Founded by Stefano Vaccara

Subscribe for only $6/Year
  • Login
  • Register

Editor in Chief: Giampaolo Pioli

VNY La Voce di New York

The First Italian English Digital Daily in the US

English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro

  • English Edition
  • Letters
  • New York
  • U.N.
  • News
  • People
  • Entertainment
  • Arts
  • Lifestyles
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Italian Edition
No Result
View All Result
VNY
  • English Edition
  • Letters
  • New York
  • U.N.
  • News
  • People
  • Entertainment
  • Arts
  • Lifestyles
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Italian Edition
No Result
View All Result
VNY La Voce di New York
No Result
View All Result
in
News
October 17, 2019
in
News
October 17, 2019
0

He Didn’t Do Anything Wrong! Cuomo, Linguistic Sensitivity and the N-word

Trying to historicize a word and its application to discrimination against Italian Americans, Andrew Cuomo ends up offending everyone

Pasquale PalumbobyPasquale Palumbo
He Didn’t Do Anything Wrong! Cuomo, Linguistic Sensitivity and the N-word

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo (Photo Shynia Suzuki)

Time: 4 mins read

It seems as if the Cuomo brothers just cannot escape controversy when it comes to Italian American racial slurs, either real or imagined.  Recently Chris Cuomo, CNN personality and the NY Governor’s brother, got into an altercation with a man he did not know who called him “Fredo”, a not-so-subtle reference to the Corleone brothers of the famed Mafia saga, The Godfather. On that occasion, I wrote about Chris Cuomo’s false equivalencies in claiming this reference as a racist slur.

Now big brother Andrew, the Governor, has gotten himself into a little bit of hot water by repeating the claims of a recent NY Times piece describing the racialized past of the Italian American experience.  On an Albany radio show, Cuomo stated, somewhat sheepishly and apologetically:

“They used an expression that southern Italians were called, I believe they were saying southern Italians, Sicilians — I’m half Sicilian — were called, quote-unquote and pardon my language, but I’m just quoting the Times: ‘nigger wops.’ N-word wops, as a derogatory comment.”

The use of this word, even when made in quotes and with great apologies, begs the question: is a word always toxic or is it only toxic based on its context? It is not an exaggeration to suggest that one of the linguistic tyrannies prevailing today in this age of political correctness, tolerance and multiculturalism, is the use and abuse of the N-word.  The word has penetrated every aspect of public discourse and has taken a prominent place in American popular culture.

The old barroom joke goes: “How does every black joke start?” The punchline is non-verbal: the joke teller glances uncomfortably over each shoulder, indicating that any disparaging comments about African Americans could be detrimental to his health.  Why the apprehension?  Because, as in all jokes, there is a grain of truth.  It does not take a tremendous effort to go from simple ethnic or racial humor to the use of perhaps the most egregious and offensive word in the American lexicon.

While this word is problematic on a number of sociological levels, it is complicated by the fact that it is ever present, made ubiquitous by its constant use by Hip-Hop artists, and its common appearance in film and on cable television.  It is so prevalent in American culture that many argue that the word has lost its power. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the reality is that the word can still be considered one of the few nuclear bombs of discourse, turning any conversation into an extremely volatile and potentially violent one.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “nigger” is derived from the classical Latin word niger, which simply means “black.”  Its earliest appearance comes in the late 16th century, when the word had a neutral meaning: “a dark-skinned person of sub-Saharan African origin or descent.”  The word has been variously used over the centuries by both whites and blacks in a variety of manners: “used by whites or other non-blacks as a relatively neutral term, with no specifically hostile intent; used by whites or other non-blacks as a hostile term of abuse or contempt; used by blacks as a neutral or favorable term; used by blacks as a deprecatory term,”  these all according to the OED.

