A vivid memory from my television-saturated youth. (Yes, there was a time when it was considered "not a problem" to toss your trash out the car window.)

Turns out that the actor, Iron Eyes Cody, was the son of two Sicilian immigrants!  Born Espera Oscar de Corti, he later changed his name to Tony Cody when he began his acting career.  From Wikipedia:

From his time in Hollywood, Tony Cody claimed Cherokee ancestry. He lived his life as if he were of indigenous American Indian descent, both on and off the screen, and strongly supported American Indian causes.

If only Terry Gross had been around to probe Mr. Cody's rationalizations...