Talking “around” race in Italy: Morning and Maneri’s An Ugly Word

ABSTRACT

This contribution joins the debate around the publication of An Ugly Word by Morning and Maneri (2022) An Ugly Word is an important book that pragmatically supports positions that have been debated for years. In this piece, I highlight the significance of investigating race through the category of descent-based group differences from an Italian and European perspective, where the taboo on the word “race” is as pervasive as the category is operative in social reality. Analyzing the research strategies adopted by the authors, I emphasize the importance of careful comparison and translation between two contexts that exhibit both continuity and discontinuity in how race is conceptualized. The book provides insights for reconsidering antidiscrimination policies in Italy and Europe. In this sense, the text by Morning and Maneri not only brings clarity to the academic debate but also serves to initiate and substantiate the increasingly urgent discussion between academia and policymakers.

KEYWORDS:

• Descent-based differences
• race/racism
• Italy/Italiannes
• equality data
• new racism
• old racism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 In 2021, I have been involved in two projects promoted by the Italian region Veneto (RADAR) and coordinated by Prof. Annalisa Frisina (University of Padua) on racism and antiracism in high school. From 2020 to 2022 I have also been involved in several on and offline workshops throughout the country with high school students, promoted by European Projects, NGO’s and associations such as CRIC and Razzismo Brutta Storia.

2 Source: OPEN; Url: https://www.open.online/2023/08/19/roberto-vannacci-libro-paola-egonu-italianita/; last visited 8/22/23.

3 Source: Istituto Euroarabo; Url: https://www.istitutoeuroarabo.it/DM/ossimori-immaginari/; last visited 8/22/23

4 See ENAR; Url: https://www.enar-eu.org/about/equality-data/; and: https://www.enar-eu.org/external-resources-equality-data/; last visited 8/22/23.

5 This paragraph is based on a zoom interview I had on January 4, 2021, with Dr. Cinzia Conti, researcher at ISTAT and head of the Immigrati.Stat division. I was interviewing Dr. Conti on behalf of ENAR, for the institution’s 2016–2021 Shadow Report.

6 In 2008, following a heated national and European debate, the European Parliament resolution (7/10/2008) urged “the Italian authorities to refrain from collecting fingerprints from Roma”. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:52008IP0361; last visited 8/22/23.