ABSTRACT
From 1876 to the early 1980s, approximately 26 million Italians principally from the south and northeast emigrated to industrialized parts of Europe, the United States, and other parts of the globe where they frequently encountered a version of racism. This is poignantly portrayed in the 1974 film, Bread and Chocolate in which Franco Brusati uses humor to tell the painful story of an Italian guest worker who colors his hair blonde in a desperate attempt to be treated with respect as he seeks to build a life in Switzerland. In European spatial imaginaries, Italians have frequently been perceived as of a different shade of whiteness, closer to the Global South. Until recently seen predominantly as transgressors in other parts of Europe, Italian migrants were excluded from the privileges of whiteness associated with the Western and Northern European captains of modernity. However, Northern Italian political and corporate leaders have long sought alliances and cultural identifications with Europe. The Italian public and elites alike were among the most enthusiastic supporters of European integration and have been regarded as the most Europhile in Europe. 1
