# A Comedian on Race, Italian Identity and Trans People in America - Original post: https://www.twitter.com/i/status/2118833335870915035 - Source account: [@JoaoMaia2030](https://x.com/JoaoMaia2030) - Source language: English - Duration: 2:56 - Published: 2026-11-08 - Canonical URL: https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america ## Transcript [0:00](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america) Nation's divided in a different way than we are in Europe. [0:02](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=2) In Europe, we're divided by class. Here, you're divided by race. [0:05](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=5) Race is such a big topic. Everyone's talking about it constantly, every conversation. [0:09](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=9) As soon as I got here, people were like, "Portugal, what are you?" [0:13](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=13) "You Hispanic? You Latino?" I don't know. [0:19](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=19) Just a guy. This dude goes, "Where are your parents born?" And I was like, "Well, my mother was born in, uh, Portugal and my father was born in Mozambique." [0:27](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=27) And this dude goes, "You Black?" [0:34](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=34) I'm like, "I- "I don't think so." He goes, "You come from the white part or Black part of Mozambique?" [0:44](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=44) Before I could even answer this question, this other Black comedian heard the conversation and he goes, "Man, look at this guy's lips. [0:49](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=49) Look at his nose. This motherfucker's Black." [0:55](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=55) I never thought I'd be informed I'm Black. [0:57](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=57) Listen, in her defense, she didn't say this motherfucker's Black. [1:01](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=61) She used a different word. But I don't think I've been in the community long enough. [1:10](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=70) Because that's the thing I realized, that identity politics is such a big thing here, right? [1:14](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=74) People just trying to tell you where they're from. I'm talking to this guy, he goes, "You know, I'm Italian." And I was like, "Oh, you Italia porque mi ex ragaza es de Italia." [1:21](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=81) And he goes- Whoo ... "I don't speak Italian." [1:22](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=82) And he goes- Whoo ... "I don't speak Italian." [1:25](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=85) I'm like, "What part of Italy you from?" [1:27](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=87) "New Jersey." Uh... Whoo! So me and this guy, right, we're talking for about 15 minutes. [1:38](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=98) 15 minutes into the conversation, it feels comfortable, so he leans in and he goes, "I wanna ask you a question. [1:41](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=101) Over in Europe, what do you guys think about the trans?" [1:46](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=106) I was like, "I have never thought about that." [1:49](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=109) He goes, "Let me tell you what I think." [1:52](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=112) You know these people ask you a question, they don't care what you have to say. [1:54](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=114) They're just waiting for you to stop talking so they can start talking. [1:58](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=118) He goes, "What does it say on their birth certificate? Man. [2:01](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=121) Were they born a woman? No. Were they born with a vagina? [2:04](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=124) No. So?" And I'm like, "Do you speak Italian?" [2:12](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=132) "What does it say on your birth certificate?" [2:15](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=135) He goes, "That's different. My mother's Italian." [2:18](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=138) And I'm like, "Brother, what I'm about to tell you- ... is gonna blow your fucking mind." [2:26](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=146) "Every single trans person in the world has a mother who's a woman. [2:29](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=149) In fact, you're as trans as you are Italian." [2:35](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=155) Whoo! [2:40](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=160) To which he replied, "That's fucking racist." [2:46](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=166) And I'm like, "Bro, how dare you call me racist? [2:49](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/Qe9gtG2NqKIs/en/a-comedian-on-race-italian-identity-and-trans-people-in-america?t=169) Me, a Black man."