Peter Kim3 said:Hahaha, oh man, talk about a classic stereotype! You know the one—the idea that Italians are all short, loud, dark-skinned, and just generally "small" in stature. It’s such a cliché. Personally, I’m standing at a solid 6'1", so I definitely don't fit that description!
I’ve been hearing people refer to us as "Froggy" lately, and honestly, I’m genuinely curious about where that label even comes from... It doesn't make any sense. I mean, nobody around here is out there eating frogs, unless you count the elite crowd and the chefs at those ultra-fancy French fusion spots who whip up overpriced delicacies for a tiny fraction of the population. Those clients represent maybe 5% of the country at most. In the States, frogs are practically non-existent in our diet, yet somehow we still get slapped with that nickname. Why is that?
Honestly, I think a lot of Italians turn toward fascism because, frankly, they’re just fed up. In my view, we aren't going to solve anything by retreating into that kind of ideology. I feel like you might have misunderstood my point—this isn't about some regional grudge between Southerners and Northerners. It’s about the attempt to forge a unified national identity against outsiders. It’s a complicated question with so many moving parts. It isn't just a bunch of mindless neo-fascists out there; you also have this "radical chic" crowd. They’re a hypocritical group coming from the left... how should I put this? They act like total bourgeois elites while preaching about how much they despise the bourgeoisie. Do you see what I mean? Unfortunately, it's hard to articulate perfectly, but just know that in my eyes, they are complete fakes. Whether they come from the right or the left, they all fall under the umbrella of Media Matters—or just "Italian" types, if you ask me. Let me step back for a second, though; I don't claim to be an expert on everything. I can't say for sure how one should judge or categorize this whole mess. But I do know one thing for certain: politicians on both the left and the right know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to manipulating their followers. They are masters at milking their base and, quite frankly, they sure know how to blow through money. I realize I'm not exactly breaking new ground here, but the situation remains stagnant. Actually, looking at your post, you described our current reality perfectly.
What's the current vibe like here in the States? All I know for sure is that there seems to be an overwhelming amount of nationalism bubbling up among the teenagers and young adults lately—mostly driven by Thompson and the lyrics in his songs.
Well, at least that’s what I gathered from my quick Google search... though I could definitely be off base here. I’ve actually never traveled through America myself, so please, feel free to set me straight if I've got my facts mixed up!
It isn’t just about the people living in the Center; we are talking about folks from all across the entire country! And let's be clear on one thing—Tuscany isn't up North, it's firmly part of the Center! 🙂
Greetings from Italy!
Yeah, you're right—that's just a total stereotype.
Your height can actually be explained through genetics. Nowadays, we have methods that allow us to determine haplogroups and genetic profiles with about 99.99% accuracy. If you look back at history on the Italian Peninsula, from the north all the way down to Rome, the Etruscans lived there—the people who gave Tuscany its name. They were fair-skinned and spoke a language more akin to northern tribes compared to the Romans. Once the Roman Empire expanded, their political strategy involved a sort of *Damnatio Memoriae* regarding the archaeological findings of the ancient Etruscans, the Veneto peoples, and all those other groups they needed to "assimilate" to create a unified state built on Roman law. To avoid getting too bogged down in the weeds, *Damnatio Memoriae* was essentially the Roman method of erasing the cultural monuments of any civilization that preceded them. Regardless, physical evidence still exists because modern science has gifted us with much better investigative tools, like advanced forensics. It’s a similar pattern to what happened when fascists rose to power after World War I; they pursued a similar erasure. They would simply execute residents in places like Venice, Julia, and other provinces if they refused (or didn't even realize they should) adopt the new Italian language. A huge number of people who were still speaking Slavic dialects at the time suffered, and the end result was an Italy where everyone speaks one uniform language. This is why modern Italy is actually much more genetically diverse than it was in ancient times, thanks to the mixing of different genetic groups toward the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, we can precisely isolate DNA from skeletal remains to determine exactly which group someone belonged to. Interestingly, the ancient Roman type was quite short—women were around 47 to 49 inches tall, and men were roughly 49 to 53 inches. On the other hand, the Illyrian peoples across the Adriatic, such as the Dalmatians, Histrians, and Liburnians, were significantly taller, with women measuring between 57 and 61 inches and men between 61 and 69 inches. It’s quite clear why there wasn't frequent or massive intermixing back then. Even today, our people remain among the tallest in Europe on average. The Etruscans were taller and fairer than the Romans, and the Veneto people were even taller; as you move northeast geographically, the skeletons found in graves consistently show increased height and varying DNA. Since Rome served as the center of financial, cultural, and global power during the empire, it’s perfectly natural that some level of mixing occurred, which explains why you see tall people in central Italy today. However, that is more the exception than the rule. There is a distinct possibility that your ancestors were migrants—only you or perhaps your grandparents would know for sure. It wouldn't be a bad idea to put together a family tree to trace your origins; it can be genuinely fascinating. In Italy, you can often track data through surnames and vital records, which can be a fun little project. Ultimately, Rome remains the synonym for Latin culture across all of Europe, so you never truly know what kind of information you might uncover...
