A Comedian on Race, Italian Identity and Trans People in America

Nation's divided in a different way than we are in Europe.

In Europe, we're divided by class. Here, you're divided by race.

Race is such a big topic. Everyone's talking about it constantly, every conversation.

As soon as I got here, people were like, "Portugal, what are you?"

"You Hispanic? You Latino?" I don't know.

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."

And this dude goes, "You Black?"

I'm like, "I- "I don't think so." He goes, "You come from the white part or Black part of Mozambique?"

Before I could even answer this question, this other Black comedian heard the conversation and he goes, "Man, look at this guy's lips.

Look at his nose. This motherfucker's Black."

I never thought I'd be informed I'm Black.

Listen, in her defense, she didn't say this motherfucker's Black.

She used a different word. But I don't think I've been in the community long enough.

Because that's the thing I realized, that identity politics is such a big thing here, right?

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."

And he goes- Whoo ... "I don't speak Italian."

And he goes- Whoo ... "I don't speak Italian."

I'm like, "What part of Italy you from?"

"New Jersey." Uh... Whoo! So me and this guy, right, we're talking for about 15 minutes.

15 minutes into the conversation, it feels comfortable, so he leans in and he goes, "I wanna ask you a question.

Over in Europe, what do you guys think about the trans?"

I was like, "I have never thought about that."

He goes, "Let me tell you what I think."

You know these people ask you a question, they don't care what you have to say.

They're just waiting for you to stop talking so they can start talking.

He goes, "What does it say on their birth certificate? Man.

Were they born a woman? No. Were they born with a vagina?

No. So?" And I'm like, "Do you speak Italian?"

"What does it say on your birth certificate?"

He goes, "That's different. My mother's Italian."

And I'm like, "Brother, what I'm about to tell you- ... is gonna blow your fucking mind."

"Every single trans person in the world has a mother who's a woman.

In fact, you're as trans as you are Italian."

Whoo!

To which he replied, "That's fucking racist."

And I'm like, "Bro, how dare you call me racist?

Me, a Black man."