They view them as Peasants, bad land poor farmers, brown eyes, olive complexion, dark hair. Where do you think the guinea slur sprang from?
The northeners used to jibe that they were half africans. Considering the history of Sicily there may well be some of that blood in them.
That's a myth that Sicilians and people from other Southern Italian regions are "black" or are "African".
The hatred from the North of Italy to the South of Italy still goes on to this day in Italian society, and politics.
