The number of Italian immigrants decreased significantly in the late s as the Italian economy experienced a period of growth and recovery, removing one of the primary incentives for emigration. After arriving in Canada, Italian immigrants faced many difficulties and challenges as they learned the language and adjusted to the rhythm of life in their new country. The majority of the Italian immigrants travelled to Canada by ocean liner, landing at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The feelings of unfamiliarity associated with immigration often began during the voyage. She would not even try a piece. Once immigrants landed in Canada and were processed by immigration officials, they boarded trains to take them to their final destinations, arriving at locations with unfamiliar climates and landscapes.
In addition to the culture shock and language barrier, Italian immigrants also endured discrimination. Common prejudices held that Italians were prone to violence and that they introduced fascism and organized crime in Canada, seemingly undermining the moral fabric of Canadian society. Italian immigrants were also accused of taking jobs away from Canadians and living in overcrowded and unhealthy conditions since they often lived in multiple-family homes.
To ease the transition to life in Canada, Italian immigrants found support amongst their fellow Italian-Canadians, leading to the formation of enduring communities and organizations across the country. As more Italians arrived in Canada, the Little Italy districts of urban centres expanded and thrived.
Italian immigrants also organized many voluntary societies and clubs. During the Second World War, many of these organizations were disbanded either due to alleged fascist connections or in an effort to avoid drawing attention to the community.
There are over , people in the Toronto census metropolitan area who identified their ethnic origin as Italian as of the census -- of those, , identified Italian as their mother tongue. Clearly there are quite a lot of people in the Toronto area who actually do speak Italian.
Corso Italia on St. Clair Ave. What's the Italian Canadian accent like? The main wave of immigration from Italy was in the 50ss, and you still see a lot of old Italian people speaking Italian, but it's getting rarer. Originally Posted by Atticman.
There is definitely a vibrant community of Italians there with a distinct sense of being Italian, though Toronto's overall character definitely feels mostly Anglo-Scottish. Originally Posted by botticelli. In , 35, people speak Italian at home, 1. Originally Posted by Mini-apple-less. Originally Posted by Acajack. Toronto definitely feels as you say like a city with a well established Anglo-Scottish character but where a whole bunch of other people from all over the world have come to live.
Commonly, in the traditional family in Italy the roles were clearly defined, mirroring similar patterns around the world. The husband was considered family head and provider; the wife was expected to be a good homemaker and mother. Children were to show obedience and respect towards their parents.
Each member was to act for the betterment of the whole family rather than for his or her individual interest. Many Italian immigrants have attempted to maintain such family patterns, but change was inevitable. Because traditional ways differed markedly from what was expected in the wider Canadian society, the resulting conflict was often at the root of many social problems.
At times the children of immigrants have found that their aspirations for upward mobility and individual expression conflicted with the family's insistence on solidarity and the fulfilment of traditional roles. The second-generation Italian-Canadian family, however, has changed considerably. While usually maintaining an emphasis on family cohesion, respect and loyalty, it has increasingly moved toward a greater equalization of roles between husband and wife.
The family still provides its members with important support, and the extended family relatives to third cousin is frequently reunited at weddings, baptisms and similar events. Often friends are drawn from the extended family and economic favours are exchanged among family members.
Related to this, local loyalties among Italian Canadians from the same village often link extended families into a much larger group paesani connected by personal bonds. This is not to suggest, however, that Italians have wished to live as an ethnic enclave. Prewar Italian-Canadians, by , had a higher rate of intermarriage 45 per cent than most other major ethnic groups and in the postwar period a similar rate was again reached by the mids.
The census recorded , Canadians who reported Italian as their mother tongue first language learned. This number fell to , in the census, and then again to , in the census. The expansion and consolidation of the Italian-Canadian community since the Second World War has been due to a strong degree of commitment on the part of immigrants and their children.
The resulting high level of institutional completeness provides Italian Canadians with the possibility of expressing their ethno-cultural identity through a wide spectrum of activities, ranging from Italian-language television to sports leagues.
Within the private realm, the family and religion have been interrelated pillars of cultural continuity Both maintain greater importance for Italian Canadians than in the general population.
Despite the growing proportion of the Canadian-born and increasing level of cross-cultural union, Italian family and moral values have persisted to a significant degree.
Identification with the Famiglia and cultural group is a major means of providing Italian Canadians with a sense of security in the midst of an impersonal mass society. Interestingly, the census suggests that many children of mixed marriages are likely to identify themselves as Italian Canadians; hence multiple-origin Italian Canadians increased more than threefold between and the mids. Listen to some of their personal stories at the "Passages Canada" website.
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