"We are not mobster You wouldn't know it by reading the papers, but Italians are not all in the Mafia" by Enza Martuccelli

Questo post è un off topic, ovvero un contributo che esula dall'ambito trattato da questo blog.

Riteniamo, però, di dover inserire il contributo che di recente è apparso sul più importante giornale di Montreal, The Gazette, e scritto da Enza Martuccelli, a cui rivolgiamo il nostro sentito ringraziamento per l'autorizzazione alla pubblicazione.

"My heart sank on Remembrance Day when I entered my local convenience store to see splashed across the front pages of every newspaper the image of Nicolo Rizzuto Sr., who was not a soldier, not a hero, and not like 99.99 per cent of the Italians I know.

As a first-generation Italian-Canadian woman, dare I raise my voice to complain about the media frenzy surrounding the slaying of an 86-year-old Italian on the eve of Remembrance Day? Will I be ridiculed if I send my virtual "friends" an indignant message venting my outrage?

How is it possible that the relatively sober Canadian media decide that the life and times of an old mobster are more interesting to their readers than the young men and women risking their lives in Afghanistan? What of the thousands of Canadian soldiers who died in the battle of Monte Cassino so that my parents and grandparents could be liberated from the oppressive fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini?

Where is their story? Where is the story of my uncles, Italian resistance fighters who were sent to Auschwitz along with so many other brave Italians who fought alongside Canadians? What of the battles that spilled the blood of young Canadian men whose bones lie forgotten in graves throughout Europe?

Italian immigrants have been productive, fully contributing, law-abiding citizens of every country to which they emigrated. Our culture, our ingenuity, and our capacity for hard work and sacrifice have ensured success undreamed of by our ancestors.

We overcame discrimination, economic hardship, and social isolation to become property owners, businesspeople, artists, writers, lawyers, engineers, and scientists within the span of a single generation. Yet instead of being celebrated for our collective contributions, we see that negative stereotypical images of Italians monopolize the front pages.

Remaining silent in the face of this does a disservice to the richness, diversity, and brilliance of a vibrant culture that continues to transform the world. The negative focus on our community could not have come at a worse time for those of us who must also endure media reports of the antics of Italy's embarrassment-in-chief, Silvio Berlusconi.

My thoughts constantly drift to my deceased father Armando, a bricklayer, and his struggle to feed four children in winter when work was scarce. The image of Italians I have are of him and my uncles, getting up in the middle of freezing Canadian nights to remove snow from city streets. The image of Italian women I know are most like my mother, Albina, who worked as a cleaning lady and whose dignity spared us from knowing that we were poor for many of our early years in Canada.

Those memories make the Italian mob jokes and sarcastic remarks about my "family" ties impossible to bear. I am not unique; my memories of the discrimination and hatred we faced are shared by the vast majority of Italians who immigrated to Quebec after the Second World War.

Grossly offensive TV shows that portray our youth as quasi-illiterate, sex-mad, drunken buffoons, and Facebook applications titled Mafia Wars, reach huge audiences of young people. A whole new generation is exposed, for hours and hours, to the perception that most Italians are involved with or sympathetic to organized crime. It is not a far stretch to fear that planted in the subconscious psyche of young people is the notion that Italians are somehow genetically disposed to violence, crime, and corruption.

Blame for the trivialization of our community does not rest solely with the media. There is a public appetite for gossip, sensationalism, and entertaining styles of reporting. Last week's story was too seductive for even the most enlightened editor to relegate to the back pages.

So ultimately it is we Italian-Canadians who must actively promote the values that made us a model community. Our children have the right to be proud of the brilliant legacy the Italian-Canadian community has left them.

There are so many legitimately successful Italians whose stories deserve to be celebrated. Let's celebrate the best among us and so empower other ethnic and cultural communities to do the same.

Finally, to all the non-Italians who keep asking: I do not live in St. Leonard. I am not married to, related to, nor do I know anyone in, connected to, or sympathetic with the Mafia. And NO, I did not attend the funeral, so please stop asking me!".

Enza Martuccelli grew up in Montreal and is a member of Italian Women Without Borders.