Italian as a Heritage Language
editHistory
editThe history of Italian migrants to Canada accounts for the large generational population of Italians in Canada today. Immigration levels peaked during the period of World War II with many immigrants migrating from Asia [1]. World War II had been a brutal disruption in human history. Not only was blood shed, but millions faced expulsions. Along with the expulsions, many fled from perscutions in hopes of a better place to live. In particular, the Italians had been restricted on both national and ethnic grounds[2]. As a result, Canada became an important destination for Italian migrants[2]. Italian immigration to Canada had continued until 1970's[2]. Italians have faced a long history of immigration to Canada and after their arrival, faced difficulties in settling. However, today Italian Canadians make up a large fraction of the population in Canada.
Status
editItalian immigrants came to Canada in large quantities and hold a prominent status in Canada today. Hence, among the many heritage languages that make up Canada, Italian is one of the most widely spoken. According to the author Frances Giampapa, Italian-Canadians living in Toronto often hesitate or are reluctant to identity themselves as Italian-Canadian because the social construction of ethnic identity that shapes the way the Italian-Canadian community chooses to express themselves.[3] There has also been debates about how a member of Italian-Canadians choose to express themselves according to the "multiple worlds" our society has to offer. [3] The multiple worlds that Giampapa describes are the labels as such "Italian Canadian" or just "Italian" or "Canadian." Due to this, there is a correlation between an Italian-Canadian who is proud to be an Italian-Canadian and his/her linguistic performance compared to somebody that is not reluctant to the label of Italian-Canadian and their linguistic performance [3]. As Giampapa explained, the members in the Italian community may choose "Italian-Canadian" as their master status or want to be referred to just "Italian." Thus, status is a major indicator of how members in the Italian community identify themselves.
Demographics
editCanada's immigration policies have changed drastically over the course of the time period [1]. As a result, Toronto has become one of the most multicultural cities in the world [4]. In particular, Canada has welcomed many Italian immigrants throughout the years. Furthermore, Toronto is currently home to a majority of the Italian community in Canada. As of 2006, Ontario’s total population was 12,028,895, with the highest Italian population in Ontario (867,980)[5]. Alberta had the second highest Italian population (82,015) and Nunavut having the least (125)[5]. In Ontario, 34 percent of the Italians took up residency in Toronto[6]. In addition, 17.6 percent of Italians settled in Montreal[6].Italian became the fourth most common mother tongues in Toronto with 76,200 people speaking it daily[7].
According to the 2011 census, there were approximately 35,025 people in Toronto that had Italian listed as their home language which was an estimated decrease of 21 percent since 2006[8]. In Toronto, Italian was one of the top 4 main non-English languages spoken at home along with Spanish, Tamil and Tagalog[8]. The 2011 census also states that out of the total amount of 35, 025 individuals that speak Italian regularly at home, they make up around 15,120 males and 19, 910 females[9].This goes to show that more females speak Italian regularly at home than males.
| Detailed other language spoken regularly at home - Total population
excluding institution residents data (2011 Census) |
Toronto, C
Ontario(Census subdivision) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Male | Female | |
| English | 274, 495 | 133, 110 | 141, 390 |
| French | 24, 715 | 11, 135 | 13, 580 |
| Italian | 35, 025 | 15, 120 | 19, 910 |
Institutional support
edit
The Italian culture in Canada is preserved and maintained through institutional support. For instance,there are many institutional groups made available for the Italian community such as local libraries.They consist of programs that involve the learning of Italian language, music, culture. Also, there has been a growth in the curriculum that now maintains the stability of Italian study Italian in Canada[10]. This allows more students to enroll in courses teaching Italian. In particular, at University of Toronto there is a department of Italian for enhancing the educational opportunities for those students interested in learning Italian.
Moreover, there is also a place in downtown, Toronto, called little Italy specifically to show and preserve the culture of Italy. The Italian community would be able to find pride in their culture through little Italy which supports them as they live here. The author of the journal, "Creating Italians in Canada" Gabaccia, mentions the Columbus Center located in Canada that seeks to support migrants from Italy. Furthermore, he mentions the "campus" of cultural and recreational facilities, daycare centers, and cultural programs of the Canadian Center for Italian Culture and Education that have been organized in order to meet the needs of Italian Canadians[2].
- ^ a b Picot, Garnett; Sweetman, Arthur (2012). "Making It in Canada: Immigration Outcomes and Policies". Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy. Institute for Research on Public Policy.
- ^ a b c d "my.access — University of Toronto Libraries Portal" (PDF). muse.jhu.edu.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ^ a b c Giampapa, Frances (2001). "Hyphenated identities: Italian-canadian youth and the negotiation of ethnic identities in toronto". International Journal of Bilingualism. doi:10.1177/13670069010050030301.
- ^ Galanakis, M (2013). "Intercultural public spaces in multicultural toronto". Canadian Journal of Urban Research. Institute of Urban Studies.
- ^ a b "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories - 20% sample data". Statistics Canada. 2006. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
- ^ a b Harney, P (2007). Urban Enigmas Montreal, Toronto, and the problem of comparison. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 179. ISBN 9780773531819.
- ^ "Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census". Stats Canada. 2011.
- ^ a b "2011 Census: Language" (PDF). City of Toronto. 2011.
- ^ a b "Census Profile". Statistics Canada. 2015.
- ^ Pane, Remigio U. "Present Status of Italian Studies in the United States and Canada". The Modern Language Journal. 54 (7). doi:10.2307/321772.
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