Abstract

Ebonics—Italian Style Usually, one has to read a book in order to evaluate it. Harney's book on “Italian” immigrants has the dubious distinction of capturing much of what is wrong with it on its cover. The very title prefigures its basic problem. Eh, Paesan! presumably refers to a particular greeting these immigrants employ in addressing each other. But there is no standard term “paesan.” The proper Italian word is “paesano,” which in its many dialectal renditions becomes “paisah,” “paisan” or variations thereof. The same goes for the antecedent “Eh!” which in most Southern Italian dialects is actually “uí,” “ué,” “eeeeh,”…