The Canadian Dream of the Pintos

Andrew Trapani, Professor Teresa Russo, Italian Heritage 3800, November 1st, 2024

Introduction

My grandparents came to Canada in search of a better life as well as to live out a “Canadian Dream”, and I am proud to say that they succeeded in that goal. Domenik Pinto (b. October 29th, 1937) and Lidia (b. October 1st, 1946) Pinto (née Losenno) were able to settle in and adapt to Canadian life, found gainful worth through long-term employment and building friendships and a community with the other Italian immigrants, and now are enjoying their later years with their own children and grandchildren. This is the tide and true story of the immigrant dream in North America and demonstrates the sacrifice that both my grandparents were willing to make for a better life.

The main purpose of this assignment is to explore in depth on the journey that both my grandparents made from Italy to Canada as well as interpreting and presenting what life was like for them here both in triumph and in struggle. Like many other Italian immigrants to Canada at the time, this is an important story for understanding the journey and history of Italians to Canada as well as how they shaped the foundations and future of Canada itself. This assignment is part of a larger project that will create a permanent database to display their stories in a way in which is unique but relatable in conjunction with other stories that will be published on the Italian-Canadian Narratives Showcase forum, giving a wide range of narratives and themes.

An interview conducted by myself has been posted here for you to gain a better insight onto my grandparents as well as a transcription of said interview. There is also an analysis present which takes course readings and material from this term and relates it to my grandparents journey. The final section is a reflection on the interview itself and the things that I learned and interpreted from this project. While no photos or any memorabilia exist that display their lives in Italy, there are plenty of photos taken of them here which displays their lives and allows for interpretation of their story, all of which can be found in the gallery.

