Italian Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area
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Toronto has an Italian Canadian community. As of 2007, 34% of the ethnic Italians in Canada live in Toronto.[1] Toronto is home to the fourth largest Italian population outside of Italy, behind Sao Paulo, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and New York City, respectively.
"Soldiers of fortune" and educated people from Italy immigranted to Toronto prior to the 1850s. Toronto absorbed pedlars and craftspeople from northern Italy until the 1880s. 17 Italians lived in Toronto by 1860. Additional tradespeople arrived by 1870. After the 1880s many came from northern Italy, with most being from Genoa. The occupations tended to be craftspeople, service tradespeople, and pedlars.[2]
Italian immigration continued into the post-World War II era. 90% of the Italians who immigrated to Canada after World War II remained in Canada. During that period the community still had fluency in the Italian language.[3]
Geography
Little Italy (in Palmerston–Little Italy) and Corso Italia are the city's Little Italies.
Many Italians moved out of Little Italy, with several having moved to northwest Toronto, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, and then into Markham.[4]
Media
Italian newspapers, television, and radio have existed throughout Toronto's history.[3]
Notable residents
- Jimi Bertucci (singer and songwriter)
- James Forneri (professor of Modern Languages from the University of Toronto) - Originated from the Piedmont[2]
- Philip de Grassi (imperial officer of the United Kingdom army)[2]
- Franceso Rossi (Toronto's first confectioner)[2]
- Daniela Sanzone (journalist)
Residents of suburban cities:
The Italian Walk of Fame acknowledges ethnic Italians. It is located in Little Italy.
See also
References
- Harney, Nicholas DeMaria. "Ethnicity, Social Organization, and Urban Space: A Comparison of Italians in Toronto and Montreal" (Chapter 6). In: Sloan, Joanne (editor). Urban Enigmas: Montreal, Toronto, and the Problem of Comparing Cities (Volume 2 of Culture of Cities). McGill-Queen's Press (MQUP), January 1, 2007. ISBN 0773577076, 9780773577077. Start p. 178.
- Stanger-Ross, Jordan. Staying Italian: Urban Change and Ethnic Life in Postwar Toronto and Philadelphia (Historical Studies of Urban America). University of Chicago Press, January 15, 2010. ISBN 0226770761, 9780226770765.
- Zucchi, John E. Italians in Toronto: Development of a National Identity, 1875-1935 (Volume 3 of McGill-Queen's studies in ethnic history, ISSN 0846-8869). McGill-Queen's Press, 1990. ISBN 0773507825, 9780773507821.
Notes
- ↑ Harney, "Ethnicity, Social Organization, and Urban Space," p. 179.
- 1 2 3 4 Zucchi, p. 36.
- 1 2 Stanger-Ross, p. 30.
- ↑ Perin, Roberto (York University). "Staying Italian: Urban Change and Ethnic Life in Post-war Toronto and Philadelphia." Urban History, 12/2010, Volume 37, Issue 3. Cited: p. 493. "[...]whereas in Toronto, Little Italy became a jumping-off point: houses were later purchased in the northwestern part of the city and beyond, notably in the famous or infamous ‘ethnoburb’ of Vaughan."
- Some material originated from Demographics of Montreal#Italian
Further reading
- Harney, Nicholas DeMaria. Eh, Paesan!: Being Italian in Toronto (Volume 12 of Anthropological horizons). University of Toronto Press, 1998. ISBN 0802080995, 9780802080998. See preview at Google Books.
- Lynde, Beverly Doris. A Study of Food Habits of Italians in Toronto. University of Toronto, 1977. See profile at Google Books.