The Italian Immigrant Family

Ethnic and National Identity: A Life Long Struggle of an Italian Immigrant Family in The Italians

Abstract:

Canadian multicultural society can be studied with the help of Canadian ethnic literature. It presents various experiences of ethnic minorities and immigrants. Canada welcomes people from all over the world and thus people find shelter in the country. Immigrants but then come across some issues. Identity struggle is apparent. Immigrants with different ethnic identity find it difficult to acquire new national identity because of different values. Thus, we can see identity quest and that is aptly reflected in Canadian literature. The Italian is written by F. G. Paci, an Italian-Canadian writer. In this novel, he presents how members

The diverse society reflects its diverse colours through its literature. As the country invites people from all over the world with its liberal democratic citizenship, it has encouraged diverse population for last many decades. The cultural diversity is not though new to Canada as it has always welcomed immigrants from European countries. Like many others, Italians are also not new to Canadian society. Italian immigrants can be traced from 1497. Thus Italians are surely one of the early immigrants to Canada and even though it is till 1970s or 80s their voice was unheard in general. It is through various writers like F. G. Paci, who helped to create ‘Italian Canadian Literature’ phenomenon, Canadian society started noticing Italian immigrants. Paci, through his novels have presented Italian immigrant families in

He is born and brought up in Canada and thus does not have any connection with his ethnic culture. He is far away from Italian experience and thus its identity. He is sure of himself of his identity to be a Canadian. He is the only one in the family who knows his identity very well. He is not confused like Aldo and Lorianna. But because of it, he never develops a feeling of belongingness to his family. He feels belonging on ice surface with his ice skates on. As Aldo and Lorianna find solace in church, Bill finds his in hockey. Furthermore, he knows that the hockey is the thing that would prove his identity as a Canadian than an Italian. He wants to assert his identity not only on his family but on outside society. He somewhere is aware that he opts for hockey to go away from Italian heritage. But ironically, his ethnic identity follows him everywhere. He is seen as a representative of Italian immigrants in Canada. He is called with racial notions like WOP, DP which represent racial connotation. More surprisingly, it is his neighborhood from which he wants to run away or does not find any connection; the same neighborhood honors him for doing excellent in new country. Other Italian immigrants of his neighborhood tell him how much they are proud of him. They arrange a felicitation program to honor Bill in Rossini hall, a community owned hall. Among all Italian immigrants like his father, he feels