Transcription of Interview

Questions	Interviewee 1	Interviewee 2
Name of Interviewee	Domenik Pinto	Lidia Pinto (Losenno)
1. What age group/generation are you in?	87 years old and part of the Silent Generation.	78 Years old and part of the Baby Boomer cohort.
2. What first brought you to Canada?	Well, my father came here in 1950. He had an opportunity to come to Canada. After two years he told my mother either you all come or I’m coming back, and I was the one who said lets go there. (Follow up question) Did you know somebody that already was in Canada?: My cousin was already here, her name was Lina Pinto and she was here since 1929. There was no communication because there was a war going on the in 1940s (WWII), and after the war she started to communicate with my father by letters. She said that there was an opportunity here and that immigration is open to Canada now, and if you want to come we take responsibility for you. So he did, he came to Canada but he had to stay for a year in the farm of a local individual as a mechanic however the person was so kind that he advised my father to go to the city (Toronto) and find a job. He was a welder and a mechanic and he worked at a local plant. He had ten years of life in Canada but then he got sick and passed away. I grew up in Canada and I integrated right away because I was only 16 and fit into Canadian life. I went to school a bit but not very much, I worked at this place where they were making mannequins. I was still going to school when a paisan (friend) of ours offered me a job at a shoe factory and I worked there until I was in my 20s. I didn’t like that and I became interested in hairstyling for ladies, I went to Marvel school and graduated after a year and a half. I made a living out of it for over 30 years. During the 30 year period, I met my wife here at a wedding and then we got together and then engaged. I have two children one is John and he’s over 50 years old now and my daughter Sandra which is Andrews (interviewer) mother. Everything went okay, they both got an education which I was very happy for it.	Because we like to have a better life. We didn’t have anything in the city of Pisticci where I was born so we came to here to work.   (Follow up question) Did you know somebody that already was in Canada?: Yes, my brother called me and a year before his sister came. My brother with his wife, Amelia, and the children.
3. How did you come from Italy to Canada and from what part?	We came here by ship from Naples. It was a kind of immigrant ship but there was also a lot of tourists on it. It took 14 days to get here. It wasn’t a big ship it was only 20,000 tones and the name of the ship was The Argentina. We landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia and then we took the train for two days and two nights and we finally arrived in Toronto. My father was waiting for us when we got here and we lived on College and Clinton for about 10 years renting and then we finally bought a house on DuPont and Christie and we lived there for a good number of years. Then I got married and my wife and I decided to move to a borough in Mississauga and we live there ever since. (Follow up question) Was there less people here then there are now in Mississauga?: Far less people, I think Mississauga had less than 200,000. I remember our mayor was Hazel McCallion. A wonderful person and a good mayor especially for our community. We enjoyed it very much.	I came in 1965 and it was on a boat from Napoli. We went to New York and then came by train to Toronto. (Follow up question) Who did you come with and how old were you?: I came with my Aunt Maria Grazia. I was 18 years old. (Follow up question) What was the journey to Canada like? Beautiful, because the boat had people that were on a cruise so we stopped on a few islands. One was in Italy and one was in Greece. (Follow up question) What was your first impression of Canada?: The first impression was beautiful but when I got to my brother’s street, even after a couple of days I couldn’t remember the house because to me it was not called the same. They were all the same except if you remembered the number.
4. When you first came to Canada, did you encounter any obstacles our barriers as a new immigrant?	As a young man no. What I didn’t like too much when we lived on College Street was that for example because my father was a family man like other men so on Sunday they would gather on the sidewalk and talk to each other, the police kept coming by and told them to keep walking which I disagreed with. I didn’t like that for that reason for my father and all the other people there. But those were the laws and we accepted it.	Not really, I was only embarrassed for myself because its hard when you don’t understand the different words and what they mean. Other then that everything was okay for me. (Follow up question) As a new immigrant mother, were there any difficulties giving birth in Canada?: Well I was young and then when you have the first child its beautiful and then we tried to get the other one so its two Kids, John and Sandra. They grew up very nice. We always went away in the summertime to the park when they were small, then a lot of times it was to Florida with them and Italy too, twice. (Follow up question) What was the experience like as a new mother and immigrant?: I had my family, my husbands mother with me and she tried to help me as well as my sister-in-law. It was nice I didn’t have any problems. One time when I was going to work I got lost. I was going by myself at that time and I was heading down through the streetcar, I got off at Spadina and didn’t know where I was so I took the streetcar back home because I didn’t know where I was. It was so cold that when I got home I was frozen.
5. Did you bring certain photos and heirlooms from Italy to Canada?	I didn’t bring too many pictures because at the time it was right after the war and it was hard to buy a camera. So we didn’t bother taking pictures except on our passports which is me, my mother, and my three sisters.	I don’t remember this stuff because we don’t have too many but there maybe some in Italy.
6. Did you exchange any letters with relatives from Italy?	Oh yeah, I use to write to my grandparents when they were alive and there was an opportunity to use the phone. It did take a while to get it connected but we spoke every once in a while to the rest of the family there. (Follow up question) We don’t have those letters?: No, no letters.	Yes, when I came in 1965 I was writing letters to my mother and father. After that we used the phone but they didn’t have the phone at home in Pisticci so they had to find someone they knew that had a phone or go to a booth.
7. Do you consider Italy home or do you consider Canada home?	No I’ve been here so long that I consider Canada my home. (Follow up question) Why is that?: Well I came at the age of 16 as you can imagine, I got married here, I got a son and a daughter as well as 5 grandchildren.	Over here, I wouldn’t put Italy down either I love my hometown but this is my home now. After 59 years here it’s a lot of years.
8. Looking back on your journey from Italy to Canada, is there anything that you would have done differently?	No not really because we went back to Italy at least 3 times with my wife and two children at the time. Of course, coming from a small town, a small town doesn’t change that much but I already lived in a big city like Toronto and I was working in Toronto, and it didn’t come back to my mind to move back to a city in Italy because it was easier for me in Toronto. (Interviewer Comment) From what I’ve seen you’ve definitely lived that Canadian dream: Yeah, I cannot complain about Canada. I got interested in Canada and I use to see hockey games at Maple Leaf Gardens. I worked and had my own salon after a while and I carried on for over 30 years. Decent health is important and I cannot complain.	Maybe go to school, to learn more because then you understand English better. Its hard to understand but you cant answer or when you can answer but don’t understand the words.
9. Is there anything else that you would like to add to your story?	You know everything changed from way back but it’s the same all over the world even in Italy. If I go back to my hometown I wouldn’t know anybody except maybe for one cousin. I understand that Canada and Toronto has changed a lot. Some things I like and some things I don’t like but we have to carry on.	No, but I like whatever Canada gave to me I said thank you for that, for everything.

Analysis

With regards to both interviews, they each have direct connections to some of the course readings and works we have discussed. Bapsi Sidhwa’s “Two-Way Culture Schock” relates more so to my nonna’s experience in Canada. Sidhwa describes certain cultural differences between her home in Pakistan and the United States and how she had to adapt back and forth between them in order to fit in with each culture (62), this is similar to my nonna’s difficulties on understanding certain aspects of English and the story she gave on how she got lost on the Toronto streetcar in the winter which can be a frightening experience for someone that’s new in the country. It is also similar in a sense that the entirety of your social and cultural behaviors are flipped on its head and it can be difficult to adapt to this new way of life especially with a wide range of cultures and social identities.

