ethnically varied in itself, led to a complex and polychrome blend of ethnic groups, colors, cultures and beliefs.
So asking ourselves are Italians white is actually very reductive, as is trying to define what ethnicity is Italian. Italians, gli italiani, share a common culture, history, language. Not ethnicity.
Are Italians Latinos?
The term latino is used in the States to define inhabitants of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries, basically Latin America and Brazil.
Here is another frequent misconception, probably based on the existence of common linguistic traits. We think that those people speaking Romance languages are similar. But this is just an assumption: Italians and Latinos do not belong to the same ethnic group. Italians, who live on the other side of the world and are tied to one another by a prevailing shared culture, are something else.
So, I’d venture to ask the contrary. Are Latinos Italians? Latinos – mainly Argentinians and Brazilians, due to their ancestry and the many years of Italian immigration, are partly Italian, and thus partake in the Italian cultural and traditional heritage.
A bit of history: when the Italians had to Become White
Talking about immigration, the history of Italians abroad has something to teach us still today.
A little over 150 years ago, thousands of Italians and other Europeans emigrated to the United States. America’s face changed and, as often happens, the change caused general panic. Most Italian immigrants were not schooled and they accepted “black” jobs as fieldhands. Americans especially classified those coming from Sicily and other southern regions as “not white enough”.
Vicious journalistic campaigns claimed Italians were “innately criminal” and ranted against “filthy Italian children”. Acts of deliberate, often unlawful, violence were on the daily agenda.
At the end of the 19th century the Italian Government threatened to break all relations with the USA. Then, after a new lynching in New Orleans, president Benjamin Harrison had to take a stand. He did so in 1892, by proclaiming Cristopher Columbus “the first immigrant” and instituting Columbus Day National Holiday.
To do so, in truth, what he did was re-write history, considering that Columbus never did set foot in North America.
But all’s well that ends well, right? And that’s how Italians became white.
To define Italy? a much better exercise would be by haplogroups. Neolithic, metal ages, Roman, Medieval, and modern era. Italy also represents thousands of years of migrations and reverse migrations across the Mediterranean basin. Next Generation Sequencing NGS is revealing much, more to follow on rich history of Italy and diaspora Italians. Mediterranean Sea is more of a lake or pond genetically.
Thank you for shedding some light on this topic. I, as an Italian, do not consider myself or my family as latina/latino. Other Italians may identify as such, and I am in no way allowed to say they’re right or wrong. The first Latin tribes and people originated from Italy, and their cultures merged with others.
Thank you! Finally someone who understands. Italians may not be WASP(White Anglo Saxon Protestant) but we are they are considered Caucasian race.
And Italians stole coffee from Africans and Pasta from the Chinese/Asians. And they also discriminate against other people, blacks and mixed people for example. So you see, every race is racist.
Thanks God the Ethiopians kicked their ass. This should happen to every race that is too arrogant and feels too Entitled and Arrogant. They should be taught a lesson.
Because no one is better and no race is superior to no race. If you are against one race or mroe then you are against God´s Creation.
