Get Thank You! - Italian Canadians As Enemy Aliens

To the men and women who were taken to Prisoner of War camps or jail without charge – people who are no longer with us to hear this apology – to the tens of thousands of innocent Italian Canadians who were labelled enemy aliens, to the children and grandchildren who have carried a past generation's shame and hurt, and ...

The internment of Italian Americans refers to the US government's internment of Italian nationals during World War II. As was customary after Italy and the US were at war, they were classified as "enemy aliens" and some were detained by the Department of Justice under the Alien and Sedition Act.

The internment in Canada included the theft, seizure, and sale of property belonging to this forcefully displaced population, which included fishing boats, motor vehicles, houses, farms, businesses, and personal belongings. Japanese Canadians were forced to use the proceeds of forced sales to pay for their basic needs ...

During this time, Canada interned 8,579 people identified as “enemy aliens”, mainly Ukrainian and German immigrants, across a network of 24 camps. “Enemy alien” was the term used to describe citizens of states legally at war with the British Empire, and who resided in Canada during the war.

To the men and women who were taken to Prisoner of War camps or jail without charge – people who are no longer with us to hear this apology – to the tens of thousands of innocent Italian Canadians who were labelled enemy aliens, to the children and grandchildren who have carried a past generation's shame and hurt, and ...

Internment of “Enemy Aliens” During the First World War Some were Canadian-born or naturalized British subjects. (See Internment in Canada.) Another 80,000 people, mostly Ukrainian Canadians, were forced to register as enemy aliens, to carry identity papers and to report regularly to the police.

In 1940, after Italy joined the Second World War as an ally to Germany, over 600 Italians were interned in camps under the authority of the War Measures Act and the Defence of Canada Regulations. Approximately 31,000 Italian Canadians were declared “enemy aliens”, and had to report to local registrars once per month.

Italians and other “enemy aliens” in Canada faced persecution and internment based on the perceived threat they posed to national security. Italian-Canadians were targets of ethnic slurs and many began speaking English amongst themselves in an effort to prove loyalty to their new country.