Nicholas Harney’s article entitled “Building Regional Identity” conforms not just to my grandparents story but to other Italian immigrants as well. Harney discusses states of influence with the idea that the Canadian metaphor for multiculturalism is that ethnocultural groups maintain their own integrities while also contributing to a larger Canadian society (46). My grandparents found an Italian pocket within Mississauga and have stayed there for over 50 years. They have built lifelong friendships with other Italian immigrants in their neighborhood and attend certain festivities such as the annual Italfest at Celebration Square. However, they also do things that contribute to Canadian society as a whole such as vote, participate in certain regional or national discussion with friends and family, and maintain their own sense of identity. This narrative is somewhat true for other Italian immigrants who came to Canada during the post-war boom and demonstrates the positive concept of a state of influence.

Antonio D’Alfonso’s “Pluricultural Country” also describes my grandparents adaptation of Canadian lifestyle. D’Alfonso discusses how Italian immigrants to North America have adopted a pluricultural aspect to living in various aspects such as being a productive member of North American society while also maintaining Italian culture and traditions (178), this can be seen most with my nonno. My nonno still speaks Italian at home and takes part in certain cultural trends such as watching RAI TV or his favourite Italian football team and reading Italian newspapers and magazines. However he also speaks English, very fluently for someone his age, and attends parts of Canadian culture such as hockey games at Maple Leaf Gardens or watching his grandsons football games. While these aren’t the prime examples of a pluricultural society, it still shows how my nonno was able to adapt to a Canadian lifestyle while also maintaining his Italian traditions in a way that both benefits him and the nation. 

Reflection

After conducting this interview, a major point is apparent. The point is the differences between my nonno and nonna in regards to the telling of their individual stories, their journey here, and what life was like for them in Canada. My nonno is an individual who likes to share aspects about his life and is not afraid to voice his opinions or concerns on different topics. An example of this is how he described the police discriminating against his father and himself just for being Italian. My nonna and the other hand is more laid back and reserved and answered my questions in a straightforward manner which is something unique about her. Both have different personalities but are equally important to their family history and understanding of what successes and challenges they went through while in Canada. Their individual journeys to Canada and life here are also described in a different manner. My nonno was one who was able to adapt well to Canadian lifestyle and also was able to find himself work that was fulfilling and maintaining throughout the 70 years he’s been here. He also provided for his family and lived the “Canadian Dream” that I mentioned in the interview. My nonna took a little bit more time to adapt and still has difficulties to this day but remains strong even during the later years of her life. They both were successful in raising a family and found themselves able to combat any tragedies or hardships along the way. Most of all they were able to adapt to a Canadian lifestyle in the best way that they could and fit in along with all the other ethnic identities that have formed in Canada. Although their stories are different, they are each equally important to explaining their history as well as the history of many other Italian immigrants as well.

Gallery

Works Cited

D’Alfonso, Antonio. “Choosing Ones Identity in a Pluricultural Country.” In Defense of Ethnicity, Guernica, 1996, pp. 171-178.

Harney, Nicholas. “Building Regional identity in Toronto: Using Space to Make Culture Material.” Anthropologica, 2002, pp. 43-54.

Sidhwa, Bapsi. “Two-Way Culture Shock”. Landscapes of Writings: Collected Essays by Bapsi Sidhwa, 2019, pp. 61-64.

Trapani, Andrew. “Trapani_Andrew Interview Part I.” YouTube. 18 October 2024. Trapani Andrew Interview Part 1; access at Italian Communities in Canada: Heritage, Cultural and Ethnographic Studies as of December 2024, https://www.italianheritage.ca/?p=10977.

How to Cite this Page

Trapani, Andrew. “The Canadian Dream of the Pintos.” In Italian Communities in Canada: Heritage, Cultural, and Ethnographic Studies, Teresa Russo, University of Guelph, November 1st, 2024, Guelph (The Canadian Dream of the Pintos – Italian-Canadian Narratives Showcase). Italian-Canadian Narratives Showcase (ICNS), Sandra Parmegianni.

If you have any questions feel free to email me at atrapani@uoguelph.ca