Immigration is the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country. People immigrate to Canada from all over the planet in hopes of an improved life. My mother, Baljinder Kaur Gakhal is an example. At the age of twenty-four, she and her parents packed their suitcases and left their hometown of Jalandhar, Punjab in India. After a nine hour drive from Punjab to Delhi, a seven hour flight from Delhi to England, and then another seven hour flight they finally arrived to Toronto, Canada. Baljinder had technically immigrated to Canada now however this was just the beginning of her story, this essay's purpose is to share it. My mothers immigration story consists of push and pull factors, positive and negative experiences, and other countries she has lived in besides India and Canada. The most important part of her …show more content…
The most significant push and pull factor for my mother was the fact her brother had already immigrated to Canada. Since she had immediate family here it would be less difficult transition than if she didn’t and she would be able to have most of her family together. Another push and pull factor is the difference between India and Canada’s living standards. Canada has a better government, more jobs, and it is much cleaner. An analogy for this is: there are two restaurants, one has bad service and cold food, while the other has great service and hot food. Which is better? The last push and pull factor is that in Canada she could have a future. In India where she is from you just follow in the footsteps of your parents. For her it would mean farming. In Canada there are countless opportunities. For instance my dad, Major Singh Gakhal, is now a co-owner of a sofa factory and his brother owns a chain of furniture stores that he helps out with. As can be seen my mother’s story is made up of push and pull factors which were vital to her
The period of 1914 to 1939, Canada’s immigration policy got very unfair. Changes were made to the Immigration Act in 1914 that allowed the rejection of anyone from any race that was deemed unsuitable for Canada’s requirements. Also, in that same year, the Komagata Maru came to the coast of Vancouver. It was a ship that carried many from Punjab, India. The ship wasn’t allowed to dock and passengers weren’t allowed to disembark off the ship. The ship hadn’t sailed directly to B.C. from India so only 24 passengers were allowed to disembark; most of them were doctors or Canadian citizens already. Another act to keep out unwanted immigrants from Canada was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923. This act came into effect on July 1st, 1923. It banned all Chinese immigrants from entering Canada, except merchants, diplomats and foreign students. Before the Chinese Exclusion Act was put into place, the Chinese had to pay a head tax of $500 just to get into the country. The numbers of Japanese immigrants were also restricted. The Canadian government restricted only 150 Japanese immigrants to come to Canada in a year. In 1925, the government relaxed restrictions on immigrants coming from many countrie...
Bagnall, K. (2001). The little immigrants : The orphans who came to Canada. Toronto, ON: Dundurn Press.
Approximately 250 000 people from various areas around the world enter Canada each year, as opposed to the 2000 that go to Iceland. People migrate seeking a better life and for more opportunities. Not all places can provide what people want or even need. Comparison will be made between Canada and Iceland, including the number of immigrants received every year. Canada has a drastically larger number of immigrants than Iceland. Many reasons contribute to this increased amount of immigrants, including Canada providing universal health care, access to education, and having decent weather. On the other hand, Iceland has very few hospitals for the average citizen, a lack of diversity, and unbearably cold winters. In addition, migration, whether
The author is a Canadian citizen with Chinese roots. To find a better living condition her grandfather abandoned his family, his country and ancestry and moved to Canada. Despite the inhospitable attitude of Canada towards the immigrants at those days, people from various parts of the world endured the difficult times with determination seeing the ray of hope at the other end. However, this perseverance presented the citizenship status for the progeny and a chance to live in the great land of Canada. Chong reinforces, “I belong to a community of values” (Chong, D. 2015. p. 5). Today, Canadian citizenship is valued worldwide and is a coveted title, because the people around the globe views Canadians as sophisticated and amiable.
The Immigration Act of 1978 has impacted Canada greatly in a positive manner. Works Cited “Immigration Policy in Canada: History”. Administration and Debates. “Mapleleafweb.com.” http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/immigration-policy-canada-history-administration-and-debates (accessed December 29, 2011).
In the middle to late 1940s, Canada received a great influx of British immigrants. Numbering 48,000, these young women were brides who had wed the nation’s servicemen. Although they came unprepared for the land that would become their new home and faced huge culture shock upon disembarking, Canada’s spirited war brides inevitably transformed the culture that surrounded them. Now, around sixty-five years later, one in thirty Canadians can count a war bride in their family tree (Jarratt, 2009). Through determination to stay in Canada despite huge culture shock, sheer hard work, and despite their hasty marriages, the British war brides of the Second World War have, and are continuing though new generations, impacted the Canadian culture of today.
