@
Bags re: the bit about Italians, the point to me was that while early immigrants (Jews, Irish, Italians) were discriminated against, they were eventually able to assimilate into this amorphous idea of whiteness, whereas black people are defined strictly as being not white and as such can never assimilate. didn't think that took away from his perspective so much as added texture to it, especially since you know you're Italian whereas black Americans have no idea where in Africa their roots are. which, hey, who gives a shit in one sense, but in another sense, that uncertainty (that people of European/Asian descent don't have) created what we now think of as black culture, which is regularly exploited, dismissed, or discredited - hence the sensitivity of some people to Elvis/white rappers/white dudes with dreads etc. Not defending that sensitivity - I used to have dreads lol - but it provides a context to understand it better imo.