Sharing my experience as immigrant to Canada, I must admit I had very high notions about this country; its economy and culture. Now after about two years of staying here, I see that behind the feel-good fable about new Canadians lies there pain, anguish and frustration.
Most immigrants do not dare talk negative for fear of ridicule back home. Unless the immigrant, back home, had some strong reason to leave, he has no reason to be happy here. Some reasons that could compel him to move are no house, no job or some peculiar family problem from which he is trying to escape.
Problems in Canada are much more serious for those coming in skilled category. I am not talking about poor landless laborer who has no means to earn, no education to get job back home. Such people would do wonders here, but you are not one of them for you would not be reading this.
Starting from weather, job scenario, discrimination (of course, in a limited way) nothing is good here. I am not trying to be ungrateful to the country I have made my new home, as the law enforcement mechanism id great here and even discrimination (yes, it is there) is in much mild form then we see in back home in India.
Canada is definitely racist. We have made it racist. Localities with Chinese majority areas and to some extent Indian majority areas have little respect for law. This reflects in Goras selling their property and moving elsewhere.
Anyways, what be the reason, people keep asking you where you are from. It is because I am not white, but brown. It may be a simple misunderstanding of Canadians, who are as apt to ask where you from are as they are to chat about the weather. Still, it hurts.
There are numerous instances of Asian-born people getting assaulted which are believed as racially based attacks. The police disagree.
Apart from racism, problem of finding a job is too acute. Even for working as a security guard, you need to have proper Canadian certification. New immigrants to Canada often talk about the seeming impossibility of having their professional credentials accepted. Changes are being made, but too slowly.
Recently, in one meeting at Simon Fraser University's Dialogue Centre, organizers were stunned by outpouring of grievances that contrasted starkly with the prepared speeches about why people loved Canada.
Actually, may be Canada is not as bad, but with people coming here having utopian dreams, may high expectations of great life. Not to forget, the pain of leaving your home land. Even animal species don’t breed well in new environment other than their own, here we are human beings.
All the high job rate data is misleading. Most vacancies are at stores which are low paying ones, temporary and exhausting. Beginners get “grave yard” shift; i.e. during mid night hours. The much talk about job boom and all this is creation of immigration consultants who are making grand deal out of each case.
Joined: 2005-08-19