re: #129 KGxvi

I wonder how much of it is/was xenophobia/racism. By 1960 were Irish and/or Italian Americans (the two then largest populations likely to be Catholic) considered sufficiently white? The Birchers and Klan were also anti-Catholic and their influence has obviously dropped since then too.

I mean, nobody really brings up Pelosi’s religion (also Catholic), nor was much made of Kerry’s religion (also Catholic). Like, how much more of an issue would it be if Julian Castro was the nominee?

No, in my home town Italian catholics were on the edge between black and white, only becoming white in the 1960s. Lots of curly black hair, you know.