Italo-Canadians: Nationality and Citizenship

This lively collection is an overview of the history of Italian Canadians in Toronto from the 1960s to the present. The author deals with particular moments of community development, starting with a period of disorganization and individual effort, then marking the achievements as a community from participation in many aspects of daily life: church, unions, sports, culture, business, and political activism. The author writes from his perspective as a witness and as a participant in community institutions such as the Federation of Associations of Canadian Italians (FACI); the National Congress of Italian Canadians; Villa Colombo and Villa Charities; and many other organizations. The author also looks at how these events coincide with particular moments in Canadian society: the Centennial celebrations in 1967; the Trudeau years and multiculturalism; the repatriation of the Canadian constitution in 1982, with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; and the evolution of Canadian identity in the late 20th and early 21st century.