BRAINWASHED AMERICAN CULTURAL MISAPPROPRIATION, CULTURAL THEFT AND CULTURAL RAPE OF FOREIGN LATIN TERMS FROM ITALY AND ITS LATIN VARIATIONS WILL NEVER BE LATINO! SO TIRED OF THIS BRAINWASHED NORTH AMERICAN CULTURAL INCOMPETENCY! ITALIANS CREATED ALL THINGS LATINO! WE ARE THE REAL LATINO MEN AND WOMEN OF MEDITERRANEAN ORIGIN! 🙄THE CULTURA LATINA, THE LATIN PEOPLE, THE LATINO (Latini) TRIBES, THE LATIN ETHNICITY ALL COME FROM ITALY! LATINO IS THE SOLE IDENTITY OF SOUTHERN EUROPEAN LATIN MEDITERRANEAN DIASPORA. Latin europe was Latinized by ROME ITALY hence how Latina italy got the name Latina. & HISPANIC (Hispania) is literally the Latin language MEANING SPAIN NOT the NATIVE AMERICANS they Colonized. Latin America got its name SOLELY and ONLY to mean the part of the Americas CONQUERED by LATIN EUROPE and that is all it will EVER MEAN. Latin ORIGIN, HISTORY& people are NON INTERCHANGEABLE. STOP THE CULTURAL THEFT OF MY PEOPLE& OUR ANCESTRY. BRAINWASHED AMERICAN/ MOSTLY NORTH AMERICAN CULTURAL APPROPRIATION & CULTURAL THEFT FOR “PROFIT AND GAIN” WILL NEVER BE LATINO. CULTURAL APPROPRIATION EXIST BECAUSE THOSE LIKE YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM THE CULTURAL THEFT TOWARDS US TRUE LATIN PEOPLE AND OUR HISTORICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS! AND US TRUE LATINS ARE & HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MULTI GENETICALLY MIXED ETHNIC PEOPLE DUE TO OUR GENETIC CONTRIBUTORS FROM OUR MIDDLE EASTERN (ASIAN), NORTHERN AFRICAN, AND BALKAN GYPSIE DNA. THERE ARE NO “WHITE” LATINS. JUST MORE ASSIMILATION . SOUTH CENTRAL AMERICANS AND MEXICANS ARE NATIVE AMERICANS, MESTIZOS, CASTIZOS, PARDOS, ZAMBOS, AND PURE SUB SAHARAN AFRICANS. NOT LATINS, NOT LATIN BLOOD, THEREFORE NOT LATINO. IN SOUTH CENTRAL AMERICA AND MÉXICO THE ONLY PEOPLE CALLED LATINO AND HISPANIC ARE US SOUTHERN EUROPEANS OF LATIN MEDITERRANEAN ORIGIN. OBVIOUSLY THE SAME IN LATIN EUROPE. PUSHING AND CONTRIBUTING TO BRAINWASHED NORTH AMERICAN MISAPPROPRIATION OF FOREIGN TERMS SUCH AS LATIN/LATINO AS TRENDING PROPAGANDA FOR SOCIAL STATUS TO APPEAR MORE DESIRABLE DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE CONTINUING CONTRIBUTIONS OF CULTURAL THEFT. THE TERM LATINO DERIVES FROM THE TERM LATINI, THE LATINI WHERE THE VERY FIRST LATIN TRIBE TO EXIST FROM ITALY! LATINI IS PLURAL MEANING MORE THAN ONE LATINO! AND LATINO IS SINGULAR FOR LATINI MEANING ONE LATINO. THE SAME WITH LATINA AND LATINE. ALL TERMS CREATED BY THE TRUE LATIN PEOPLE OF ITALY. PUSHING BRAINWASHED AMERICAN MOSTLY NORTH AMERICAN CULTURAL RAPE AS A FASHION TREND FOR “PROFIT & GAIN” NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED. YOU CAN NOT BE PART OF AN ORIGIN, HISTORY AND ETHNICITY WHICH YOUR ANCESTORS FACTUALLY ARE NOT HISTORICALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR. “LatinX” is a Form of appropriation, a made up Non existant term that will NEVER be of latin origin and it will NEVER be a term used by CULTURALLY AWARE TRUE Latin men and women as it is one of the many things in this country that mocks our heritage and that is ALL “LatinX” will EVER mean. REAL AND TRUE LATINO MEN AND WOMEN ARE OF PROMINENT SOUTHERN EUROPEAN LATIN MEDITERRANEAN DIASPORA WHOS ORIGINS COME FROM ITALY AND ROMAN DERIVED LATIN EUROPE DUE TO OUR CULTURE AND ETHNICITY FROM THE REAL LATINO ANCESTORS OF ITALY!
Enough ! Of course Italians are “white” and certainly not black. Some people today, particularly African-Americans seem to enjoy labeling Southern-Italians and Sicilians as somehow colored or part black. While there certainly is nothing wrong with being African-American they seem to do it with zeal in trying to promote something this simply is not factual !
