Italians are not white. Italians are Latin. In fact, we were the first Latins!
A bit of history:
A bit of history:
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| Lazio in the heart of Italy |
Romans (which are the direct ancestors of modern Italians – with little variation) were the founders and promoters of Latin culture. The word Latin stems from the region in Italy where the Latin language and culture first started – Latium (modern day Lazio, Italy- the province that houses Rome - see above)
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| Map of Roman Empire - with many Modern Countries Listed |
As Rome expanded into one of the largest and
longest lived empires in history, it spread the Latin culture and
language. The impacts of this culture can readily be seen in large
swaths of modern Europe. All countries that speak a “romance”
language speak a derivative of Latin. In fact, the term romance
language stems from an ancient phrase which meant, “the language of
the Romans.” Modern countries that speak Romance languages are
Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Romania.
Latin culture was distinct from the other ancient cultures in Europe - such as Celtic, Germanic or Greek. This distinction is still present today in the languages spoken and in the systems of law. Latin countries still have civil law systems (based on Roman law.) Germanic countries (like Germany and England) have common law systems. It is also important to note that modern Latin countries continue to be overwhelmingly Catholic.
A curious thing: Latin culture was distinct from the other ancient cultures in Europe - such as Celtic, Germanic or Greek. This distinction is still present today in the languages spoken and in the systems of law. Latin countries still have civil law systems (based on Roman law.) Germanic countries (like Germany and England) have common law systems. It is also important to note that modern Latin countries continue to be overwhelmingly Catholic.
In America, we
are all well acquainted with the term Latin-American or Latino. But,
did you know that there is such a thing as a Latin European? Now –
based on what we know about Latin Americans, one would think that a
Latin European is European with Spanish ancestry. But, you would also
be surprised to learn that the term represents people from Italy,
Spain, Portugal and France.
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| What we think of as "Latin America" |
So, why in America is “Latin-
American” or Latino only reserved for people of Spanish/Hispanic
ancestry? It's actually a historical quirk. See – when America was
first discovered, it was quickly explored and influenced by Latin
European nations. Don't forget – Columbus sailed for Spain, and
Spain was the first to lay claim to lands here. They were quickly
followed by the Portuguese and French. It wasn't until much later in
the game that non-Latin countries (England and Netherlands) began to
explore and colonize the New World.
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| Antique Map of the Americas - with Various Land Owners |
While Latin – European countries were colonizing, map makers and explorers began to call the New World the “Latin- Americas.” In fact, areas in North and South America were considered the Latin – Americas. However, once England and the Netherlands began to be major players in the New World, a distinction needed to be made. So, the Latin- Americas were assigned to the areas with the most Latin influenced territories (notably – South America and the Caribbean). Plain old “ America” was assigned to English/ Dutch controlled areas.
In conclusion:
So, technically, a “Latin-American” or Latino is one who comes from an area that was influenced by a Latin-European country. As we set up earlier – the Latin- European countries are Italy, Spain, Portugal and France. And as we set up even earlier than that: Latin culture is directly derived from the Romans, who are the direct ancestors of modern Italians. Therefore, Italians are Latins.
Check out Part # 1 - Italians are not White
Check out Part # 3 - White is an American thing
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Spain didn't exist until the 18th Century. I see what you are very much doing here and I realise this is slightly besides the point, but Spain was split in several kingdoms until the 18th Century. Castille invaded and conquered the Americas, whereas Aragon and Catalonia owned large swathes of modern-day Italy, hence the Italian surname "Catalano" (in reference to Catalan people), and the Borgia family, who were both Valencian and Italian.
ReplyDeleteLatin is NOT a race.
ReplyDeleteRace is an American construct meant to put people in boxes. Its super vague and to call all Italians white is pure ignorance.
