Working Towards a Culturally Sustainable Future

Seven decades after the arrival of the ship Saturnia at Pier 21, in Halifax, it has become crucial for us to reflect on the future of our community in Canada. If it is true that the integration of the Portuguese immigrants into the general society was a major challenge in the past, it is also true that this phenomenon has become the main obstacle to our homogeneity. The inevitable passing of those who have given much of their lives to the preservation of our heritage in this country, added to the growing disinterest from our younger Luso-Canadians, is already threatening the survival of our community. We need to act now. It is imperative that we begin planning a new strategy that also encompasses the broader society. Once we come to terms that the Portuguese community belongs to Canada, we will then easily accept that our future may, invariably, also depend on those Canadians outside our own community.

This notion is based on relatable historical facts which help us predict the future. To better understand the concept, we must examine the experience of other major communities that have established in Canada long before us. The Italian community, due its proportion, provides us the most accurate example, but others such as the Greek, Polish, Hungarian and Croatian also paint the picture. The consequence of this evolution culminates with two distinct, and interchangeable, outcomes: centralization focused on the ethnic community and cultural promotion to the broader society.

The Hungarian community is a perfect example of centralization of services and focus on the preservation of its language and culture within the confines of its members. Under the same roof, it promotes religious, cultural, and pedagogic activities, but the marketing of these values to the general society is seldom attempted. On the other hand, the Italians and the Greeks, although they provide institutional support to its members, had the foresight to promote their heritage beyond the members of their communities and, as a consequence, have become an integral part of the cultural and social landscape of Canada.

This is the dilemma that we face. Although the solutions are not limited to the above suggestions, the hard reality is that these are times of change. In Toronto, where the community is larger, this process of fragmentation, although slower than in other regions, has already caused serious impact. Many established institutions have either ceased to operate or diminished their relevance while our clubs and associations progressively struggle to form a Board and attract new members.

The smaller communities have already fallen victim to this evolution. Portuguese institutions in localities such as Windsor, Sarnia, Saskatoon and Sault Ste. Marie maintain a battle against time, while others such as Halifax, Saint John, Thompson and Elliot Lake have already lost the war. To preserve the collective memory on the contribution of thousands of Portuguese to the development of these regions, it is essential that we unite under a common objective that transcends the borders of the localities in which we reside.  

Other communities are on the waiting list, including those with larger numbers of Portuguese-Canadians such as Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Vancouver. It is our responsibility to initiate, voluntarily, a new cycle before we are forced to implement reactive measures. As relevant members of our community in this country, our new home, we ALL have a crucial role in the process. It is imperative that we break regional barriers and old habits but, above all, that we remain open to new approaches that contribute to the sustainable future of our community in Canada.