MEDITERRANEAN ITALIANS ARE RACIALLY MEDITERRANEAN AND WE ARE TRUE ETHNICALLY LATINO MEN AND WOMEN! AMERICANS ESPECIALLY NORTH AMERICANS ARE BRAINWASHED AND CULTURALLY ERASED! 🙄THE CULTURA LATINA, THE LATIN PEOPLE, THE LATINO (Latini) TRIBES, THE LATIN ETHNICITY ALL COME FROM ITALY! LATINO IS THE SOLE IDENTITY OF SOUTHERN EUROPEAN LATIN MEDITERRANEAN DIASPORA. Latin europe was Latinized by ROME ITALY hence how Latina italy got the name Latina. & HISPANIC (Hispania) is literally the Latin language MEANING SPAIN NOT the NATIVE AMERICANS they Colonized. Latin America got its name SOLELY and ONLY to mean the part of the Americas CONQUERED by LATIN EUROPE and that is all it will EVER MEAN. Latin ORIGIN, HISTORY& people are NON INTERCHANGEABLE. STOP THE CULTURAL THEFT OF MY PEOPLE& OUR ANCESTRY. BRAINWASHED AMERICAN/ MOSTLY NORTH AMERICAN CULTURAL APPROPRIATION & CULTURAL THEFT FOR “PROFIT AND GAIN” WILL NEVER BE LATINO. CULTURAL APPROPRIATION EXIST BECAUSE THOSE LIKE YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM THE CULTURAL THEFT TOWARDS US TRUE LATIN PEOPLE AND OUR HISTORICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS! AND US TRUE LATINS ARE & HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MULTI GENETICALLY MIXED ETHNIC PEOPLE DUE TO OUR GENETIC CONTRIBUTORS FROM OUR MIDDLE EASTERN (ASIAN), NORTHERN AFRICAN, AND BALKAN GYPSIE DNA. THERE ARE NO “WHITE” LATINS. JUST MORE ASSIMILATION . SOUTH CENTRAL AMERICANS AND MEXICANS ARE NATIVE AMERICANS, MESTIZOS, CASTIZOS, PARDOS, ZAMBOS, AND PURE SUB SAHARAN AFRICANS. NOT LATINS, NOT LATIN BLOOD, THEREFORE NOT LATINO. IN SOUTH CENTRAL AMERICA AND MÉXICO THE ONLY PEOPLE CALLED LATINO AND HISPANIC ARE US SOUTHERN EUROPEANS OF LATIN MEDITERRANEAN ORIGIN. OBVIOUSLY THE SAME IN LATIN EUROPE. PUSHING AND CONTRIBUTING TO BRAINWASHED NORTH AMERICAN MISAPPROPRIATION OF FOREIGN TERMS SUCH AS LATIN/LATINO AS TRENDING PROPAGANDA FOR SOCIAL STATUS TO APPEAR MORE DESIRABLE DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE CONTINUING CONTRIBUTIONS OF CULTURAL THEFT. THE TERM LATINO DERIVES FROM THE TERM LATINI, THE LATINI WHERE THE VERY FIRST LATIN TRIBE TO EXIST FROM ITALY! LATINI IS PLURAL MEANING MORE THAN ONE LATINO! AND LATINO IS SINGULAR FOR LATINI MEANING ONE LATINO. THE SAME WITH LATINA AND LATINE. ALL TERMS CREATED BY THE TRUE LATIN PEOPLE OF ITALY. THE AMERICAN MUTILATION AND CULTURAL RAPE OF LATIN EUROPEAN TERMS NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED.
No Black American has ever claimed any Italian as a POC. The fact that the Black community sometimes alienates mixed Black people, is how I know you’re lying. Black Americans specifically are particular about who is and isn’t a part of Black culture because of oppression as well as appropriation. The only one trying to promote something unfactual is you.
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