DeleteI'm an ethnic Italian living in Italy. I don't understand why the author of this article asserts that Italians ( I'm one of them, remember ) are not white, because Italians are Latins. This is a total nonsense , this is not correct and this is false. Who were Latins ? Latins were an Indoeuropean tribe living in a region called Latium. Rome time after time latinized all the tribes and groups living in the peninsula . For example , Sicilians ( who were almost of Greek heritage , living in Magna Graecia ) , Etruscans living in central Italy or Sardinians living in Sardinia island. They were not Latins, but all became Latinized Romans . So, technically they were all Latinized or Romanized. Actually in Europe Latins are groups of people speaking a Romance language , like Romanians, French, Belgians, Spaniards , Italians of Switzerland , San Marino citizens , Portugueses and finally Italians. This is the common meaning of Latins actually in Europe. On the contrary Latinos is used only in American English language and describes spanish or portuguese speaking persons living in central or south America. Latinos has nothing to do with race or ethnicity. In fact there are Latinos with indigenous heritage , black African heritage , Asian heritage ( former Perù president Alberto Fujimori ) or European heritage ( Italians of Argentina or Germans of Brazil ). Latinos is not a race , it doesn' t mean brown skinned. Let's go back to Italians. Italians are Europeans , Europeans are white Indoeuropeans , so Italians are white. Latins are a subgroup of Europeans , like Anglosaxons or Iberians are. Nothing else. Do You understand? Latins is not opposed to Europeans , because Latins are part of the European family. Only in USA white means Anglo Saxons Protestants. For all the rest of the world white means European or Indoeuropean , like Iranians are. According to the famous genetic survey by genetist Cavalli Sforza , there is 2% of Arab North African in Sicilians. It's very few , it's not enough to say that Sicilians are not Europeans or white. In Spanish Iberian DNA the percentage of Arab North African is about 20%. In the rest of Italy North African DNA is almost non existent and anyway there is no Subsaharian DNA. Italians , that say that Italians are not white , are spreading false informations and are damaging all Italians all around the world.
ReplyDeleteYou missed the Romanians in the Latin-Europeans. And the people in Northern Italy like Lombardia, Valle d'Aosta, Piemonte, etc. are descendants of Germanic peoples, unlike Southern Italians like Neapolitans, Calabrese and Sicilians. Do your homework. Italians are Latin, which is not a race, and some are white and others are not, depending on who are their ancestors.
ReplyDeleteBeing Latino is do to what we call LATIN BLOOD hence Latin_o. Latino Is the SOLE identity of Latin Southern Europeans. Latin europe was Latinized by ROME ITALY hence how Latina italy got the name Latina. & Hispanic is literally the Latin language MEANING SPAIN NOT the NATIVE AMERICANS they Colonized. Latin America got its name SOLELY and ONLY to mean the part of the Americas CONQUERED by LATIN Europe and that is all it will EVER MEAN. Latin ORIGIN, HISTORY& people are NON INTERCHANGEABLE. STOP THE CULTURAL THEFT OF MY PEOPLE& OUR ANCESTRY. BRAINWASHED NORTH AMERICAN CULTURAL APPROPRIATION & CULTURAL RAPE FOR "PROFIT AND GAIN" WILL NEVER BE LATINO. CULTURAL APPROPRIATION EXIST BECAUSE THOSE LIKE YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM THE CULTURAL THEFT TOWARDS US TRUE LATIN PEOPLE AND OUR HISTORICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS!
ReplyDeleteAND US TRUE LATINS ARE & HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MULTI RACIAL ETHNIC PEOPLE DUE TO OUR GENETIC CONTRIBUTORS FROM OUR ASIAN(MIDDLE EASTERN), NORTH AFRICAN AND BALKAN GYPSIE DNA. THERE ARE NO "WHITE" LATINS. JUST MORE ASSIMILATION. "LatinX" is a Form of appropriation, a made up Non existant term that will NEVER be of latin origin and it will NEVER be a term used by CULTURALLY AWOKEN Latin men and women as it is one of the many things is this country that mocks our heritage and that is ALL "LatinX" will EVER mean