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History General

Italians in Toronto

Development of a National Identity, 1875-1935

by (author) John E. Zucchi

Publisher
McGill-Queen's University Press
Initial publish date
Feb 1990
Category
General, General
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780773507821
    Publish Date
    Feb 1990
    List Price
    $37.95

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Description

Italians began migrating to Toronto in large numbers toward the end of the nineteenth century. Many of these immigrants were peasants who arrived in the new world with only a vague sense of nationality. In Italy, their identity had been primarily connected with the villages that were their homes and only secondarily with regions and country. In Toronto, as in other North American cities, a more emphatic sense of Italian nationalism developed. John Zucchi identifies the distinguishing factors which led to the formation of a strong, nationalistic Italian community in Toronto and to the shift in loyalty from the local level to the national. These two elements of the immigrants' identity are dealt with in each chapter, so that while analysing the internal history of an ethnic group in a Canadian city, Zucchi also details the histories of many Italian village families.

About the author

Editorial Reviews

"a very important and original contribution to the field of immigration history in Canada." Bruno Ramirez, Department of History, University of Montreal

"A very important and original contribution to the field of immigration history in Canada." Bruno Ramirez, Department of History, University of Montreal