THE QUIET IMMIGRANT

About the project

The Quiet Immigrant Project: From tip to toe, from the island of Sicily and from the small mountainous towns and villages, le femmine forti immigrated.

For many, the journey’s starting point began before even arriving in Canada, their new homeland. For many – 9, 10, 12 days of turbulent travel, celebrating an 18th birthday at sea, kneeling and spontaneously praying for physical and emotional comfort.

Pier 21 served for many, not all, as their first secure ‘point of entry’. Leaving behind family, dear friends, pets, a favoured bicycle, a sewing machine, language, books, food, a Fiat Cinquecento, a cherished armadio, and bringing along their skills as couture seamstresses, hair stylists, teachers, and culinary connoisseurs to roll up their sleeves both figuratively and literally as they worked in manufacturing factories of spices, wool, bras, toys, uniforms, barbeques, and cookies, as well as cleaning and caring for other womens’ homes and children. 

‘La mancanza’ for home transitioned into a new home sweet or not so home sweet home, now for many for well over 60 years — in towns, cities, and provinces across this country. The lifelong journey is the immigrant experience.  

A homage to the brave Italian women who immigrated to Canada after WW2 and through sheer strength of character,  with neither fanfare or complaint wove their way into the fabric of society. Their stories of strength, courage, determination, and sacrifice are sure to move, amuse, and captivate.  A multifaceted, multimedia, and multilayered legacy piece, The Quiet Immigrant Project will be a 2 month-long exhibit starting the April 24, 2022 onsite at the Columbus Centre. 

With purpose and grace we honour, pay tribute, and celebrate this generation of ‘journeywomen.’  ‘Stories are the proof of life, sharing is necessary: mamma and papà lontano, cara figlia, “aiutati che Dio t’aiuta.” Family was grounding, the church was saving and comforting after all ‘il signore lo sa’, and property was security. 

Le Femmine Forti worked hard and were honest, shared coats, wondered if the moon was the same, ‘castagne era il nostro pane’ (chestnuts was our bread), made do with iceberg lettuce – ‘if I can’t cry, I can’t eat’.

A fully interactive and viscerally charged exhibit, The Quiet Immigrant Project is a conduit, the collector of matriarchal memories and ‘le storie delle donne immigrate’.