Re-Inventing Ourselves

With reference to movies such as the The Godfather, Goodfellas, The Bronx Tale, and to television programs such as the Sopranos, I am one of those Sicilian-Americans who believes that over the past couple of decades, this particular genre of films has set back the U.S.’s view of Italians in general and Sicilian-Americans in particular.

While perhaps appreciating them as “artistic” films, other than to spark an interest in “badda-bing” type of commercial exploitation, they have done nothing to enhance the awareness throughout the U.S. of the greatness that Italians in general and Sicilians in particular have brought to this world. Sadly, many prominent Italian-American directors, producers and actors have lined their pockets and are now fabulously wealthy as a result of this exploitation, and Oscars line the mantles in their homes.

Last year I received a call from a prominent advertising agency in New York City. The woman at this agency asked me if All Things Sicilian would be interested in taking part in a giant press conference announcing the release of a new DVD game. They were interested in giving out gift baskets filled with our products to “famous” people who were going to participate in the grand marketing event, which included the press, and therefore would be an excellent exposure for our products.

During the conversation, she told me that they were also soliciting a fedora manufacturer (a hat maker), a cigar manufacturer, and a mattress manufacturer. Puzzled, I asked her for the name of this new DVD game. She proudly told me…The Godfather…home DVD edition.

Feeling affronted, I lectured her on our rich culture and expressed my offense by her marketing agency and the manufacturer.

I hung up the phone, upset at this senseless exploitation.

At the time, I issued a press release condemning the release of the game and contacted various Italian- American organizations who likewise did the same. My press release was never published, and only scant attention was given to those published by the other Italian-American organizations.

Fast forward now one year.

Last week while reading the newspaper one night, I read a story about the sales of this particular game. It is now one of the best selling DVD games available for home use. According to the article, you can work your way up the criminal organization to the status of a “Don” by killing this person or that person, stealing this or that, or robbing this person or that person. Reading this article truly saddened me.

This genre has entered the fabric of our society permanently. The extensive contributions that creative, hard working Italian -Americans….doctors, lawyers, businessmen, artists, professors, poets…the list goes on forever…. are negated by this shameless exploitation of our cultural background.

Heroes like professor Gaetano Cipolla from Arba Sicula and professor Joe Privatera who have dedicated their lives educating Americans on who a Sicilian really is, are beacons in this area of darkness.

We all need to be beacons. We need to learn about our background…really learn about it…and understand from where we came … and what we can truly accomplish…in order to reverse this inaccurate perception.

Who are we? We are Sicel, we are Phoenician, we are Greek, we are Roman, we are Arab, we are Norman, we are Byzantine, we are English, we are Spanish…blended into one culture…an example for all the world to see…that’s who we truly are…we, ourselves, have to learn about our history first…and then teach our children…and our grandchildren… We must never forget who we truly are…..

Ciao, Al