His name was probably unknown to most people before he went head to head with Tiger Woods in this year’s U.S. Open. Rocco Mediate, this year’s U.S. Open runner-up, could have even dethroned the reigning golf king but, instead of focusing on his athletic prowess, one commentator, NBC Sports golf analyst Johnny Miller, decided to focus on his ethnicity.
Last Sunday during the fourth round of competition, Mediate held a one-stroke lead over Woods. Miller said that Mediate “looks like the guy who cleans Tiger’s swimming pool” and then “guys with the name ‘Rocco’ don’t get on the trophy, do they?”
Today, the
Associated Press reported that Miller apologized for his remarks, saying, “My intention was to convey my affection and admiration for Rocco’s everyman qualities and had absolutely nothing to do with his ethnicity. I chose my words poorly and in the future will be more careful.”
What if the situation were reversed? What if Miller said those things about Tiger Woods? Chances are he would have been sent packing from NBC.
There is obviously a great deal of ignorance surrounding our heritage. We Italian-Americans are constantly stereotyped as Mafiosi criminals or as blue-collar workers. Television shows like the Sopranos do nothing to highlight all of the positive contributions that Italian-Americans have made to society. Instead, the promulgation of the stereotypical view of Italian-Americans has permeated our national consciousness so much so that a sports analyst could get away with making such ignorant comments on nationwide television and be let off the hook with a slap on the wrist after making a halfhearted apology. Miller’s words had “absolutely nothing to do with his ethnicity”? Oh yes they did.
Perhaps Miller should be forced to take a class on positive Italian-American contributions to the history and culture of this nation and then go on nationwide television to report on what he learned. But, I’m not here to talk about Miller. I am here to talk about us, the millions of proud Italian-Americans who are sick and tired of being stereotyped.
When our ancestors came over from Italy, they, too, were treated as unworthy of being in this country. It is a sin that in what is supposed to be the most industrialized nation on earth we are still stereotyping certain ethnicities. What is worse is that nothing is being done about it. Why is it that we tolerate this nonsense? Could it be that we Italian-Americans are too lazy to really unite to fight the stereotypes? Are we so comfortable now with being “American” that we have forgotten that most of our ancestors got here at least 100 years ago? Are there some Italian-Americans out there that are ashamed of their heritage?
Rocco Mediate is an example of an Italian-American contributing positively to American society. As are Nancy Pelosi, Rudy Giuliani, Sylvester Stallone, Giada De Laurentiis, and many, many more. Why do people tend to focus on the Al Capones of the world when it is so clear that Italian-Americans are more than just a stereotype?
It is time for Italian-Americans to unite under the common mantle of our proud heritage and show the rest of the world that we will no longer tolerate these appalling insults.
Oh, and Mr. Miller, guys named Rocco do win competitions. Ever hear of Rocky Marciano (Rocco Francis Marchegiano)? He didn’t make a career out of cleaning swimming pools, either.