In Naima’s blog post regarding our field trip to the Joy Kogawa fonds she brings up an important point, that Canada was not always a multicultural and accepting country. I think this can be exemplified throughout Canadian history, especially with the use of the Residential Schools and the treatment of First Nation’s people. It is easy to stereotype a country like Canada, to say that all of its people are nice and that Canada has always been full of peace and love. But I think it is important to look past that. Naima’s blog got me to think about other countries and how we stereotype them, like how Mexico and much of South America is associated with drugs, and the Middle East is associated with terror and violence. But this isn’t the case. Those stereotypes represent only a tiny fraction of the population occupying those areas, and those stereotypes apply to the whole world. It is time for people to stop viewing certain countries as good and others as bad. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone strives for forgiveness.

–Olivia Richardson