The ANNOTICO Report
This dovetails with Dr. Piccigallo's letter to the Editor of Newsweek
contained in my
previous Report.
The facts stated come as no suprise to any of you.
But it IS encouraging to see the quality/quantity of the "Activist"
activities of OSIA.
OSIA are going head to head with NIAF, and are setting "standard"
for UNICO.
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POLITICAL PROFILING OF ITALIAN AMERICANS,
AN ALARMING TREND
Reports Sons of Italy
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2002 - The media's fascination with "The Sopranos"
and
other mob shows has invaded the political arena to the detriment of
Italian
Americans in government, reports the Order Sons of Italy in America
(OSIA),
the oldest and largest national organization in the country for men
and
women of Italian heritage.
OSIA cites an alarming trend in recent news stories that likens Italian
American political figures to the fictitious Mafia characters and situations
in such mob hits as "The Sopranos" and "The Godfather."
"This political profiling corrupts the democratic process as well as
the
rules of fair play," says OSIA Executive Director Philip R. Piccigallo.
In just the past six weeks, OSIA has found examples of the stereotyping
of
Italian American politicians in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today,
Newsweek
Magazine, and the New York Sun. Targeted were former New York
gubernatorial
candidate Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli of New Jersey,
whose withdrawals from their respective races were chalked up to being
made
"offers they couldn't refuse."
In its Oct. 14 issue, Newsweek offered up a two-page spread, "Tony and
'The
Torch'" by Jonathan Alter, that reads more like a "Sopranos" script
than a
news article thanks to its liberal use of mob-speak (Torricelli "seemed
likely to get whacked in November … because when you 'rat out' New
Jersey,
the voters treat you like Big Pussy."). The article draws analogies
between
Torricelli's current political situation and the HBO series' main characters
and plots.
In Maine, U.S. Congressman and gubernatorial candidate John Baldacci
discovered a political opponent is airing a TV commercial that attacks
Baldacci by using phrases from "The Sopranos" spoken with a "mob" accent.
[See www.cartergov.com, "About Us," "Multimedia," "Commercials" for
an
on-line viewing.]
"It is what we have been saying all along," says Piccigallo. "It isn't
'just
a movie' or 'only a TV show.' The line between fiction and fact
has become
dangerously blurred to the detriment of Italian Americans in public
life.
These events present irrefutable evidence of the very real damage
stereotyping does to Italian Americans. Instead of telling Italian
Americans
to 'lighten up,' the press's reporting should clean up."
Established in 1905, OSIA has more than 575,000 members and supporters
and a
network of 700 chapters coast to coast. OSIA works at the community,
national and international levels to promote the heritage and culture
of an
estimated 26 million Italian Americans, the nation's fifth largest
ethnic
group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact: Diane Crespy
202.547.8115
dcrespy@osia.org
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