I can say this about the Italian Americans: A hundred years ago our ancestors were busting their asses doing work that no one else would do. They were ridiculed and even spit on, having to walk in the gutter. Now look at the Italian Americans. They are living the American Dream that their grandparents and great grandparents worked so hard to achieve for them.
How can you NOT be proud of that!!!!
And I cannot speak the language fluently. So what? Nothing is wrong with that. It's understanding and appreciating what our ancestors had to go through to give us an easier life. That's what we celebrate along with the traditional feasts. Plus we have the BEST food...
and of course the American Mafia. Try to TOP all that
Okay, you can take a deep breath and have a drink now. I think this thread is about the Italian-Americans who are fourth and fifth generation and overdo it. A twenty-year-old kid who grows up in Upper Montclair or Scarsdale and deliberately tries to sound like Vinny Barbarino.
That's a fucking disgrace. Their parents should be drawn and quartered. You keep the CULTURE alive, not the STEREOTYPE. My two cents.
And I speak both dialects fluently. But as I've said, I lived in Cosenza for 18 months and visited close to a dozen other times. Not to mention staying with my Mom's people in Basilicata. So I'm a little different.
Thanks SweetP. I misunderstood.
Consenza. I knew that sounded familiar. I've been carrying their patron saint pic for almost 20 yrs in my wallet and I'm not even Calabrese. It was given to me. You never told me that's where your family is from. And--Mr. October, you never told me you could roll your rrr's like Caruso. Being able to speak the dialects FLUENTLY is impressive. So you can understand the Napuletan dialect too, JimmyR? That's 3 for you. I must give you 3 meows for that Meow Meow Meow or Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr Rrrrrrr Rrrrrr
If you are a fourth generation Italian-American then you really don't care much about the language or culture which is a shame. My cousins couldn't be bothered with any of it. They're only in it for the food and family part. I am the ONLY one in my family of 4th gen who cares about that type of stuff. It's probably because I'm the oldest great grandchild and spent the most time around the 1st and 2nd generation who spoke mostly Italian. I learned the language BUT not enough to say I can speak it well. I can speak much better Spanish than Italian.
You're a little different, that's for sure. Oh Daddy, hey, You're the King! Big Daddy, you make the Scene!! Baby, You're the BoSS!!
(I bet you know where I got that from, see if you can guess it right)
Now back to John Gotti being fluent in Italian
I'm embarrassed just thinking about him trying to speak Italian. My best guess is he probably butchered the language just like my father did.
My father is 3rd gen so he could understand Italian and should be able to speak it right? Nope not him. When he tried to speak it he'd butcher it OR he'd use words that my great grandpa made up.
He would excuse himself from the table and say something crazy like:
Va a un bacahassa. (He doesn't even use the right verb conjugation) plus that's not even an Italian word; he sounded tacky and vulgar.
He's saying I'm going to the BACKHOUSE
There used to be a backhouse before they had the bathroom in the house. My grandparents really should have taken the time to teach him the right way but they said they wanted him to speak English not Italian.
I'd tell him please don't try to speak your crazy Italian language when we'd be around the ICF older members who spoke it fluently. Save that stuff for only family. It was so embarrassing.
