Long story short: Italian-Americans have to be seen as a matrioska doll...there is no single example that defines them all.
There are some that speak Italian fluently despite being of 3rd generation, others were even born there, came here as kids and just speak few dialect words. Go figure.
Exactly. The language is often lost after the second generation, but not all the time. If it's important enough to the family, they'll find a way to keep the language alive in the house. But it's easier said than done.
As far as the episode, Chase did EXACTLY what he wanted to there. He portrayed those guys as
cafoni who thought they were culturally Italian because they ate macaroni on Sundays and wore Genelli shirts. Then when they got around
real Italian culture, they looked like buffoons.
Unfortunately, you
do see a lot of that in Italian American neighborhoods. Guys think that because they memorize the words to a Jerry Vale song and drive in from the suburbs to shop at the Arthur Avenue market twice a year, they're as Italian as their grandparents were. It's actually kinda silly.
Wilson, I have to ask: Have you spent any time at all around Italian Americans?