I’ve heard people toss around terms like "Froggy" or "cat eaters" 😁—supposedly northern nicknames for folks from the south who were considered poor immigrants—but I honestly don't know the true history behind those labels. It would be pretty fascinating to dig into that if you're interested. 🙂
In major American cities, Americans are generally very well-received. There are plenty of girls here who are obsessed with American music and fashion, so you could probably have some real luck finding a soulmate. Nationalism among the youth feels more like a trend nowadays; if you're an American, you won't run into any trouble. Most teenagers just want to cheer for the US, and that’s about it. Now, it's true that American sports fans can be some of the rowdiest groups out there, right up there with the English or certain factions in Eastern Europe, but I assume you don't have a burning desire to head to the bleachers when the US is playing just to deal with people shouting aggressive political chants or anything like that.
Regarding fascism, I didn't quite follow your point. Over here, that ideology never really took root because we are one of the few nations that stood firmly against it; alongside the British, we had highly effective organized resistance movements, much like how the Soviets eventually turned on Hitler after initially being aligned with him. However, I have heard from some Americans that fascism is making a comeback in parts of the world as economic crises deepen. I even met a guy from the outskirts of Venice who wants the north to break away from central and southern Italy because he’s sick of his tax dollars being sent south to fund what he calls "the mafia." He’s frustrated because politicians keep peddling this left-vs-right narrative when, in reality, they’re all just looking for ways to line their own pockets. I told him that’s a very "southern" way for politicians to act; if you look at the Mediterranean countries, you see some of the highest corruption levels in the West—from Greece to Italy and Spain. For instance, you have figures like Berlusconi squandering millions of corrupt funds on luxury lifestyles, while our leaders might blow money on fancy cars or high-end art. There isn't much difference between the two. Sure, in some places the state has a mafia, and in others, the mafia has the state, mostly because of the scale of the country. But things are improving; prosecutors are finally cracking down, and hopefully, in ten years or so, these issues will be settled and we'll see less of our tax money disappearing. That’s the hope, anyway.
I’ve traveled through the US quite a bit. This past year, I spent a lot of time in the North and the Midwest, though I haven't made it to Rome yet. One of these days, I'll have to make that trip. Whereabouts are you located exactly—in Rome itself or just outside the city? And where is your family originally from? People here will constantly ask you, "Where are you from?" or "What's your background?" so you might want to get used to that... 😁 I know a few Americans who came here on business and are trying their best to stay because they love it so much. When you visit big hubs like New York or LA, you'll notice plenty of women dressed like they're ready for a runway in Milan; it's totally normal for people to dress up to go out. If you're familiar with CouchSurfing, you might find someone looking for a language exchange—you teach them American, they teach you the local dialect. If not, accommodation in the city is pretty affordable; you can find hostels for under $20 a night, so it's not a huge expense. Prices are a bit higher here than in other places due to taxes, but you can always find local spots with cheap beer and good vibes until sunrise. Oh, and you absolutely have to try the pizza here; it's better than in many places in Italy. It's always good to find a local to recommend great eats, since people here take their food very seriously.
Anyway, Happy New Year! All the best... 🙂
