08-13-2019, 07:27 PM
Apparently a regionalism.
“Anthony Tamburri, dean of the John D Calandra Italian American Institute at Queens College City University of New York, said that he and his colleagues spoke about the incident, and do not find Fredo personally offensive, but recognise the potential malice behind the term.
"The use of the word Fredo as an ethnic slur... is a regionalism," said Mr Tamburri, who is a third-generation Italian American. "It's definitely something more local than it is national."”
‘As bad as...’ to me is a non-issue, particularly with the statement being made in the heat of the moment. It’s not a competition. Add to that the lesson you learn being on the wrong end of slurs, as much as the given word itself, it’s about the user and the venom behind it.
And the inevitable mea culpas.
“Anthony Tamburri, dean of the John D Calandra Italian American Institute at Queens College City University of New York, said that he and his colleagues spoke about the incident, and do not find Fredo personally offensive, but recognise the potential malice behind the term.
"The use of the word Fredo as an ethnic slur... is a regionalism," said Mr Tamburri, who is a third-generation Italian American. "It's definitely something more local than it is national."”
‘As bad as...’ to me is a non-issue, particularly with the statement being made in the heat of the moment. It’s not a competition. Add to that the lesson you learn being on the wrong end of slurs, as much as the given word itself, it’s about the user and the venom behind it.
And the inevitable mea culpas.