Italians faced some difficult times when they first got to America

[hmls]

I tell people all the time. Every immigrant population that came to America had a really hard struggle. Sometimes even from the immigrant population that arrived prior to them. You’re 100% correct!

[jklax]

This guy cleared all that up in a few seconds. Legend.

[guyanasun]

Italian Americans were being unjustly hanged in southern USA. Those people hated them because they were not just among the most ethnic Europeans, they were very business wise and made money faster than other demographics. The preexisting American immigrants started labeling them criminals because they couldn't rationalize how one could be that successful. Truth is they simply sold to everyone regardless of color or race. They didn't discriminate when it came to marketing and obviously made the most

[joshuafaria]

GREAT CONTENT GENTLEMAN. KEEP DOING YOUR THING AND INSPIRING OTHERS. GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU

[WannabeZlister]

Chazz!! I love you, man! That’s a helluva guest!!

[chojinurotsukidoji]

I need to know more about this, I’m Caribbean American but Italian history is part of NYC and most of the N.East

[gregscavuzzo]

My Uncle Cosmo was 10 years older than my Dad, and had to look out for his brothers and sisters, my Grandfather moved from Kansas City to a small town south of Kansas City called Harrisonville, he opened a fruit stand and candy shop and the family did well and eventually owned 2 grocery stores, but my Dad said that Cosmo had to fight every day after school and he could not get beat because if he lost a fight my Grandmother would make him go back and fight again, he was one tough guy

[Biggerfoot]

This is awesome yal just talking like this to a amazing actor like this and he is just hanging out beautiful

[snuff]

The Irish Americans too. How the Irish Became White is a book highly recommended

[tml]

Chazz is wrong. As a derogatory term for "an Italian" (1896) it is from Guinea Negro (1740s) "black person, person of mixed ancestry;" applied to Italians probably because of their dark complexions relative to northern Europeans, and after 1911 it was occasionally applied to Hispanics and Pacific Islanders as well.

[DjAmpfibian]

Today’s generation Italians should watch this video since they think they were part of the Southern movement in the 1800’s. I consider Italians as brothers and look up to their establishments in the U.S. Spanish people and Italians resemble so much culture wise.

[ImBobbyRicigliano]

This was exactly the reason for Columbus Day. 11 Sicilians were lynched in New Orleans in 1891 for the murder of a police chief despite being found innocent. The citizens, unhappy with the verdict, broke into the prison and killed the 11 men. It has also been said that they killed even more random Italians in the street, and the police didn’t care. The trials for the lynch mob ruled that they couldn’t determine who in the crowd was responsible, so there was no justice.

When Italy heard about it, they were furious and threatened to cut off relations with the US. Columbus Day was soon celebrated in New Orleans as part of a larger effort to appease Italy and smooth over relations. It didn’t become a federal holiday until the 1970s.

This is a quote from Roosevelt before he was president in a letter to his sister:

“Monday we dined at the Camerons; various dago diplomats were present, all much wrought up by the lynching of the Italians in New Orleans. Personally I think it rather a good thing, and said so.”

It’s so funny that people die on the political hill of wanting to keep Columbus Day. As an Italian American, who the hell cares? It was done in vain to BS Italians. And you think it honors them? lol. Very dumb in my book. Columbus Day is an INSULT. Period.

[JohnBrennan-ptkg]

A Guinea was actually 21 shillings a pound was only 20 shillings many transactions are still carried out in guineas

[derrickmoon]

Shame so many Italians forgot how they were treated when family were immigrants.

[Bobbaloomis]

You need to talk about how they were treated down in New Orleans during the late 1800’s especially the Sicilians

[BATM_Media]

There was a time when being catholic in America was almost to the same level as being Jewish or Black. So the Irish, Italian, Poles, Spanish all delt with a lot of bullshit. If you saw Gangs of New York, or Hell on Wheels, Deadwood, or any other mid to.late 1800s period piece, then you got a taste of attitudes towards immigrants in general in the earlier parts of our countries history. You were 100% a second class citizen.

[simonlhill-sisx]

I thought Guinea was because Italians had dark skin, and Guinea is a country in Africa, they were basically saying you’re black

[rotru]

Also...the largest mass lynching in the USA (in New Orleans) were a group of Sicilian men in the mid 1800s.
Guinea was also a way to call Italians "black" as an insult as some from the South are sometimes darker than other "whites".
My father came to Canada in the 1960s & faced prejudice on an almost daily basis.

[sonicventures]

Where i'm from in western europe, back in the 50s/60s you could read signs in front of bars and restaurants saying "Dogs and Italians, keep out". Not the other way around, in that specific order!

[capo]

Everyone has their interpretation of those two words.