“Go back home.”
Imagine hearing those words after countless Visa applications, English exams and the sale of valuable assets. These are some of the sacrifices that international students must make in order to come to Canada and pursue a better education and life. Hugs and currencies are exchanged, as loved ones struggle to let go of the former and the latter.
A poll conducted in 2021 by Gallup revealed that Canada was the most welcoming country globally for immigrants. Fast-forward to 2024, is Canada still welcoming? The Nugget spoke to a few international students at NAIT, and their responses were mixed. One student said that Canada is welcoming and has provided “great opportunity” for the course they wanted to study. Another student, who also chose Canada for further studies, said that Canada “has great and affordable institutions.” However, the same student, who moved here to seek asylum, felt that Canada was not entirely welcoming due to “comments and side talks” regarding their refugee status.
Personally, I feel that it is difficult to capture the consensus of an entire country. However, I would like to use the LRT and the local student bar to summarize my experiences in Canada thus far. My train rides are mostly uneventful. However, on one particular day, a group of international students and I were racially abused by a male passenger. He made derogatory statements about one student’s turban, a religious headwear worn by Sikhs. Although he used the wrong racial slur against me, I felt shaken and was silenced by his remarks. And so were the other international students. I tried to put myself in the man’s shoes to understand his rage. Was it my fault? Was it my skin colour and presence that made him feel enraged? I left the train feeling more sad than angry, as I did have an amazing day with a group of friends and colleagues (who were predominantly Canadian. )
Conversely, I always feel warm and welcomed at the Nest, the student campus bar. No matter how full the Nest is, I have never met a broken egg there (pun intended). The bartender and waitresses are always kind and thoughtful. It is always, “Hi Sunny, how are you?” The conversations might not be lengthy, but I can sense genuine concern when I speak to them. Hang out there frequently enough and you will eventually make new friends too. Most of the patrons there that I have interacted with are Canadians, but these interactions, whether or not fueled by intoxication, have never led to discrimination.
When students were asked if NAIT has assisted in making them feel welcomed in Canada, they agreed that NAIT has been helpful. But as one student pointed out, “more awareness of diversity will be great.”
Interestingly, NAIT has an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy. In the ‘Realizing’ section of the strategy, it states the ways to create a meaningful change, which includes: “the various types and presentations of oppression and discrimination, must be acknowledged, seeking to understand how each shows up, within and outside of NAIT.”
The grass may be greener here for us international students, but there will be muddy patches along the way. If NAIT upholds its strategies, combined with a better grasp of tolerance and unity among students, even the mud might be a patch to blissfully walk on.
“Go back home.” If I do hear those words one day, I hope to pack my bags and leave Canada with great memories and everlasting friendships, not with extra luggage filled with hurt and regret.
