Project Overview

This project is part of a broader examination of the meaning of citizenship in Canada. It explores citizenship narratives and how people think about those narratives, with a focus on the relationship between citizenship and Truth and Reconciliation.

What is citizenship?

We begin with the premise that citizenship is more than legal status. Citizenship also represents a collective identity that is imagined through, and reproduced by, state-sponsored narratives of nationhood and belonging.

Narratives of citizenship are taught and reinforced by various institutions throughout one’s life. For newcomers, cultural orientation, language classes, and citizenship study guides and tests play a key role in conveying these narratives.

Government-sponsored narratives of citizenship often differ from lived experience. They can obscure inequities in access and belonging. They can also foster a selective form of patriotism that overlooks historical realities like colonialism.

What does citizenship mean for newcomers to Canada?

Working in partnership with two Vancouver-based immigrant-serving organizations (MOSAIC and YMCA BC), we recruited newcomers who had previously participated in citizenship-related classes or programs.

Participants shared their insights through photo narratives. We incorporated data from a survey, participant-generated photos and written reflections, and paired interviews.

Research Question

How do newcomers learn, interpret, and engage with narratives of citizenship in Canada?

Photo taken outside a citizenship test preparation class offered by YMCA BC at Vancouver Community College (January 2025)