A member of the Chicago City Council is facing calls for her censure, or even resignation, after she posted a Twitter poll about Italian culture that some groups viewed as harmful or even racist.
Ald. Rosanna Rodríguez Sánchez , who represents Chicago’s 38th ward, posted the poll on Twitter two weeks ago, asking what the “best way to honor Italian-American heritage” was.
She included designs of monuments to espresso machines and Italian ice, and this caught the attention of local leaders of Italian-American heritage groups, including Ron Onesti, the chairman of the Joint Italian-American Civic Committee.
“(The tweet) was tasteless, classless, harmful and racist, no doubt about it,” he said. “We can’t believe a leader of our City Council, doesn’t matter what party or what platform she’s from, we can’t believe she would perpetuate this.”
Rodríguez Sánchez did not return calls and emails from NBC Chicago for an on-the-record statement, but defended the poll on social media, insisting that it was designed to be “light-hearted and playful.”
She also noted that responses she received to the poll were out of line and over the top.
Meanwhile, there are growing calls in the City Council to potentially address the issue, including from Ald. Nick Sposato.
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“I think resign is a bit too strong,” he said. “I think she should be censured, and I think her committee chairmanship should be taken away from her.”
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