Parents from Jordan and Brazil have raised their kids in Japan and Canada
‘They will not let go of our languages’
TRURO — Ahmad Al-mallahi and Katia Andrade got to know each other very well during an intensive six-month Japanese language course.
The year was 2004 and both were at Hokkaido University on scholarships doing their master’s – Ahamad for crop production engineering and Katia for civil engineering.
Before that, Katia had done a five-month internship in Japan. Through that experience, she was fascinated with the country’s transportation system and returned to study urban and transportation planning. The fellowship program was competitive – her part of Brazil has many descendants of Japanese immigrants.
Ahmad was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. What started as a family vacation at the age of 13 to Jordan became a permanent move as the Iraqis invaded his home country. The fellowship had less competition there
“At the airport my friends asked me, ‘Are you sure you want to do this? This is a crazy idea, no one goes there,’” said Ahmad, adding that most students go to Western countries.
Through that program, they made friends from all over the world and remained friends with each other for a long time.
Katia moved and worked in England for two years. It was after Ahmad got a more stable job in Japan, however, that they decided to go beyond liking each other and make things work. Katia found an opportunity at the university and moved back.
“It was not an easy decision because we were concerned with the future,” she said, considering their different backgrounds.
Their three children were born in Japan – Marua, now 8, Lina, 6 and Karim, 3. A work opportunity for Ahmad at the Dalhousie University Agricultural Campus researching precision agriculture brought the family to Canada in 2018.
In Japan it was difficult to develop professionally – there, most people see any visible minority as foreigners, even ones who were born and raised in Japan.
“I felt that there would be more acceptance for the children,” said Ahmad, about the decision to raise them in Canada.
LANGUAGE
The kids are shy, but bright learners – “like sponges,” talking with their parents in Arabic and Portuguese.
“They speak a lot of English because it’s a common language for them at school with friends and everything so it’s easy,” said Katia. “Then we try to interfere. I come with my Portuguese and Ahmad comes with his Arabic ... we keep maintaining our own languages because otherwise, they will just make it what’s easier for them.”
They seriously considered having the kids pursue French at school, but realized they would not be able to help and there was enough to teach – including Japanese.
Marua and Lina have some recollections of speaking Japanese in daycare, and the parents try to keep it going by watching Youtube videos and reading children’s books. Like Ahmad’s other jobs, contracts end, and they are open to returning to Japan.
“It would be naive to think that we don’t have anything to do with Japan anymore,” said Ahmad. “The children were born there, I lived there 14 years, Katia 12 years and we’re permanent residents. That’s why I wanted them to keep their Japanese. So, if they go back one day, they are able to integrate again.”
Lina was small, but still has fond memories of going to the hot springs. And although Karim does not remember Japan, he is very good at repeating and can name insects well.
Marua started Grade Primary at Truro Elementary in December when they first moved. With encouragement from the school principal and a tutor from the family of schools, her confidence grew and she was fluent in English after four months.
As for each other, Katia has the bigger challenge of trying to learn Arabic, which is more different.
“Arabic is a language in which many sounds are not easy to pronounce or produce if you’re not trained when you were a kid because many sounds come from the throat. So some letters, as hard as I try to pronounce, will never be very natural.”
BEING IN CANADA, STAYING WITH CULTURE
Truro was much smaller than anything Katia had experienced. She was used to the cold and snow in Brazil, but it had huge indoor shopping malls. However, her heart warmed up to the town by the summer.
Katia said she has been hunting for work, but her field has fewer opportunities in Nova Scotia. Currently, she is focused on being a mom and part-time work.
They also reconnected with Reem Abu Kmeil, a Palestinian from Gaza, who they met when she did her master’s in Japan. She became one of Ahmad’s PHD students at Dal AC.
“She was like our family,” said Katia. “She’s like a young sister (for the kids) - she loves them.”
The children absolutely loved Christmas last year with Reem’s then-house family, Jockie Loomer-kruger, Darryl and Heather Taylor of Truro.
And Katia said they felt lucky to have their neighbours, whose kids became friends even before theirs knew English.
“It was meaningful for us because it helped us become comfortable,” said Katia.
Katia has always made visiting Brazil at least once a year important. It is a tiring 48-hour trip along with 12hour jetlag between Japan and Katia’s home city – still long from Canada, but not so bad.
For the first time since COVID, they are leaving the country to visit family in Jordan – an important opportunity for the kids to experience their culture.
When they first arrived, there were three Brazilian families locally. Now, there are 22. Some friends who immigrated from Brazil have kids who cannot speak Portuguese. Katia and Ahmad are adamant about teaching their languages.
“I cannot imagine my kids without speaking with my parents, for example, with my family,” said Katia. “So, it is scary for us – it is very strong that they will learn, that they will not let go of our languages.”