By the time the early 19th  century had passed, it was clear that both whites and blacks had come to use the term in a derogatory fashion, although the late 20th century and early 21st century have given us the term “nigga,” which is an alleged re-appropriation of the word by certain segments of the African-American community, which is meant to eliminate the power of the word—much like the LGBTQ community has reclaimed the word “queer.”

Let me be clear—I believe deeply that words are simply words; they only have the power with which we imbue them.  As such, we have the ability to control language. However, there still are some words that should never be uttered in public, even in a legitimate discourse– simply because we have lost our sense of objectivity as a society.  It is far easier to express outrage than it is to examine the use of a word contextually. As a result, an innocent—or unwitting—repetition of a loaded word is taken by many as a horrible moment (“OMG Cuomo’s a racist!”) and by others as a means of attacking another’s character or lack thereof (“OMG look, Cuomo said a racist thing; imagine if Trump did!”).

What makes this whole thing wonderfully ironic is that Cuomo was trying to show that Italian Americans have faced terrible discrimination, especially in light of the snub to Mother Cabrini in the “She Built NYC” statue imbroglio. This latest kerfuffle that involves the Cuomo brothers, though, is sort of a “no good deed goes unpunished” scenario, as the very injustices, both past and present, that Cuomo was trying to rectify wind up giving him more grief than was ever intended.  From an academic perspective, Cuomo didn’t do anything wrong; from an emotional and cultural perspective, he (like me in this article) committed the ultimate sin.  I’ll wait to see what our penance is.

 

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Pasquale Palumbo

Pasquale Palumbo

Pasquale Palumbo grew up in the Italian neighborhood of Corona in Queens. As a First Generation Italian American, he has love for both where his family is from and where he lives. His interests include, pop culture, sports, and literature. He likes to remind people that he has been Italian American his whole life.

DELLO STESSO AUTORE

“Save it for Coney Island!” San Gennaro Feast Cancels Eating Contests

“Save it for Coney Island!” San Gennaro Feast Cancels Eating Contests

byPasquale Palumbo
Pummarola!: Or, How Many Italian Americans Close Out the Late Summer

Pummarola!: Or, How Many Italian Americans Close Out the Late Summer

byPasquale Palumbo

A PROPOSITO DI...

Tags: Andrew CuomoItalian AmericansLanguage usageN-WordNew Yorkracism
Previous Post

Trump a Mattarella: i rapporti Usa-Italia mai stati così buoni. Ma poi sui dazi…

Next Post

Sergio Mattarella da Nancy Pelosi al Congresso, saggio potere dell’America

Discussion about this post

DELLO STESSO AUTORE

Kansas City Chiefs contro Philadelphia Eagles: sarà un Super Bowl storico

Bittersweet Musings and Curiosities from a Super Bowl Freak

byPasquale Palumbo
“Ronzoni Sono Buoni!” But Discontinuing “Pastina” Is not Just About Pasta

“Ronzoni Sono Buoni!” But Discontinuing “Pastina” Is not Just About Pasta

byPasquale Palumbo

Latest News

La Columbia University ha una nuova insegnante: Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton punzecchia Putin: “Espansione della NATO è colpa sua”

byPaolo Cordova
Messina Denaro rifiuta i funerali religiosi e si scaglia contro la Chiesa

Messina Denaro rifiuta i funerali religiosi e si scaglia contro la Chiesa

byValter Vecellio

New York

Il sindaco di New York Eric Adams giura come massone

Il sindaco di New York Eric Adams giura come massone

byMarco Giustiniani
Police Charge Third Suspect in Overdose of 1-Year-Old in Bronx Day Care

Police Charge Third Suspect in Overdose of 1-Year-Old in Bronx Day Care

byLa Voce di New York

Italiany

Mamma Mia! There’s a Microchip in My Parmigiano!

