On: Salvatore Sanfilippo, the author of Redis: from Si...

[Kurtz79]

As a Sicilian living abroad (which must suffer through a healthy share of Mafia/Mamma jokes regularly) thank YOU for projecting a more positive image of the isle and the country.

[beachstartup → Kurtz79]

i'm a naturalized us citizen. just a piece of advice:

if you're sick of the jokes, you don't have to tell people where you're really from. just make something up, or say something sort-of true and then change the subject.

i got pretty sick and tired of explaining myself and dealing with stupid jokes. nobody needs to know anything about you except your close friends.

[Kurtz79 → beachstartup]

I know you mean well, but seriously, why should I hide where I'm from ?

Although they tend to be annoying in the long run, these kind of jokes usually are done without any malice.

I just think it's sad how stereotypes tend to be the only things that define a particular place, when there is so much more to be found.

[beachstartup → Kurtz79]

LOL dude. hide where you're from? this is America. what makes you think anything you've heard from anyone about where they are from is the truth?

[dennisgorelik → beachstartup]

It is much easier to tell the truth than to convincingly fake where you are from.

[andrea_s → beachstartup]

An Italian accent is not so easy to conceal, though :)

I think I've been lucky myself - in 6 years living abroad I was questioned a lot only at the apex of the whole Berlusconi debacle... And even then I think it was more out of curiosity than jest. Ymmv, I guess, depending on the environment...