Guernica Editions

I cannot overstate the importance of From Sojourners to Citizens: Alberta’s Italian History. The content is not available in any other publication and the commentary on the last 50 years with government emphasis on multiculturalism and inclusion is unique and insightful. Because of her background as a child immigrant who arrived in Edmonton in 1951 and her academic and heritage background, she was the ideal person to undertake this important work.

Adriana Davies has written a very special history book that captures the lives of pioneers from Italy who contributed to the building of Alberta. She has documented little-known stories about real people. This book complements the two or three incomplete histories we have about Italian settlement in Canada which focus mostly on Toronto and Montreal. I was impressed by the inclusion of many women among the hard working people who created communities across the province. Adriana has meticulously researched each story and uncovered facts and relationships about each pioneer and family that help us to better understand society in Alberta and western Canada.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Adriana Albi Davies for many years. We share a love for our Italian Community and are passionate in sharing our culture. Adriana’s Italian Ancestry and her journey of integration and belonging to two worlds of Italian and English culture has influenced her writings, and she is one of Alberta’s Prolific writers and poets and, is a respected author and historian. As a past President of the National Congress of Italian Canadians (Edmonton District) and having created the Heritage Community Foundation, working with many ethnocultural communities, there is no one better to share history. Her work is always, well-researched and informative and important culturally to not only our Italian Community, but the City of Edmonton and the Province of Alberta. Alberta grew and developed thanks to Italian Immigration They asked nothing but for work and respect. Immigrants worked hard to build institutions and to boast Italian identity and affirm their place in Canada. This might not seem relevant to the next generation, if it were not for works like this.

Dr. Davies comes at this work with passion and experience gained over decades of distinguished scholarship. Edmonton’s Italian community has long been committed to preserving its cultural heritage, and Adriana plays a major role in these efforts. The histories collected in this book will resonate across communities and social strata, as emigrants to this country face recurring challenges around getting established while faced with prejudice and exclusion. We at EHC are privileged to support this project.