Today's MOZEN: Ehtnicity

F LoBuono

Of course, I am intensely proud of my Sicilian heritage. Just one look at my dark hair and skin is a solid indicator of that lineage. Both sides of my family come from that ancient island. I've even visited my mother's ancestral village, San Salvatore di Fitallia, a magnificent, Baroque town nestled in the mountains high above Taormina. 

Yet, there are those who continue to disparage us for the scourge of Organized Crime that is, regrettably, part of Sicily's history.  However, any person of learning knows the island, the largest in the Mediterranean, has a culture as rich and ancient as just about any other on earth.

So, there is much to be proud of.

Still, I do not see myself as Sicilian or, even SICILIAN/AMERICAN. I am an AMERICAN of Sicilian descent.

There is a subtle but distinct and important difference.

I was born here. And, ENGLISH was the only language regularly spoken in my house. In fact, in an effort to have the entire family assimilate, my grandfather insisted that English be the first, and often, only language spoken. So, I had to re-learn Italian in high school. Of course, we still practiced many of the ancient Sicilian traditions, like elaborate holiday meals, made with the only the freshest ingredients. That kept us connected, at least in some, small way, to the Old Country.

Still, I was AMERICAN in every other way.

I played Little League baseball and high school football. I listened to American music and saw American movies. I wore American clothes like blue jeans and flannel shirts. And, I ate American foods like hot dogs and hamburgers.

We were, in essence, the typical American family who happened to have Sicilian roots.

Therefore, I prefer NOT to called an Italian/American or Sicilian/American. I am an American, first and foremost, who happens to have a particular cultural heritage. And, that goes for any other ethnicity, too. If you were born and raised in this Country, no matter where your ancestors may have hailed from, you are an American first. There are no Chinese/Americans. There are no Irish/Americans. There are no Indian/Americans. We are all just AMERICANS whose families came from elsewhere to BE American.