What it means to become Canadian
O CANADA: It’s not just about beavers, bears and bacon
An authentic Canadian knows the country’s icons such as beavers and bears, wears a toque, says “eh,” and eats and drinks maple syrup, salmon, poutine and Canadian bacon.
At least that’s according to A Guide to Becoming an Authentic Canadian, which was issued to 60 new citizens Wednesday.
But the biggest challenge for new Canadians, said Alden Habacon, director of Intercultural Understanding Strategy Development at the University of B.C., is to connect with the massive diversity and not engage in “bento box multiculturalism,” referring to the Japanese plates that segregate food items.
“All around us, this is happening in our communities,” Habacon said. “We have to overcome this complex and most important challenge. It begins with being a good neighbour and using your imagination.”
Hesham Mahrous, 29, said being open-minded was one of the toughest things he encountered when he arrived here from Egypt five years ago. Since then, he said, he has observed and learned how to joke and be “socially active,” which he expects has helped him avoid misunderstandings that tend to occur between different cultures.
“I see a lot of people who come here and aren’t into the culture,” Mahrous said. “It takes courage to grab on to that. You have to step in and not expect what you expect. I wasn’t open-minded until I came here.”
The new citizens, who pledged their allegiance, commitment and loyalty to the country at Canada Place on Wednesday, came here from 29 different countries and for a myriad of reasons.
Some, like Lucie Davidova, 31, and Rosa Maria Longoria, 35, never intended to stay when they first arrived, but fell in love with the country and its people.
Others, like Judith Arana, came here for love, following a Canadian man to his homeland.
Dikshika Ramjug, 13, and Updashna Ramjug, 15, meanwhile, left Mauritius with their family in search of education and freedom and say they have found it easy to fit in.
“I’m really happy; it feels good,” Updashna said.
Citizenship Judge Trang Nguyen told new citizens they should not lose their own culture, but to embrace what it means to be Canadian, noting peace, freedom and respect were among the pillars of Canadian citizenship.
“You are the new citizens of the best country in the world,” she said.
Habacon, who moved to Canada from the Philippines when he was two, told the newcomers they would subtly change and be influenced by Canadians, but would not realize it until they travelled outside the country and came back again.
He experienced this himself when he visited the Philippines and felt an instant connection to the land and the people “who all looked like me.”
But after being there for a while, he realized his perspective had changed, that he didn’t see the world in the same way as they did.
“I was undeniably Canadian,” he said. “These great Canadian values will force you to change.”
Mahrous, an engineer, said he has already started to change. He opted to become a Canadian citizen, he added, for the privilege to vote and be fully involved in the Canadian culture. For him, along with the Ramjug girls, being Canadian goes beyond the icons and the food to the core of who Canadians are.
“A Canadian is a very nice person, very friendly, very welcoming, very generous,” Mahrous said. “They’re always serving you food. These are the kinds of qualities that made me want to be like them.”
For some, such as Andrey Volkov, being Canadian comes straight from the heart.
“You can be a Canadian if you feel it here,” said Volkov, 25, as he thumped his chest. “For me, it’s a privilege, to have access to the whole world.”
Volkov added Canada’s multiculturalism is “really unique and a true opportunity to experience and learn about other people and open your mind.”
“My father wanted to give this to me because this is once-ina-lifetime,” he said. “Not everybody can have this.”