Though I found fault with actor Stanley Tucci’s recent CNN series on Italy – largely his irrelevant injection of politics into a food-based show – he is one of the few Italian American actors to publicly challenge anti-Italian movie stereotypes.

One of his quotes has always stuck with me (though its source temporarily eludes me): “Hollywood’s idea of an Italian is a guy from Brooklyn named Vinny with a gold chain around his neck.”   ‘Tis a crude, and accurate, summary of a crude image. And Italian American women are viewed likewise: Think of Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei) in My Cousin Vinny.

In our nation’s sudden embrace of “diversity,” it is amazing and/or depressing how this political correctness is not applied to Italians. But, I found a new example to combat such blatant stereotypes in a very surprising field: politics.

Those of us who know our history know that the Founding Fathers not only read classical Roman writers but incorporated a slew of Roman/Italian concepts into the American Republic (res publica, “the public thing”, in Latin) – everything from the Rule of Law and the Senate with tri-part government to Latin mottos and even the very look of our public buildings (e.g., the U.S. Capital).

But, one only has to take a brief look at a U.S. map, and to some of our elected officials, to expose Hollywood bias.

Let’s start at the right-hand top of the map with New York, the Empire state. Its governor? Andrew Cuomo, a progressive Democrat. Moving down to the middle, specifically the south, look at tiny little West Virginia. Its current senator and former governor? Joe Manchin (Mancini), a moderate Democrat. Moving down to the bottom right-hand of map, there’s Florida, the sunshine state. Its current governor? Ron DeSantis, a conservative Republican.

More examples? In the Midwest, there was (until recently, due to term limits), Capri Cafaro, a moderate/progressive Democrat in Ohio. In the western states, there is Senator Richard Barrasso of Wyoming, a conservative Republican.

In the Pacific Northwest, there is Rep. Pete DeFazio of Oregon, a moderate Democrat currently heading the congressional aviation committee (holding Boeing’s feet to the fire via their recent plane disasters). And, of course, in California (though born in Maryland), there is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, second-in-line to the presidency.

If you look at local cities, suburbs, and rural areas, you will see the same diversity among Italian surnamed Americans serving as mayors, state reps, police chiefs, etc. And they all look, dress and talk differently than “Vinny or Mona Lisa.”

True, a majority of Italian Americans initially congregated on the East Coast over 100 years ago via mass migration. But, check out this historical fact, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Felice Pedroni (April 16, 1858 – July 22, 1910), known best to Americans by his Hispanicized alias Felix Pedro, was an Italian immigrant whose discovery of gold in Interior Alaska marked the beginning of the 1902 Fairbanks Gold Rush. [There is even a plaque near Fairbanks honoring Signor Pedroni’s amazing achievement.]

So, lesson learned (we hope): The Italian American experience extends way beyond the Hudson River.   Yo, Vinny! -BDC