Here we come at once upon two
extremes of opinion. One extreme finds little or nothing that is
favorable to the Italians, who are classed all together and judged in
the light of the Mafia, or "black hand," ready for all deeds of
darkness. The other lauds these aliens so highly that an Italian
himself said to the writer, referring to a recent book about his people
in America:[50] "I suppose I ought to be glad to have us all made out to
be saints, but I am afraid there is another side to the story." We shall
hope to find the truth between these extremes. This has to be admitted,
on the start, that in most cases those who have most to do with the
Italians, of whatever class, become warmly interested in them, and
believe both in their ability and in their adaptability to American
life.
[Sidenote: A Gifted Race]
When so keen a writer as Emil Reich, in discussing "The Future of the
Latin Races," in the _Contemporary Review_, says, "there can be little
doubt that the Italians are the most gifted nation in Europe," we see
that it is a mistake to class all Italians as alike and put them under
the ban of contempt as "dagoes." They differ from one another almost as
much as men can differ who are still of the same color, says a recent
writer.
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