How I became a second-class Canadian

I always knew I wasn’t an “old-stock” Canadian. But I was very shocked when one day I woke up and discovered that thanks to bill C-24 I had somehow become a second-class Canadian.

It is true that I am a “new” Canadian even though I came to Canada in 1971 and gained my citizenship in 1978. I love Canada and am very grateful for all that living here has made possible for me. I also love my country of origin, Guatemala, which has experienced one tragedy after another, including the most significant genocide in the Americas since the conquest. I feel an obligation to Guatemala to do whatever I can to help there, so yes I have retained my Guatemalan citizenship as well.

I know that my experience of becoming Canadian is shared in one way or another by the millions of other immigrants to this country: the difficulty of establishing yourself; the satisfaction as you become a real part of this society; the happiness at your children’s success and integration; and the sense of wanting to share some of your good fortune with those left behind who have not been able to find a safe home. For many years, it felt very safe and lucky to be here.

During the years Stephen Harper has been prime minister, however, there have been a number of new policies, changes to procedures, and new laws which undermine any such feeling of safety or even of being lucky. A few examples: Old age security. All you have to do is look at the application form and you will see that for non-Canadian-born citizens proof of our arrival and citizenship is not enough to qualify. Canadians born here are not asked to document every address they have ever lived at in order to get OAS. Are we assumed to be cheats?

Passports. If non-Canadian-born citizens lose our passport when outside the country, we have to be vouched for by four people, whereas born Canadians only need two. Why is that? Are we automatically suspected of malfeasance?

Becoming a citizen. Why is there a waiting list of more than 200,000 people in line to be sworn in? They cannot get a passport until they are. And why can’t someone wear a niqab to be sworn in? Shouldn’t Canada be glorifying people who chose this country and wish to work, pay taxes and contribute?

Recently the government implemented new requirements for acquiring citizenship that are extremely draconian and extend the period before you can become a Canadian by at least a year.

There was only six days’ notice of these changes, creating even further delays to people actually becoming Canadian and hence being allowed to vote. Why demolish Canada’s great tradition of fully integrating people as soon as possible?

But the final and most egregious act by Harper’s government against those Canadians born outside of this country is Bill C-24. Add it to Bill C-51 and if some judge somewhere agrees that by demonstrating, opposing government policies or protesting we are a danger to this country, we can be stripped of our citizenship and expelled. Can we “new” Canadians even be considered citizens at all under such a law? This is not only a reason for anger, it is a legitimate reason for fear.

The Harper government pretends to be a friend to immigrants. That is a sham.

I am certain that Bill C-24 will eventually be declared to be in violation of our charter rights. But we can’t wait. I hope every Canadian, new and old, sees through Harper’s wedge politics with its divisive, dangerous manoeuvres and votes for a party that believes that every Canadian is a full, equal citizen with all the rights, privileges, and obligations that citizenship implies.

If non-Canadianborn citizens lose their passport when outside the country, they have to be vouched for by four people, whereas born Canadians only need two. Why is that?

Patricia Aldana was the founder of Groundwood Books, one of Canada’s leading children’s books publishers, and the founder and president through 2015 of the National Reading Campaign, dedicated to maintaining Canada as a nation of readers. She was named to the Order of Canada in 2010.