Italians Were Pioneers In Canada's Development

One of my pet peeves about Canadian history books - besides its overt progressive narrative - is the constant omission of Italians detailing their place in Canada particularly when it comes to their arrival and internment camps in the 20th century.

As such, this reduces the Italian experience to just any other community group.

In fact, this is a trend not just for them but French-Canadians (the original Canadiens; habitants as it were) as well. When the academic and political classes use the term 'nation of immigrants' you have to be careful with that because it tries - or at least gives the impression - to 'equalize' all communities with the original pioneers that came from Europe. Hence we see 'tricks' of manipulative comments about how everyone 'contributed' as if they were here from the beginning.

It's just not so. There was an original source. That is, the pioneers who laid the tracks.

While the majority came from France and England, Ireland (of which they numbered more than the English at one point. It wasn't until the 20th century the English surpassed the Irish), Scotland and Germany, Italians were among those pioneers. Not in as great numbers but they were present.

Keep in mind, the concept of immigration is, to me anyway, one that finds proper definition and expression within the construct and confines of the nation-state.

Prior to 1867 there was no 'Canada' as a nation-state. In fact, for decades North America was just a land mass first inhabited by First Nations with no clear demarcation border lines. Even the Natives came from 'somewhere else'. Do we call them immigrants? Of course not.

And so it was when Giovanni Caboto landed in 1497. During the Age of Exploration, Italy had not consolidated power into a nation-state remaining a collection of untied city-states and Kingdoms for the most part. As such, you had situations where Italians were behind the scenes players on the international stage because cities like Genoa or Venice were no longer powers during a period of the Great Powers.

Italians were bankers funding exploration and lent their talents and resources - for example, as traders and merchants - in other areas including explorers like the Caboto brothers, Giovanni Verrazzano and Amerigo Vespucci.

While the Pier 21 website notes 1870 as a starting point, the first batch of Italian settlers actually date back to the 17th century. According to the Library Archives of Canada:

"The first Italian to land in Canada was the explorer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) in 1497. However, the first settlement of Italians in Canada did not occur until 1665 when soldiers from areas of what is now present-day Italy were recruited by the French army to be part of their Carignan-Salières Regiment. Italians also served with the British military in Lower Canada in the de Meuron and de Watteville Regiments during the War of 1812. When the regiments were disbanded in 1816, some of soldiers stayed in Canada, settling in Ontario and the Eastern Townships in Quebec."

But like Pier 21, it doesn't acknowledge there was, from what I gather, an earlier settlement dating back to 1840s explained here in more detail.

"Italian Canadians are amongst the earliest Europeans to have visited and settled the country. The steadiest waves of immigration, however, occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries. Italian Canadians have featured prominently in union organization and business associations. As a group, they were singled out as enemy aliens due to Canada's allegiances in the Second World War, and have been stereotyped as mafiosi due to widespread portrayals of organized crime as an Italian phenomenon. 

However, the community as a whole has thrived in Canada, and Italians have played a major role in developing and promoting multiculturalism."

Which, in a perverse way, denies their role in early Canada. Multiculturalism as policy is misguided. 

"...In the early 19th century, a sizable number of Italians, many in the hotel trade, resided in Montréal. Throughout the century, Italian craftsmen, artists, musicians and teachers, primarily from northern Italy, immigrated to Canada. Italian street musicians (hurdy-gurdy men, street singers) were particularly noted by Canadians, and by 1881 almost 2,000 people of Italian origin lived in Canada, particularly in Montréal and Toronto.

In 1897, Mackenzie King, then working as a journalist, described the first street entertainer who lived in Toronto in the 1880s. This early Italian immigrant, King wrote, had worn out five street pianos and earned an average of $15 daily in his first years in the city. Some of the wandering street musicians eventually settled down to teach music or to organize bands and orchestras."

The same King who would later intern Italians. 

I don't know why the history books ignore this fact. Just like interned Italians is often overlooked in history books. We here a lot more about Japanese internment camps (which was in greater numbers and more focused) but thousands of Italians were either interned or placed under a strict curfew during WWII by both the U.S. and Canadian governments.

