09/08/2024
Please read the article at onlineprimo.com
CRITICAL THEORY IS GOOD FOR ITALIAN AMERICANS (SORT OF)
Espousing Our Unique Italian Experience in America Will Help Us Gain Civil Rights
“Basically, you have to convince progressives to protect you.”
By Christopher Binetti, Ph.D.
I recently made a new Italian American friend. Like me, he is a leftist. We disagree on a lot of topics, but we also have a lot in common. He was concerned that one of my recent Op-Eds seemed to lean too much to the right, and I am taking that concern seriously, here. I want to lean left in this article. However, I have a real reason to do so.
One of my biggest critiques of some conservative Italians is that by rejecting critical theory, as a tool, they give up the potential to actually make real political and social change for Italians. The truth is, rightly or wrongly, that if you want civil rights in this country, you have to convince the left to give them to you. The right is not very good at giving anyone civil rights. The center in America does not really exist. Even left liberals, like me, are rare in the public discourse. Basically, you have to convince progressives to protect you.
So, you have to speak the progressive language. Critical theory is part of that language. I am not saying that we should teach critical theory to elementary school kids; but honestly, it is a legitimate tool if properly taught in college and, maybe, to AP kids in high school. What is wrong with today’s teaching of critical theory is that it is often never used to criticize the left, or what I call self-criticism. We need to use critical theory to criticize those who seek power through critical theory. However, the point is not to destroy critical theory, itself; but to use it properly.
In critical theory, power in every possible way is questioned, analyzed, and criticized. Since Italian Americans are marginalized, critical theory is a tool that allows us to ask: Why is this the case. Critical theory also allows us to ask who benefits by our marginalization. Recently, I talked to an editor at The Hill, a massively-powerful national political website. He agreed to take my submission about disability rights; yet, questioned my idea of Catholic marginalization. He dismissed my proposal to write about the marginalization of Italians, entirely. He refused to even consider a draft about the subject. This is how progressives determine who is marginalized - they simply reject claims of marginalization that they do not want to acknowledge without even talking to the victims of that marginalization.
This recent experience convinced me to write about how we, as Italians, need to use the tool of critical theory to “fight” back (metaphorically, only) against progressives’ marginalization of us. How do we know that we are marginalized? Because no one in the mainstream media, (conservatives also), wants to talk about us or our civil rights. We are dismissed without a conversation. That is what political (and social) marginalization is; we are not even considered political subjects!
Why do progressives do this to us? The critical theory answer is that progressives are no different than conservatives. Unlike true liberals, they seek power. Progressivism is, basically, a made-up ideology that gives Anglo-white, mostly Protestant straight men, power over Italians and Catholics; just as their conservative ancestors did. Yet, progressives will claim that their ideology is “pure” of any “hate”, when it is not. “The New York Times,” in 1891, supported the anti-Italian lynch mob. The newspaper now supports the anti-Colombo mob. The Italophobia did not change; only the superficial ideology did.
Anti-Colombo sentiment is not new and has little to do with “colonialism” and Native Americans. This is about the marginalization of Italians and Catholics. By denying us our rightful place, as minorities, we can be targeted without anyone caring. You cannot attack Colombo or Colombus Day if we are minorities. If we have recognition as an ethnic minority separate from “Europeans” or “whites”, we would eventually have to be treated as worthy of civil rights. Currently, we are the lower-class of “whiteness”, due to the Office of Management and Budget, which is controlled by Anglo-white straight progressive men.
Think about this for a minute. How many times have you, and your life experiences as an Italian American, been rebuked by a “woke” Anglo-white (usually Protestant or Irish) man? Do not count women or minorities. The most socially-advantaged people will tell you, a member of a minority, what to do and how to think. They deny you status as a minority while pretending to be “progressive” or “woke”. Ultimately, those Anglo-white men are seeking power. They are simply conservatives in progressive clothing.
I could go on, but you already get the point. Critical theory is a useful and beneficial tool for Italian Americans to demand civil rights from “progressive” Anglo-white men who seek to keep us down. Political theory, in general, is also useful, but I will save that for another article. The next time Italian America object to critical theory, ask them: Do you not want to be free? Critical theory is key to freedom for Italian Americans, since it will allow us to speak to the “progressives” in their own language.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Christopher Binetti is an Italian American political scientist and historian from New Jersey. He is also the president of the Italian American Movement. He is reachable at 732-549-2635 and 732-887-3914 by phone and at [email protected] by email. The opinions expressed by the writer are his own and may or may not be shared by PRIMO’s publisher, editor and staff
