Italians and Criminal Mind
Why have Italian Americans been unable to dispel the stereotype of their connection with the organized crime? Consider other stereotypes associated with other ethnic groups. One recent survey studying 1,264 teenagers nationwide aged between 13 and 18 found:
When asked to identify the role a person of a particular ethnic or racial background would be most likely to play in a movie or on television, teenagers cited familiar stereotypes:
African American: Athlete, gang member, police officer
Arab American: Terrorist, convenience store clerk
Asian American: Physician/lawyer, CEO, factory worker
Hispanic: Gang member, factory worker
Italian American: Crime boss, gang member, restaurant worker
Jewish American: Physician/lawyer, CEO, teacher
Irish American: Drunkard, police officer, factory worker
Polish American: Factory worker
Source: Zogby International Survey
What do these findings indicate?
Are they real or imagined?
Do Italian Americans really have “criminal minds” – more so than any other ethnic group?
What did the Godfather Trilogy (or the Sopranos) do in shaping people’s perception of Italian Americans?
Do you think that a common Hollywood theme -the association of Italians and syndicated crimes- has contributed to this persistent image? If some of us can bring a few theories about the impact of the mass media and on racial prejudice, that’ll be great.
While many Italian Americans believe such themes perpetuate the stereotype linking Italians with organized crime, yet people in Italy tend to say, “relax, it’s just a show.” What explains these different reactions?