Maybe they want to keep the narrative  restricted to Protestants and the dominant Northern countries?

Regardless, the reality is Italians were pioneers in North America.

It would be nice to have this officially - or at least substantially - acknowledged in the history books.

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Why mention all this? Aren't we a multi-cultural society and bleed into one anyway? Didn't all cultures contribute to the development of not only Canada but the United States.

Yes.

But some more than others.

There's been a trend in academia I've detected where it tries to 'equalize' all cultures as if they're one and the same.

There is no culture better than another.

Unfortunately, this is wrongheaded and simply not true.

I know it's un-PC to say such things in the current zeitgeist but reality has a funny way of forcing through truth.

Worse, in my opinion, this kind of 'rewriting' of history tells people that somehow their pride in their culture is tied to ensuring history books ignore, for example, the British and French were the original European settlers as well as, as mentioned above, the Irish, Scots, Germans, and though in much smaller numbers Italians.

I leave the Natives aside for the moment since I'm focusing on Europe. However, even First Nations is a victim of this in an indirect manner. By Canadian history books denying the European character of Canada, it inadvertently does the same to First Nations. Ironically, First Nations - though very well protected in the history books - nevertheless is put on par with, say, immigrants who arrived in the 1960s and 1970s. Sri Lankans gave just as much as First Nations for example.

It's a double edge sword, is it not?

It's saying in order for you to feel comfort in your culture that we insist you maintain, you have to ignore or forget who forged and settled the land.

Let me expand. I'm of Italian heritage. 3rd generation. Does it hurt my attachment  or any affinity I may hold for Italy if I acknowledge the original facts of Canada?

Of course not. But I fear that's what some academics are doing.

They're saying 'Look. It's true about the European settlers but how can we foster a post-national society with these inconvenient facts? We need you to keep to your identity and our wise multicultural policy will ensure you remain a hyphenated Canadian. You're all equal in your special way.'

To that I say, 'fuck that'.

It's cultural relativism by other means. The reality is Sri Lankans didn't give as much as, say, Germans. Maybe down the road they will, but they can't alter the past and the past says Germans laid the groundwork as pioneers.

It's not 'white supremacy' talking. Just history. Facts.

That there were racist elements - ie speak white - is true but hardly indicative of the society at large back then and certainly not a reason to erase the past. It's worth noting, politically, as this blog points out repeatedly those racist elements usually came by way of....progressive academics and scientists as the eugenics movement and minimum wage laws clearly show.

There's also the notion that because my family are immigrants, I should automatically accept the 'Canada is a nation of immigrants' position. I hadn't realized I was condemned to holding one thought not permitted to exercise my own opinion in the matter.

In any event, Canada encourages separateness under its flag. The United States, by contrast, opts for the melting pot - at least until recently.

In terms of cohesiveness and the ensuring the values of a nation (the elephant word in the room and not the subject of this post), it has to be the American way.

Concepts like the First and Second Amendments are alien to the vast majority of countries including Canada and Europe believe it or not. We  it on a basic level but we lack a deeper understanding of what those amendments are saying.

This is what sets America apart from any nation in world history.

Bringing it back to Canada.

You may have noticed an interesting contradiction where Quebec is concerned. Quebec protects its identity more aggressively than any other province. However, it too is slowly falling prey to the modern 'one world' idea.

But there's an extra layer we have to peel first.

Quebec nationalists, in an effort to protect itself in its mind, slowly erased the English fact in Quebec. Where they can, they ignore here, rewrite there. Before you know it, where are les Anglais? They do what modern academics do on a national scale to Canada and the USA.

Both are wrong and both will force a day of reckoning.

Quebec is right to ensure its history is not forgotten. It's wrong on how it goes about it. Here, they've decided the biggest threat are the Anglos (including myself) because of the language - and now I'm really going beyond the intended purpose of this post.

In fact, I'll take the opportunity to end the post here lest it drags on.