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Carlos Teixeira and Victor M.P. Da Rosa, Eds. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000. 248 pp. $24.95 sc.
The Portuguese are an active presence in the multicultural milieu that exists within Canada. First coming to Canada as seasonal fisherman and then as permanent immigrants beginning in the 1950s, the wave of Portuguese immigrants became a significant addition to Canadian society. Recognizing a lack of academic research on this community, Carlos Teixeira and Victor M.P. Da Rosa seek to fill the gap with these essays dealing with Portuguese-Canadians and the various aspects of their lives. The book stems from a 1997 conference in Newfoundland that commemorated the landing of John Cabot on the shores of Canada. Adapting a multi-disciplinary approach with contributors from anthropology, history, literature, and sociology, the editors tackle the issues thematically in five parts to study the Canadian side of the Portuguese diaspora.
Part one, "Newfoundland and the White Fleet," explores the initial interactions of Portuguese fishermen who came to Canada's eastern shores annually with the White Fleet, the fishing flotilla. Priscilla Doel examines the history of the fishery from its inception in the sixteenth century to the eventual decline of the industry in the 1970s. Central to the chapter is the image of the fisherman as a stereotype of the loyal citizen, who serves both his country and his family. Jean-Pierre Andrieux investigates the modernization of the Portuguese fleets to meet the demands of modern technology. In a most interesting essay, Peter Collins examines the "cultural cross-pollination" between Newfoundlanders and the Portuguese fisherman who came annually to St. John's. He notes that the people of St. John's felt saudade (a sort of nostalgia often associated with...