Italians Immigration to Canada from 1800s to Date

Italians Immigration to Canada from 1800s to Date
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Background Information of the Italian Immigration to Canada
The Italian immigration started migrating to Canada in the 1830s and 1840s when the first immigrants arrived. The arrival of the immigrants was in small groups of people who were fleeing the effects of the war. The immigration continued until when large or mass group of people from Italy begun in the 1870s. Mass Italian immigration continued until when the First World War began in 1914 disrupting the process. Immigration of Italians stopped for six years and after the war ended. Before the great depression occurred the second phase of migration had begun in 1920 to 1930 which saw large masses of Italians moving to Canada. After the great recession that affected many economies in the world including Canada. The economic crises affected immigration, and no more Italians were migrating to Canada. The third phase of migration occurred after the effects of the great depression was stabilized and from 1950 to early 1970s, the most significant wave of immigration happened when hundreds of thousands of Italian immigrants crossed to Canada for seeking a better life.
Despite the Canadian immigration policy put in place in the 19th and 20th-century Immigration never stopped. More and more thousands of people flocked Canada using Kinship networks, and also the need for laborers made them continue with the Immigration. The enormous masses of Italian immigrants led to the rise of the Italian-Canadian community in Canada. The first Immigrates in the 1830s settled in Toronto, Montreal and few in the Vancouver. Most Italian immigrates worked in the mining and construction sites. They worked in the railroads and few in farmlands. Italian immigrants provided the cheap labor force to the Canadian's. The Canadian government policy was geared to prevent more Italian immigrants coming to Canada.[Colombo, Asher, and Giuseppe Sciortino. 2004. "Italian Immigration: The Origins, Nature And Evolution Of Italy’S Migratory Systems". Journal Of Modern Italian Studies 9 (1): 49-70. doi:10.1080/1354571042000179182.]
The government of Canada was not actively involved in campaigning for more Italian's to settle in the country, but the policy was targeting British and northern European immigrants to live in the west. The Canadian industries needed cheap labor, and they could only get that from Italy as a result of the ongoing Immigration.
The need for the laborer has left them without an option. The building of the railway at the time required a reliable source of labor rather than the seasonal laborers who used to work and then go back to their country — the high demand for Laborers. When winter comes by the seasonal laborers went to seek work in the construction and manufacturing industries in Toronto and Montreal. After building of the railway, some Italian immigrants remained in Canada because they were unable to get a return passage back home due to lack of enough money leaving them stranded at the streets and construction sites. Another reason that led to some Immigrants to remain in Canada is that they got a job in one of the Canadian cities and they were able to accumulate money and send some to their families back home. The people who remained in Canada led to the rise of the Italian communities. Many Italian communities were formed in the major urban cities and centers in Canada.
Italian Immigration to Canada
The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 lead to decreased number of Italian immigrants coming to Canada. Before the war had begun a lot of Italian immigrants come in huge masses organized by Canadian agents. The agents used to hold for transport, a place to stay and a job for the Italian immigrants. Some agents ordered more laborers than the required number leaving some Immigrants without a job in Canada. The Italian immigrants were mostly young men who worked hard and sent money home to their families. Some Immigrants found places to settle permanently in Canadian urban centers. Those who got a good job and also have better working conditions. The settling of the Italian Immigrants in the cities leads to increased migration of Italian families to Canada to join their husbands and fathers.[Colombo, Asher, and Giuseppe Sciortino. 2004. "Italian Immigration: The Origins, Nature And Evolution Of Italy’S Migratory Systems". Journal Of Modern Italian Studies 9 (1): 49-70. doi:10.1080/1354571042000179182.]
In the 1930s the economic conditions in Canada were worsening, and the government had to take action and impose strict policies to restrict more Italian immigrants into the country. The restrictions by the Canadian government further exacerbated in the Second World War. It happed so because Italy was among the enemy nations to Canada in the war. The same restrictions were also applied to other Immigrants migrating to Canada. An act was passed under the War Measures Act led an approximated 31,000 Italians in Canada were referred to as enemy aliens.
The government of Canada believed that Italian immigrants were posing national security and it led to the persecution of some immigrants. Most of them had to prove their loyalty through speaking English. What followed after the government declared the Italians a threat to the country's citizens, in 1940 to 1943s many of the Italian –Canadian men were captured and sent to internment camps. The approximated number of people arrested was 600 during the transition period. The Italians who settled in Canada proved their loyalty to the new country and were free to live and work with no problems or interference from the national government.
The end of the Second World War brought a new dawn for the Italians immigrants living in Canada. Late 1940's the Italians immigrant residing in Canada were removed from the enemy alien's list. After the removal of Italians from the enemy list more Italian immigrants come to the country to work and seek a better life. The move prompted the most significant wave of Italian
immigration in the 1950s and mid-1960s. Most of the Italians who come to Canada was through sponsorship of one year. The specification of the contract was for the immigrants to ease the labor shortage in the country, especially in the mining industries. Another channel in which immigrants arrived in the country at an alarming rate. The Italian immigrants living abroad sponsored the families and relatives to join them in Canada. Italian Immigrant communities expanded and as they increased in number.
The Italian Immigration in the 1960s began to decrease. Few people migrated to Canada to look for jobs because the Italian economy started growing significantly. The growth eliminated the main reason for Italians to emigrate from their country to Canada. The Italian immigrants traveled to Canada by ocean liner, which arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. It is at this point the immigration officials attended to the immigrants and then they were boarded to trains and transported to their preferred destination. The Italians had to endure discrimination from the Canadians, and they also blamed the Italians who settled in their country for taking their jobs. The Italians in Canada who were joined by their families and Canadians continued to criticize them of living in unhealthy conditions due to their multiple family sets –up way of living.
The mass immigration of Italian citizens to Canada lead to the formation of the Italian Immigrant Aid Society with the help of Canadians. The Society was meant to help the new arrivals of Italian immigrants in their transition to Canadian life. Later, in the 1960s there were good relations of Italian-Canadians which lead to the formation of Pan-Canadian National Congress of Italian Canadians. It is during the 1960s the Italian-Canadian made an impact in the main cities.[Gamba, Charles. 1948. "Italian Immigration". The Australian Quarterly 20 (4): 108. doi:10.2307/20633111.]
They dominated the construction industry for instance, in Toronto a third of the total construction workers in the town were Italians immigrants.
The Italian immigrant contributed to the culture, the economy and social life. Workplace safety and labor relations were not followed by the Canadians who offered jobs to Italian immigrants. It leads to mistreatment of Italian workers, but changes occurred when an accident happened to leave five Italian dead to lack of implementation of Ontario's workplace safety regulation by the Department of Labor. The tragedy at Hogg's Hollow disaster led to illegal strikes over their grievance which included better pay, safer working conditions, and union recognition.
The government intervened, and changes were made, and the move motivated Italians to settle in Canada and also the changed lead to more Italians employed in construction site they were no longer working. The changes on better pay, better conditions improved their economic welfare. The migration of Italians did not stop; it continued. The Immigrants were relying on family members living abroad and also they took advantage because the Canadians needed many laborers to work for them. The Italians relied on family connections, and the financial capability of their fellow Italian immigrants living in Canada ensured that they were sponsored to come and join them abroad. The policy in place by the Canadian gov...