We are Italians
I used to work with an anglophone called Mike. He was actually an Italian from St-Léonard but, although his French was fine, Mike thought and talked in English. One morning Mike came in to work in the morning absolutely furious. The night before Conan O’brien had aired a show taped in Toronto in which the American comic had amused his Ontario crowd by making ridiculing French-Canadians. « Did you see Conan O’brien last night? », asked Mike, in English, when he came to work. « Did you see the way he talks about us? »
Last week Giuliano d’Andrea, vice-president for the Canadian-Italian Business and Professional Association deposited his memoir to the Taylor-Bouchard Commission on reasonable accommodations. His organisations memoir was written in English to make a point, he explained. “We wrote our brief in English, not because we couldn’t do it in French, but simply to take back a bit of the public space that we have a right to. The English language has a right to be here.”
During his presentation M. d’Andrea also felt the need to salute another organization present at the Commision that day. To the members of French Language Rights activists Mouvement Montréal Français he said. « We like them a lot but sometimes we’d like to tell them two little words in English : Grow up. »
The Italian businessmen mad their presentation during an audience of the Taylor-Bouchard Commission set aside for anglophones. The Mouvement Montréal Français was present at this meeting to denounce what it considered the ghettoization of Montreal’s anglophone community. « How are we supposed to integrate immigrants into Québec society if they never learn Québec’s common public language? ».
The MMF spokesperson was Paolo Zambito. Another Montreal Italian.
Confused, insecure, proud, angry and fiercely attached to this little bit of of North America, Québec’s Italians are us. They are Nous.
AngryFrenchGuy 
Italians keep their italian roots much more easily when they integrate to French Québec. And when they anglify, they lose it. English kills and assimilate cultural diversity, not just in Québec.
That is what you to remenber.
English culture today is like a cancer that want to leave no place to others. It almost destroyed the European Cinéma. Today there is almost no film industry in Europe, except french cinema, that manages to survive. Germany cinema kaput. Italian cinema kaput. Swedish cinema kaput.
That’s the problem. Diversity is dying. And it is a far bigger problem that this stupid commission and that stupid colonized Charest.
Marc Authier
April 11, 2008 at 7:22 am
Marc Authier,
What the hell are you talking about? Italian roots will die no regardless of if you learn french or english as a first language, you have no idea what you are talking about , and i have italian roots. All people of italian descent in Montreal (for the most part) learn English and French to the extent that they can work in both languages as i do. By Keeping your roots, you segregate yourself in society. People should focus on being Canadian, and in my opinion everyone in Montreal Should be Bilingual. Italy is Thousands of miles away, and there is a big ocean in Between Here and Italy, you cant grow up with the same mentality as an italian, even though your ancestry is Italian.
You’re Just another example of a person of French Descent who cannot except the fact that French is an Inferior Language Compared to English, thats why the world (in your opinion anyway), is becoming anglo. You also can’t except that the british beat the french in Quebec and That americans have the greatest influence in the western word, as the romans did before, as some other country or nation will due in the near future, Its in your blood as a Frenchman to whine because you’ve always been inferior to the British.
Get Real
Tano
June 17, 2008 at 8:20 pm
To me it seems ridiculous to hold that Montrealers should all be bilingual when you would never demand the same for Torontois or anyone else in the ROC.
Thomas Dean Nordlum
July 31, 2008 at 11:54 am
“You’re Just another example of a person of French Descent who cannot except the fact that French is an Inferior Language Compared to English, thats why the world (in your opinion anyway), is becoming anglo. You also can’t except that the british beat the french in Quebec and That americans have the greatest influence in the western word, as the romans did before, as some other country or nation will due in the near future, Its in your blood as a Frenchman to whine because you’ve always been inferior to the British.”
Wow! no comment.
Kriss
October 7, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Tano est bizarre, il raconte que les canadiens italiens sont différents des italiens d’Italie, puis il insulte les québécois en disant qu’ils sont comme les français de France qui ne pensent qu’à se plaindre. …
Est-ce que je suis la seule à trouver qu’il se contredit ? ou aurais-je mal compris ?
En tout cas, non l’anglais n’est pas une langue supérieur, ça sonne drôlement hitlérien….
française
July 29, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Maybe it’s just better that Quebec and Canada go their separate ways. One can be an English speaking society where only 3% speak french and Quebec where 95% of the population speak French (as a 1st, 2nd or 3rd language).
People, such as myself who prefer English speaking societies should live in Canada. Those who prefer French should live in Quebec. As for the multicultural associated communities (allophones) they should assimilate into the majority communities of either society.
When you cling to your parents or grandparents socities of origin you can’t assume your countries identity.
Brazil as an example has 37 million people of full or partial Italian ancestry, Argentina has the same situation but that hovers at 60% of the population.
Last time I looked Italian isn’t a predomintae language in either country, because the immigrants assimilate into their new homelands.
I find that anyone who comes to Canada must be Canadian only. Quebec would be wise to do the same if they become a country. This is not being malicious, I want intermarriage and complete integration, and promoting multiculturalism denies a common national identity.
Thank You
Ben
February 4, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Georges. Can you write to me again? Désolé….
TDN
January 28, 2013 at 3:43 pm
Therefore, renting is one of the best solutions for their
housing needs. Hostgator claims that it uses shared and reseller servers which
are 130% powered by wind and it has certified renewable energy credits needed for generating efficient and reliable dedicated servers.
Arts, sports, music, and fun have given a new face in town.
moving pods
August 15, 2014 at 8:56 pm