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AN IMMIGRANT'S PERSPECTIVE ON CANADIAN CULTURE

NEWCOMERS PRESERVING THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE IS ESSENTIAL TO CANADIAN GROWTH, WRITES BRIAN SANKARSINGH

BRIAN SANKARSINGH

Chances are, if you were born in Canada, you don't spend your time thinking about how to become part of the beautiful tapestry of Canadian culture. You are already a part and contribute greatly to its existing vibrancy and joie de vivre.

No matter where you live in this beautiful country, it is your birthright to be able to contribute to this collective cultural pattern. Canadians are known for their friendliness. Canadian smiles go right along with Tim Hortons coffee and doughnuts.

On the world stage, Canada has a stellar reputation for impartiality and objectivity. In a 2015 international survey, the Reputation Institute reported that

Canada had the best reputation out of the 55 countries in the world with the highest gross domestic product (GDP).

After analyzing data from more than 11 million Twitter accounts over a period of five years, Klear, a social analytics company, ranked Canadians as the most open and engaging with other nations in their communications. Canada was thus named the friendliest nation.

In fact, the penchant for saying "I'm sorry," in every situation has long been recognized as a fundamental part of Canadian identity.

These are noble ideals to live up to. As an immigrant to Canada in the mid '80s, I did not have the data above, but I did not need data to inform me about Canadian friendliness and hospitality.

In most circumstances, it was woven into the fabric of my encounters, and had a profound effect on my efforts to integrate into Canadian culture. Granted, I also experienced some discrimination and racism, but these incidents did not alter my appreciation of the affability of the majority of Canadians I met.

Most newcomers to Canada want to fit in, but they also have a need to hold on to their own cultural heritage. This is not a dichotomy. Preserving one's cultural heritage while also adopting the best parts of Canadian culture is absolutely possible.

It is, in fact, essential to the continued growth and evolution of Canadian culture. This, of course, means that all Canadians are going to have to start thinking about what this means to them.

This magnificent tapestry must continue to evolve and develop to encompass all Canadians for our beautiful country to continue to prosper and grow. Each new thread woven brings new colour, depth, and significance to what it means to be truly Canadian.

Brian Sankarsingh is a Trinidadian-born Canadian

immigrant with a passion for advocacy and a penchant for poetry. Arriving in Canada in the 1980s, he worked tirelessly to forge a life and career for himself. A published author and poet, Sankarsingh is unafraid to express his opinion on controversial topics, such as racism, systemic racism and other issues faced by marginalized communities.

OPINION

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2022-06-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281509344863619

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