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Guido (English pronunciation: /ˈɡwiːdoʊ/) is a slang term for a lower-class or working-class urban Italian-American. The guido stereotype is multi-faceted. Originally, it was used as a demeaning term for Italian-Americans in general. More recently, it has come to refer to Italians who conduct themselves as thugs with an overtly macho attitude. The time period in which it obtained the latter meaning is not clear, but some sources date it to the 1970s or 1980s.

Etymology

The word "guido" is derived from either the Italian proper name "Guido" or the Italian verb "guidare" (to drive). At least one researcher has theorized that it may have developed as an insult among Italian-Americans applied to new immigrants.

Modern usage and the Italo-American reaction

The term is used in metropolitan areas associated with large Italian-American populations (such as Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, The Bronx, Long Island, Connecticut, South Philadelphia, Little Italy in Baltimore, the North End in Boston, Federal Hill in Providence, Johnston, Rhode Island, and New Jersey).[6] In other areas, terms such as "Mario" (Chicago) and "Gino" (East Haven, Connecticut, Toronto, Montreal) have a meaning similar to guido. Although some Italians self-identify as "guidos", the term is often considered derogatory or an ethnic slur.

The term caused controversy in 2009 when MTV used the term in promotions for the reality television show Jersey Shore, which stars a predominantly Italian-American cast. This spurred objections from Italian-American organizations such as Unico National, NIAF, the Order Sons of Italy in America,[8][9] and the internet watchdog organization ItalianAware. Although MTV removed the term from some promotions, it remains closely associated with the show, and some of the cast members use it regularly to describe themselves while the females sometimes refer to themselves as a "guidette."

Style

Clothing associated with the stereotype includes gold chains (often herringbones chains, Figaro chains, cornicellos, or saint medallions), pinky rings, clothing such as plain T-shirts, muscle shirts or "guinea Ts" (derived from the term "guinea", an ethnic slur for Italians), leather jackets, sweat or tracksuits, scally caps, unbuttoned dress shirts, bowling shirts, and dress suits. Slicked-back hair, also known as pompadours, blowouts, fauxhawks, tapers, and heavily gelled hair are common stereotypes.

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Dall'Huffington Post un interessante articolo sul workaholism negli Stati Uniti che penso si possa applicare in parte anche al Giappone.

Workaholism in America: A European's Perspective

"Coming from Serbia -- a country of six million in Eastern Europe that once belonged to a larger, war-torn entity called socialist Yugoslavia -- I wasn't fully aware of the notion of "career anxiety" when I came to Washington D.C. for my MA degree. Until one evening, that is, at the very onset of the school year. A colleague of mine who was just turning 27 raised his glass and voiced his fear: "Twenty-seven: no serious job and no stable career track."I was 23 at the time and could not comprehend why anyone would be obliged to have a "career track," let alone a stable one, especially at (what I saw as) the tender age of 27. In fact, I had never entertained the concept the way my American friends were referring to it.
While many Americans move out of their homes when they're 19 to hit college, the East- European model is quite different. Countries are smaller, and if there's any migration it is directed typically towards the capital, so young people continue to live with their families through college. Because of high unemployment rates and poor standard of living, they aren't expected to become financially independent, and many depend on their parents well into their late twenties or even early thirties -- without a sense of shame that such state of affairs entails in the US. These factors reduce the relevance of what Americans often describe as "the treadmill feel" -- an almost compulsive desire for continuous promotions, financial gains, followed by a rise in social status, and an increasing social anxiety."

Continua su Huffington Post.

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