Visiting la Madre Patria: Heritage Pilgrimage Among Montreal Italians (Notebook‪)‬

This article focuses on visits to Italy undertaken by young Montreal Italians. I have divided these trips into three separate categories: the school trip, the extended stay, and the family visit. These trips allowed my informants to access Italy on three different levels. The school trip gave them the opportunity to experience the touristic elements of Italy, while the extended stay allowed them to understand the realities of living in Italy. The family visit gave them a chance to trace their family history and experience their parents' hometowns. These trips and the narratives that accompanied them have become identity markers for these Montreal Italians as well as a way for them to shape cultural awareness. Cet article traite des voyages en Italie entrepris par de jeunes Italiens de Montreal. Nous les avons divises en trois categories: le voyage scolaire, le sejour de longue duree et la visite dans la famille. Ces voyages permettent aux jeunes Canadiens de developper leur identite italienne a divers niveaux. Le voyage scolaire est une occasion de vivre une experience touristique, alors que le sejour de longue duree leur donne un apercu des realites de la vie quotidienne italienne. Le sejour chez les proches de la famille permet de retracer leur histoire familiale et de decouvrir les lieux d'origine de leurs parents. Ces voyages et les recits qui les accompagnent constituent des reperes identitaires pour ces jeunes Italiens montrealais ainsi qu'un outil de sensibilisation culturelle.