In the 1880s, when Southern Italian immigrants turned up at Ellis Island, they were not considered “white”. During that time, in the US and in Australia, many Southern Italian immigrants were indentured into slavery. In the 1960s and 70s, to distinguish Southern Italian immigrants from Northern Italians, in Australia they were called “black Italians”. In the UK, despite being a minority ethnic group, Southern Italian immigrants and their families are not included in ethnic minority lists, and we are not considered to experience prejudice.
In the US, the history of racism, including the lynching of Southern Italian immigrants who were not considered “white” in states such as New Orleans, is part of the historical record. But, in the UK, the history of racism towards Southern Italian immigrants remains a hidden history.