Jews, Gypsies, North Africans, Mexicans

    I remember one of my first weeks in Rome.  I immediately loved the city, with its historical and religious connections.  I was witnessing some of the most revered areas in the world.  I told Laura one day that I preferred smaller cities to Rome, however, because I couldn't understand why anyone would be okay with Rome's dangers.  The gypsies that were always present at popular sites and the threat of having my things stolen were "ruining" my enjoyment of Rome.  I was especially upset at the gypsies outside the Colosseum, who were always so pushy.  They made me nervous, especially because I am typically accepting of people.  Barzini noted that Italians are naturally suspicious, but I am not that way.  However, I took all of Danilo's lectures to heart: for my safety, I would have to suspend compassion and use stereotypes to my advantage.  I began to act like an Italian; I judged others on basis of both their nationality and their appearance.  This stereotyping is negative and affects Jews, Gypsies, North Africans, and Mexicans, among other minority groups around the world. 
    
     When I made that comment to Laura about how bothersome I found the gypsies to be, she explained to me the lives they lead.  She said that most of them come over from North African countries and become gypsies because they have no other opportunities.  They are brought over out of poverty and are kept below decks in overcrowded boats.  Many do not survive the journey over and die of unsanitary conditions or of hunger.  Begging or selling roses or other trinkets are the only ways that they can make a living.  A small irritation of mine was someone else's only way of making money to live.  I began to feel silly at my former ignorance.  I began to feel compassion for these people.  I was upset by what had happened, but I did not choose to perpetuate the problem or endanger myself by giving them money.  I now advocate the need for institutional change.  Programs should be in place to help these people re-enter society.  In the same way, I hope for institutional change for the Mexicans, especially in America. 

   Mexicans in America are facing some of the same stereotypes as North Africans and other gypsies.  In America, the illegal immigrant battle continues.  The new Arizona law enfores a previously-passed-but-never-enforced federal law that allows police officials to demand identification documents from people who have a "thick foreign accent" or who look "out of place" (factcheck.org).  This law can be said to encourage racial profiling, but others argue that the profiling is needed to eliminate the 500,000 illegal immigrants that live in Arizona (a 2008 survey, factcheck.org).  I think that this kind of law is discriminatory and that it does not address what our true objective should be. Our proper objective should be a way to get illegal immigrants on the path of legality and citizenship.  Instead, we continue to stereotype them based on their race.  Just because they are Mexican does not mean we should be able to treat them differently. 

    Similarly, many Jews have been discriminated against in the past. We recall the 1555 Papal Bull that santioned, from the seat of the Church, no less, the sequestering of Jews into ghettos.  Ancient Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, and with it, destroyed the center of Jewish culture and life.  The stories from the Holocaust are the crescendo, only the tip of the iceberg, of the discrimination that Jews have been suffering over the centuries for their nationality and religion.  An especially cruel attack on civilians was the bombing of Jews at Fosse Ardeatine by German Nazis.  These civilians were innocent, and this incident is one of the most atrocious moments of World War II; it was a war filled with discrimination against those not of the "Aryan" race.

    Whether it's Jews, Gypsies, North Africans, or Mexicans, no one has the right to treat a human as less than a human.  Gaudium et Spes constantly affirms the inviolable dignity of each and every human person.  I hope that I can make my life a testimony to this dignity; I want to find a career that helps to raise awareness of the world's injustices.  I want to do something to remedy some part of this broken world.  The presentation on immigrants by Monsignor Giancarlo only reinforced this desire and made it stronger. Considering the increasing numbers of immigrants daily, it is necessary to do something to help.  These changes must not occur in Italy alone, but throughout the world.  Our greatness as a civilization should be measured by the way that we treat our minorities.