“Vancouver’s Shoeshine Boys, la nuova “fatica” di Ray Culos”
“Siamo venuti a conoscenza che il prossimo giugno sara’ pubblicato un nuovo libro sritto dal prolifico Ray Culos. Con il suo “Vancouver’s Shoeshine Boys”, questo il titolo del libro, Culos, ancora una volta, analizza, con gran dovizia di particolari ed immagini, I sacrifici fatti dai primi emigrati italiani in Canada che pur privi di istruzione e conoscenza della lingua, grazie alla loro etica, alla loro determinazione ed al loro orgoglio, riuscirono a migliorare la loro posizione e quella delle loro famiglie; cosa che premise loro di essere.
considerati dalle istituzioni governative per il gran contributo che seppero dare alla societa’ canadese. Il costo, ci e’ dato sapere, sara’ di $25 per copia. In attesa di potere dedicare adeguato servizio a questo nuovo lavoro di Ray Culos, terminiamo pubblicando qualche paragrafo, in inglese, di “Vancouver’s Shoeshine Boys” per stuzzicare la vostra curiosita’.
Vancouver’s Shoeshine Boys, a 20th century phenomenon, is a story of Italian immigrants who arrived in Canada I search of a dream. Although lacking in education and use of the English language, they possessed a remarkable and exemplary work ethic which allowed them to champion challenges along the way. During the dialogue, the reader discovers the extent to which the dream is fulfilled. Moreover, the story is about the shoeshine boys who worked the shines after school and on weekends to help support themselves and their parents. And finally, and perhaps the most enduring part of all, it is a social history of the downtown east side community forever changed.
Vancouver born Ray Culos is an “ambassador” of the Italian community of Vancouver. Since retirement from The Vancouver Sun and The Province in 1993, he has written extensively about pioneer Italians and their institutions. His contributions in chronicling the social history of the community include Vancouver’s Society of Italians, in three volumes; 1998, 2002, 2006. In addition, he hand Clive Cocking, co-authored Britannia Remembers; One hundred years of achievement (2008). Culos was awarded the prestigious CIC’s Italian of the Year award in 2005 and recently was the Italian Cultural Centre’s nominee for the Provincial Nesika Awards.
“Writing about pioneer Italian immigrants to Vancouver has been a passion of mine since taking early retirement in 1993 from The Vancouver Sun and The Province. During the years, I developed a profound respect Writing about pioneer Italian immigrants to Vancouver has been a passion of mine since taking early retirement in 1993 from The Vancouver Sun and The Province. During the years, I developed a profound respect for my heritage inclusive of my grandparents – on both sides of the family. Like many of the early Italian shoeshine boys described in this book, they found the strength of character to leave rural Italy a hundred years ago in hope of bettering themselves while creating opportunities for their children and subsequent generations. My father Marino was only a boy of six when he arrived from Italy with his mother and siblings to join his dad in Vancouver in 1910. In the same year, my mother Felicetta (Phyllis) arrived from Joliet, Illinois with her parents, Saverio and Artemisia Minichiello. Mom was only 40-days old when the family settled in the city’s Little Italy (Strathcona) district. So, in effect, my parents were the first generation to truly benefit by the sacrifices and contributions made by the old people whose legacy, in part, was a work ethic so vital in growing this great country of Canada. Beginning in my post-adolescent years, I discovered my Italianness and established a life-long connection with scores of people from this pioneer group.
The underlining theme of this narrative relates to the inexhaustible work ethic of the original shoe shiners, the substance of which, I believe, was passed on to subsequent generations. Therefore, the successes of the descendents of these remarkable pioneers can be attributed, at least in part, to the invaluable legacy inherent in Canadians of Italian origin.
