Oscar

“Canada is one of those places which with a really big emphasis on multiculturalism. I feel like [it lets me be] Canadian while also being Chinese, you kinda get the best of both worlds”

How do second-generation immigrants stay in touch with their culture? Being the first in their family to have grown up completely isolated from their homeland, their relationship with their heritage is built upon stories, lessons, and history passed down from their parents and grandparents rather than the richness of experiencing it firsthand. As a part of this first collection, I interviewed a grade 11 Markham student, Oscar, to share his experiences with moving to Canada.

The first topic that came to both of our minds was language. If you can’t speak it, how can you understand the subtler details of your culture?

“So I can have a pretty basic conversation, but if you get all philosophical, I probably couldn’t go too far. So there’s a lot of thought that goes into that for most people. Personally, I think it’s really nice to know more about my personal culture and background. So I definitely like to learn, or reinforce what I know, to really feel the connection between my family home away from home.”

Despite spending a large portion of his childhood away from China, curiously, he never felt disconnected from his culture.

“I feel like since a lot of kids that come over to Canada early or who are raised here aren’t as strong with their mother tongue as those who immigrate here, so a lot of secondary language courses that are offered in high schools around the area are pretty helpful for most people. They have teachers that speak the language and are usually from those places that really help you reconnect with some things you’d otherwise be missing out on. In grade school as well, they would give us textbooks and little readings that would teach us about different customs and history about China and whatnot.”

“I feel like there hasn’t been too much that I've missed out on other than the really heavy academic culture. But otherwise, a lot of the celebrations and festivals are here in Canada, especially in, neighborhoods in the GTA where it's really Asian heavy.”

For many immigrants, the transition to move to Canada becomes less intimidating thanks to the already existing foundation laid out by established communities. The prominent presence of cultural hubs such as Little Italy, Chinatown, and K-Town, combined with the multicultural and accepting identity of Canadian culture itself, makes Canada one of the most welcoming nations on Earth.

“Canada is one of those places which places a really big emphasis on multiculturalism, which is why I think having all these different festivals – not just the Chinese; we have Hindu festivals, Muslim celebrations, and all sorts of acknowledgements towards different ethnicities and religions – is a pretty great way to get to know people. I feel like [it lets me be] Canadian while also being Chinese, you kinda get the best of both worlds.”

As the interview went on, I discovered a shared passion for exploring our cultures’ food. But Oscar brought up an interesting perspective beyond just the typical use of ingredients.

Taste of Asia, Canada's largest Asian festival in Markham, Ontario.

“I personally am a bit of a foodie, so I really like staying in touch that way. I like personally to try some food, and to see where that takes me. And from the food, you kind of get an understanding of where it comes from because different ingredients and the way they make it can really tell you about a person’s background, especially if you can see certain inscriptions or details on pots or pans or glassware they use. The tools they have to pair the ingredients.”

“One more was the Taste of Asia. Not only is there a bunch of Chinese food, you get to see a lot of performances going on. They have a big stage, and the cool thing is that the Markham Mayor knows how to sing a song or two in Chinese. It's always entertaining to be there and watch.”

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti at the Taste of Asia Festival.

Even if just for campaigning, seeing politicians being able to celebrate the traditions of their constituents does make a meaningful impact and impression, especially in terms of breaking down the traditional image of politicians and increasing trust between citizens and their government. 

“I feel like it's pretty cool to see these people of power celebrate culture. A lot of people enjoy it. So it really shows you that the mayor really cares about all of the Chinese people in the community that you go all the way to learn how to sing this really difficult song for someone who’s never really spoken Chinese before.”

The impact that governments have on promoting multiculturalism cannot be understated. From supporting and funding after school foreign language classes behind the scenes to directly campaigning at cultural gatherings, politicians have the ability to instill trust within the community.

We also covered some of the key cultural hubs around the Greater Toronto Area. Having physical locations to bring the community together was something that I’ve always taken for granted, but Oscar’s anecdotes from his childhood changed my perspective. For many people, these gatherings offer immigrants a direct connection back home, to recreate many of the overlooked elements and the subtler points of many cultures. These gatherings allow immigrants to be fully immersed in their heritage, returning back to their hometowns even if just for a moment.

Pacific Mall, a predominantly Asian shopping centre in Markham, Ontario.

“There’s Pacific Mall where [a lot] of Asian culture is. I remember going there when I was younger. Other than all the phone cases that are scattered around every other shop, there’s quite a bit of cultural things you can find here and there. There was this one year where they did performances. They had dancers, singers, and then they also have, well, the decor had a bit of a message itself. It was just kind of celebrating the heritage of the place, Pacific Mall, you know?”

“That’s the nice part about being in Canada. But like keeping in touch with Chinese culture [is easy] since there’s a lot of big neighborhoods with heavy Chinese populations. It’s not really that hard to stay in touch with that sort of thing, because let’s say you go to the park on a Saturday morning. You can probably see a few old aunties and uncles dancing in the square or doing Tai Chi or they’ll sometimes come up to you and start a conversation. So I don’t really feel disconnected from either end or feel heavily influenced by one over the other.”

In recent years, an increasing trend of anti-multiculturalism has emerged. This belief that strengthening one’s connections to their ethnic/religious background somehow takes away from their Canadian identity; that they’re not Canadian first. But that cannot be further from the truth. Forcing one's ethnic identity only induces resentment and hatred, something that isn’t closely aligned with the values of the true Canadian. Canada’s openness to multiculturalism allows newcomers to slowly grow attached to–and to become proud of–their Canadian identity.