What you will find in Echoes of Growing up Italian are accounts of the immigrant experience as told through the eyes of women. The Italian diaspora is one of the most significant of the 20th century, with a far-reaching impact in the Americas, Australia and Northern Europe. The Italian immigration narrative is a universal one. The stories in this book of the Italian woman in North America and how she learned to survive as she lived with two cultures in her heart and home. This collection provides the reader with a candid glimpse into the lives of fifteen women from across North America: some were born and raised in Italy while some have only been there on holidays; some are mothers and grandmothers and some are single; some only know a few words of Italian, while others are fluent, but we all have a discerning perspective on what it means to live with two cultures.

Dr. Gina Valle’s work in diversity is multi-faceted, as she delves into social issues of our day with compassion and dignity. Whether in the community, the school or the corporation, Gina looks for ways to ask critical questions of the society we live in. She is the curator of the photo exhibit Legacies, which examines feminisim and intergenerational relationships from twenty-four cultural perspectives, and the editor of the book Our Grandmothers Ourselves, which looks at family and aging from twenty different cultures. Her doctoral work in Teacher Education and Multicultural Studies is from OISEat the University of Toronto. Dr. Valle is the director and producer of the documentary The Last Rite which explores the way in which Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims prepare for death. Gina’s work encourages people to think outside the box – and challenge the status quo whenever possible. Teachers at their Best is her second book. | L’oeuvre de Dr. Gina Valle dans le domaine de la recherche et la réflexion sur la société multiculturelle est riche et diversifiée. Cette oeuvre porte un regard empreint de compassion et dignité sur les débats sociaux de notre temps. Que ce soit au sein des communautés elles-même, du milieu scolaire ou celui des affaires, les multiples plateformes d’expression que choisit Gina permettent de mieux définir et comprendre la société actuelle. Entre autres realisations, Gina est la commissaire de l’exposition de photographies Legacies: le regard porté par 24 cultures différentes sur le féminisme et les relations intergénérationnelles. Gina est aussi l’éditeur de Our Grandmothers Ourselves qui analyse les liens familiaux et le vieillissement chez une vingtaine de cultures différentes. Gina a realise sa thèse de doctorat en formation des maîtres et multiculturalisme au Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) de l’Université de Toronto. Dr. Valle est aussi réalisatrice et productrice du documentaire The Last Rite qui relate les rites de passage vers la mort chez les hindous, boudhistes et musulmans. L’oeuvre de Gina valorise la créativité par ses questionnements sur les fondements du vivre ensemble. Enseigants sous leur meilleur jour est son 2ème opus.

Gina Valle's profile page