I have been immersed in the antidefamation movement for nearly two decades 
now.

In those years, I have seen many other ethnic groups make progress in their 
efforts to protect their good names, while the Italian-American community has 
steadily lost ground. Even the tiny Arabic community has been able to win 
concessions from mighty Disney, while we have been relentlessly pummeled with 
portrayals of ourselves as members of organized crime.

There is no question that the Italian-American activist has a much tougher 
row to hoe. After all, many Americans — Italian Americans included — can’t 
seem to get enough of the Mafia myth that the entertainment industry and news 
media dish out. With its intoxicating blend of larceny, hyperbole and Italian 
family values, this fictional world has an almost narcotic appeal. 

As a result, the Italian-American activist needs to work much smarter and 
harder if it has any hope of approaching the level of success that other 
ethnic groups have achieved.

So what’s an activist to do? I’m glad you asked. I’ve been thinking about 
this for a long time and I’ve come up with a whole constellation of 
suggestions that I’d like to explore over the next couple of months. 

This month, I’d like to share what I consider to be the bedrock of effective 
activism. It is a set of rules that are rooted in the assumption that 
antidefamation is not a battle to be won, but a negotiation to be hammered 
out. Here, then, are my rules:

ACT IN UNISON
When a problem arises, we have to stop swarming all over it from a dozen 
different directions. We need to get together, pool our resources and 
talents, draw up a battleplan, assign a negotiating team, and empower the 
team to speak for the group.

SHOW STRENGTH
There are more than 150 Italian-American organizations on the local level 
alone, if you include the chapters of larger organizations. These groups 
represent tens of thousands of households across the Chicago area. A petition 
endorsed by the leaders of these organizations, plus a tally of the total 
number of households that they represent, would go a long way toward 
establishing the credibility of the negotiating team.

BE PREPARED
Good negotiators don’t wing it. They thoroughly research the individuals and 
issues involved, crafting arguments that present irrefutable evidence and 
overcome every conceivable objection. They also test those arguments in mock 
sessions designed to rout out the strengths and weaknesses of their 
arguments, and those of their counterparts. (I prefer the term 
“counterpart,” to “opponent” or “adversary”: It’s less confrontational.)

BUILD CONSENSUS
Our goal should not be to bludgeon our counterpart into submission, but to 
win allies, or at least awaken sympathy. Every effort should be made to 
understand where our counterpart is coming from, and to make them aware of 
where we are coming from. Common ground can often be found in the dialogue 
that ensues.

ASSUME NO MALICE
Most folks come by their misconceptions innocently enough. It’s unfair to 
revile non-Italian Americans for their biases, since so many Italian 
Americans have participated so enthusiastically in the creation of those 
biases. And it’s counterproductive to revile Italian Americans for their 
biases, because the resulting brawl will lead to a community at war with 
itself. Our best bet is to assume innocent ignorance on the part of those we 
disagree with, and to set about the arduous task of bringing them from the 
darkness into the light.

TAKE THE HIGH ROAD
We need to approach each problem with poise as well as passion. We mustn’t 
let our anger get the better of us, and we must never descend into yelling, 
swearing or verbal abuse. We need to stick to the issues, and avoid 
accusations and character assassination. Remember, we are seeking converts, 
not a pound of flesh.

EXPECT DEFENSIVENESS
Few people respond graciously when caught with their pants down, however 
innocent their intent. While we need to have zero tolerance for incivility on 
our own part, we must have infinite patience with the incivility of our 
counterparts. We need to remain calm, forgive all personal affronts, and 
modulate our approach to diffuse tensions and encourage civil discourse.

KEEP THE DOOR OPEN
We can’t expect to win a conversion of the spirit our first time out. Biases 
are illogical and deeply rooted, and can take an enormous amount of effort to 
undo. Our first encounter should be dedicated to expressing our point of view 
and learning our counterpart’s point of view, while keeping an ear open for 
barriers that might stand in the way of consensus. We need to make mental 
notes of these barriers, work with fellow activists to formulate strategies 
for dismantling them, and set up another appointment. 

AVOID THREATS
If we threaten to boycott or picket as a negotiating tool, we run the risk of 
being rejected out of hand. (Nobody likes to negotiate with terrorists.) If 
our counterpart does, in fact, cave in to our demands, they will have done so 
out of fear, not out of understanding or respect, and we will have lost the 
opportunity to win them over to our point of view.

WALK THE WALK
If all other avenues of negotiation have been exhausted and retaliation is in 
order, we must be ready to deliver on our promise. Nothing undercuts 
credibility like an economic boycott or a protest rally that doesn’t 
materialize.

BE PROACTIVE
Since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, we should hold regular 
meetings to sensitize the news media and entertainment industry to our 
concerns and issues BEFORE any offense is given.

DRAW UP A MASTER PLAN
Activists on both the local and national level need to step back from the 
fray long enough to draw up a set of policies and procedures that maximize 
the chances of success and govern the actions of everyone involved. Admirable 
work is already being done by a task force of organizations on the national 
level and a coalition of activists organized by the Italian consul general on 
the local level. But both initiatives are still enmeshed in addressing 
specific problems. Though some might consider the idea blasphemous, I would 
like to suggest that a one-year moratorium be declared on all activism while 
the community sets its own lands in order. The problems will still be there 
when we emerge, but we will be in a much better position to deal with them 
effectively.