Canada has continuously served as a home to immigrants and refugees from decade to decade harbouring people from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The first set of immigrants to settle in the country came from Britain, the United States and from other nationalities mostly including immigrants from Europe who were either desperate to escape from religious or political turmoil or were simply attracted to Canada’s economic promise. Soon after the Canadian confederation in 1867, immigrants from Irish and Chinese backgrounds who occupied most of the country were used as workers and the demand for labourers to develop the country increased rapidly as more Chinese descents were imported to build the Canadian Pacific Railway. Although, Canada opened its doors to immigrants, but the country also intended to gain human resources for work in the farms, in the forests, factories and mines but not everyone was equally welcomed in Canada.
Every year, over 250,000 people make Canada their new home. Attracted by its education system, economy and universal healthcare system, there are few other places in the world like it. All Canadians are guaranteed equality before the law and equality of opportunity, regardless of where they are from. However, some might argue that Canadian policy has not been put into practice as well as it should be. Is the concept of true equality a far-fetched idea? It seems that Canada has taken great measures to promote the integration of immigrants socially, but can the same be said for their integration economically? Politically? To judge whether or not Canada has been successful at promoting the integration of immigrants in these realms, a deeper understanding of Canadian policy must be considered.
Canada, being recognized as one of the best destinations for immigrants, has been and will be attracting more residents through immigration. Meanwhile, with its accelerated development, an increasing number of Chinese residents decide to move to Canada to experience a completely new way of living. Along with these immigrants are the dependent children that are bought Canada by their parents. New immigrants face challenges from all aspects, such as English being the new language, different culture and traditions, and an unfamiliar way of living (Pottie et al., 2008). To help immigrants through this difficult transition period, the government offers free English lessons to adult immigrants and many communities and organizations offer help with administrative tasks such as applying for health care and registering in local clubs and community centre. From the tremendous amount of effort by different organizations and sectors, it is easy to see how difficult it is to face the impact for adult new comers can be.
Throughout the last three decades, increasing numbers of Asians have migrated to Canada from all over the Asian continent. Currently, 44% of the Vancouver area population is of Asian descent (Statistics Canada, 2001). Immigrants commonly occupy skilled job positions that the host nation is unable to fill with its own citizens, and thus they offer many advantages to their receiving country. In a nation with a declining birthrate, such as Canada, their contribution can play a major role on multiple levels. The immigrants themselves often enjoy a greater earning potential than they did in their native country, which can be advantageous for those who wish to send money back home to support their families.
Hate, shame, and guilt are the emotions I internalized for fourteen years of my life as a result of crossing the border illegally. An event that brought me face-to-face with death and was detrimental to my life since the age of eight. A traumatic experience that has placed me in the hands of therapy sessions and antidepressants to strengthen my emotional stability.
Stoffman, Daniel. Who gets in: What's wrong with Canada's immigration program, and how to fix it. Toronto: Macfarlane Walter & Ross, 2002.
Canada is a very big country where many immigrants want to achieve their goals and have a good life. According to government statistics (October 2013) population in Canada is 35,295,770 and is still increasing. Every year more people from every country in the world are moving to Canada to settle down, find new job, and start perfect life. It is very hard to behave like born and raised as Canadians for people from different countries, cultures and with different backgrounds. Canadian government is supporting newcomers trough many trainings and courses, but this is immigrants responsibility to be prepared for new circumstances, they have to do a lot of job themselves just to feel safe and secure in new place and life. Immigrants should considered few very important things before they will make their decision about changing place and life style. While they can be great specialist in their field, emigrants have to learn about Canadian culture, Canadian workplace rules, and what’s most important they have to adopt this knowledge to their new life.
As we go about our daily lives in the beautiful country of Canada which we have been blessed to live in, it has become normal to see a woman who wears the hijab walking down the street, or a Black family driving on the highway, or an Indian man wearing a suit and tie heading into the office. Canada’s cultural diversity is something which makes the country so special to live in, and instances where we see people of different cultures is increasing everyday. Many of the newcomers who arrive from overseas into Canada are families, with children and youth ready to begin their new life filled with opportunity here in Canada. However, youth who settle in Canada with their families aren’t exempted from the trials and tribulations youth face. In fact,
That evening Daryl and Jasper were heading down to the showers to wash all of the animal blood and guts from their bodies. They had just returned from a successful hunting trip, and even though he was 9 years old, Jasper was proving to be a quick study. He was light on his feet, quiet and he was quick. Jasper had caught a total of 10 squirrels with his bow. Daryl couldn’t have asked for a better hunting partner. He was damn proud of the boy.