Intervista con Caterina Mirto

Marzo, 2019 

Stephanie: Did you know anyone in Canada when you first arrived? 

Rina: Si, I have my brother in Canada. After two years I came in Canada, 1964, my brother 1962. Vengo da una grande famiglia. Big family, 11 kids. I have 8 sisters and 3 brothers. Sono venuta con una sorella in Canada. 

Stephanie: How did you get from Italy to Canada? 

Rina: With a plane, di Air Canada.  

Stephanie: Where in Canada did you first arrive? 

Rina: Montreal. Montreal siamo preso un altro aereo siamo venuta a Toronto.  

Stephanie: Did you experience any barriers when immigrating to Canada? 

Rina: I primi tempi era triste perche ho lasciato la mia famiglia. My family, I left my family in Italy. It was very sad. After that, im happy to be Canadian. Ho imcomincato a lavorare terzo giorno che sto arrivando in Canada. On the third day when I came to Canada, I start to work. My brother found me a job and I started to work for a company.  

Stephanie: What did you do for work? 

Rina: Dove facevano pants and skirts, pantaloni e gonne. I worked for due anni, two years. After that, my boyfriend comes from in Italy, 1967. We married and after a year I had my first child, Francesca Rosa. One year later I have another baby, his name Arcangelo. E sono stato a casa, nonno poi lavorare molto per crescere to raise the kids. Am I doing okay? 

Stephanie: Yes, you're doing perfect. What was it like raising your children in Canada?  

Rina: Io penso che lo stesso che crescere, raising kids in Italy or in here. Sono venuto con una sorella in Canada e abitare insieme. My sister got married before me and after I married, my sister had kids. After 10 years my sister passed away. We lived together because we buy a house together. I raise my kids and my sisters' kids, four girls. The oldest 14 and the youngest 9. They grow up with my kids like sister and brother. 

Stephanie: What did you bring with you when coming to Canada? 

Rina: Nothing. Nothing, because we came here to be, to find a job, to work and have a good future. Canada gives a nice future. I have only a few clothes with me. 

Stephanie: How did you initially communicate with family in Italy? 

Rina: Quando siamno venuto insieme in Canada, we write letters. Every week we write letters. After a while, we use the phone but the phone costs a lot of money and you can't because when I start to working .60 cents an hour I can't use too much. After a while, we get married and he find a job. My fiancé came from in Italy, from Palo del Colle in Bari. 

Stephanie: What did he do for work in Canada? 

Rina: Downtown construction, the brickyard. We buy a little house, we buy a car and slowly, slowly we grow. Little by little, we have a good life.