I recently worked with two northern Italians (from Rome). They live on the upper west side (doing well, financially). I tried to strike up conversation about the Italian presence in Queens and some of the neighborhoods. I was trying to segwey into discussion about Parkside, my favorite restaurant ever. They laughed. They don't even consider anything south of Naples to be true Italian. So there are differences in identity even within Italy.

It's not the first time I've worked with people from northern Italy. The last time a woman declared that if anyone mentioned the words "spaghetti" or "mafia" that she would take her shoe off and throw it at them. Just saying.

Don't know if this ties in with the topic but discrimination is ubiquitous. There is discrimination within families (parents favor one child over the other). Dating is discrimination. Shopping is discrimination.