This is meant as a question and not to start a debate or a controversy.
I read the novel many times and all throughout i get the impression that Puzo was promoting the Sicilian culture. And to praise the Sicilians, he gave examples of other races or nationality not being their equal in busninesses or statemanship matters. e.g the negroes in Harlem not being able to run things, Jack Woltz not being very smart despite being a movie mogul, Tom Hagen having flaws as a consiglire despite being raised by the Don fo 3/4 of his life etc.

In the book, Mario Puzo praised the Sicilian a lot and especially for their cunning. And he even went one step further as to write that "Tom Hagen only fault as a Consigliere was that he wasn't a Sicilian". Doesn't this imply that one way or the other that Sicilians are superior than the other ethnic groups? Or that being Siclian would automatically make you smart and give you what it takes to run an empire of organized crime?(I know, Fredo is the exception to the rule but still... )

So by definition, couldn't that kind of thinking considered racism? After all, the dictionnary defines racism as: The belief that one race is superior than another. And we are conviced that the the Sicilian are better.

I am curious to hear your thoughts