When I saw the Latino vote, I immediately thought about what I've learned about Italian Americans' journey over the past century and a half. The way the US gradually racializes folks over time is both horrifying and fascinating. Majority minority country, but growing more and more conservative. - ThreadSky

ebonyteach.bsky.social • 75 days ago

When I saw the Latino vote, I immediately thought about what I've learned about Italian Americans' journey over the past century and a half.

The way the US gradually racializes folks over time is both horrifying and fascinating. Majority minority country, but growing more and more conservative.

Reposted from Janna A. Zinzi

I’m half Italian and my Dad talks about it in his family: some chose to align with whiteness & white nationalism (esp 2nd & 3rd gen) to get the benefits, and others remember how Italian immigrants were treated & believe in human rights and the beauty of diversity. We see it with yt Latinos today…

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jamma313.bsky.social•75 days ago

It's fascinating to see folks come over and immediately try to slam the door behind them. Like I wonder what the structure of that sub-caste system looks like because it makes zero sense.

ebonyteach.bsky.social•75 days ago

Listen, I'm watching to see if (some, not all) African immigrants can defy the color line here and elsewhere in the West. At least some (not all!) are integrating into middle/White America by drawing hard lines between them & us. "We're not them; we didn't come here for that race stuff."

We'll see.

jamma313.bsky.social•75 days ago

Oh there was a study done about that. Let me see if I can find it ☝🏾

jamma313.bsky.social•75 days ago

Dangit. I cant find the one I read, but for the most part, it was regarded as "perception" and there were certain variables that leveled the field. I.e. having a college degree, living above/ below the poverty line, etc.

jlshannonhouse.bsky.social•75 days ago

"Kicking down the ladder behind us" is a good description of so many historical legacies

jamma313.bsky.social•75 days ago

Too many.

stussygalore.bsky.social•75 days ago

I see this in my own Italian family and will remain eternally grateful that they chose the non-hateful path.

gastropoda.bsky.social•75 days ago

I saw it growing up in Arizona. Some Mexican neighbors ID’d as Spanish for a leg up.

digitaldinosaur.bsky.social•75 days ago

A bitter reality about humanity is when people want to leave a place, they often blame the conditions that made them want to go on other people, rather than say, anything structural.

They get to a new place then look back with contempt on those behind them.

francinehibiscus.bsky.social•75 days ago

I see it in my own family and it's very parallel.

mocutobi.bsky.social•75 days ago

I’m hearing that the initial numbers on the Latino vote might have been wrong, new polling shows directionally different results: https://unidosus.org/press-releases/hispanic-voters-back-harris-over-trump-by-a-62-37-margin-cite-economic-concerns-as-top-priorities/

jannazinzi.bsky.social•75 days ago

Yes! Listening to Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste put it into context during the election cycle. Folks don’t want to be at the “bottom” of the hierarchy; and will do whatever is necessary to keep their positionality. These Black/Brown Latinos forget that racists see skin color and are not differentiating 😑

jannazinzi.bsky.social•75 days ago

Seeing distancing themselves from African-Americans as survival and their comeuppance. It’s an incredible mental jiu jitsu that folks are doing - and the right knows they need “numbers” so they will supposedly open their tent. Let’s see if cops & ICE see them as white 😒

cdm.expert•75 days ago

Same with us Irish types - like the Italians - "becoming white". My parents are crazy Evangelicals dedicated to the project of Whiteness. They aren't personally racist (much) but they are culturally supremacists. It's insane, and they are cultists.

popoffvalve.bsky.social•75 days ago

You should not underestimate the Catholic influence.

At our local Planned Parenthood the protesters are almost always Catholic, and they are usually mostly Hispanic.

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