Mamma Mia! There’s a Microchip in My Parmigiano!

bySunny Day
La cucina italiana inizia il suo percorso verso l’UNESCO: obiettivo 2025

La cucina italiana inizia il suo percorso verso l’UNESCO: obiettivo 2025

byAugusto Laspina
Next Post
Sergio Mattarella da Nancy Pelosi al Congresso, saggio potere dell’America

Sergio Mattarella da Nancy Pelosi al Congresso, saggio potere dell'America

La Voce di New York

Editor in Chief:  Giampaolo Pioli   |   English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro   |   Founded by Stefano Vaccara

Editor in Chief:  Giampaolo Pioli
—
English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro
—
Founded by Stefano Vaccara

  • New York
    • Eventi
  • Onu
  • News
    • Primo Piano
    • Politica
    • Voto Estero
    • Economia
    • First Amendment
  • People
    • Nuovo Mondo
  • Arts
    • Arte e Design
    • Spettacolo
    • Musica
    • Libri
    • Lingua Italiana
  • Lifestyles
    • Fashion
    • Scienza e Salute
    • Sport
    • Religioni
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
    • Italia
  • Mediterraneo
  • English
  • Search/Archive
  • About us
    • Editorial Staff
    • President
    • Administration
    • Advertising

VNY Media La Voce di New York © 2016 / 2023 — La testata fruisce dei contributi diretti editoria d.lgs. 70/2017
Main Office: 230 Park Avenue, 21floor, New York, NY 10169 | Editorial Office/Redazione: UN Secretariat Building, International Press Corps S-301, New York, NY 10017

VNY Media La Voce di New York © 2016 / 2023
La testata fruisce dei contributi diretti editoria d.lgs. 70/2017

Main Office: 230 Park Avenue, 21floor, New York, NY 10169 | Editorial Office/Redazione: UN Secretariat Building, International Press Corps S-301, New York, NY 10017

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • New York
  • Onu
  • News
    • Elezioni 2022
    • Primo Piano
    • Politica
    • Economia
    • First Amendment
  • Arts
    • Speciale Venezia
    • Arte e Design
    • Spettacolo
    • Musica
    • Libri
  • Lifestyles
    • Fashion
    • Scienza e Salute
    • Sport
    • Religioni
  • Food & Wine
    • Cucina Italiana
  • Travel
    • Italia
  • English
    • Arts
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Food & Wine
    • Letters
    • Lifestyles
    • Mediterranean
    • New York
    • News
  • Subscribe for only $6/Year

© 2016/2022 VNY Media La Voce di New York

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In
By clicking on "Create my account" or by registering, you accept the Term of Service and the Privacy Policy.

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
La Voce di New York
Gestisci Consenso Cookie
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Funzionale Always active
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono strettamente necessari al fine legittimo di consentire l'uso di un servizio specifico esplicitamente richiesto dall'abbonato o dall'utente, o al solo scopo di effettuare la trasmissione di una comunicazione su una rete di comunicazione elettronica.
Preferenze
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per lo scopo legittimo di memorizzare le preferenze che non sono richieste dall'abbonato o dall'utente.
Statistiche
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso che viene utilizzato esclusivamente per scopi statistici. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per creare profili di utenti per inviare pubblicità, o per tracciare l'utente su un sito web o su diversi siti web per scopi di marketing simili.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Visualizza preferenze
{title} {title} {title}
La Voce di New York
Gestisci Consenso Cookie
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Funzionale Always active
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono strettamente necessari al fine legittimo di consentire l'uso di un servizio specifico esplicitamente richiesto dall'abbonato o dall'utente, o al solo scopo di effettuare la trasmissione di una comunicazione su una rete di comunicazione elettronica.
Preferenze
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per lo scopo legittimo di memorizzare le preferenze che non sono richieste dall'abbonato o dall'utente.
Statistiche
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso che viene utilizzato esclusivamente per scopi statistici. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per creare profili di utenti per inviare pubblicità, o per tracciare l'utente su un sito web o su diversi siti web per scopi di marketing simili.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Visualizza preferenze
{title} {title} {title}
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?