I’m a Canadian, but I wasn’t always one. In my wallet, I have a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship which hasn’t ever come in handy except for being a second ID at bars. I feel fortunate that in all my ten years being Canadian, my citizenship has never been questioned, and I feel especially privileged when I look at how our neighbour, US, treat their own Middle-Eastern and Mexican citizens.
I’m South Korean, and my birth nation has faced colonization and oppression as well, but I consider that an event of the past. Of course, the mere existence of N.Korea is a reminder of the Japanese invasion and the meddling of USSR and USA, but my generation of Koreans just think of the North as our unfortunate neighbours. Most of the racism I’ve received came in the early years of living in Canada, and nowadays, (especially after moving to BC) it’s something that I rarely ever encounter. I do not consider my race as a disadvantage. This might be attributed to my improvement in the English language, but I do truly believe people are becoming more accepting (yes, even with all the bullshit in the US—call me an optimist). That doesn’t mean that I think we are in a great place yet. Even as Canadians, that usually like to think of ourselves as the defenders of human rights, still systematically mistreat our native population. Not too long ago, I found out that some hospitals are sterilizing native women without consent—often with government sponsorship.
I’m also an amateur writer, and I’m looking forward to learning about what it means to be a Canadian writer. I love this country, but at times, I feel confused and disconnected to its history and people—in which, the narrative seems to be in a constant state of flux. I’m hoping this course will help me understand that more. I do find it a bit strange that the course which says will teach us “to be able to recognize colonizing narratives and representations” has a reading list represented by mostly Caucasian people. There are, thankfully, a couple of Native writers in that list, but I was hoping for a bit more diverse list, as, to me, seeing viewpoints from many different races is important in studying Canada. Still, I’m excited to be learning about Canadian literature, and I look forward to discussing it with all of you!
Citations
Parker, Courtney. “AN ACT OF GENOCIDE: CANADA’S COERCED STERILIZATION OF FIRST NATIONS WOMEN.” Intercontinental Cry, Center for World Indigenous Studies, 15 Nov. 2018, intercontinentalcry.org/canadas-coerced-sterilization-of-first-nations-women/.
The Canadian Press. “Canada ‘Clear, Strong’ with Saudi Arabia on Human Rights, Trudeau Says.” The Star, Toronto Star Newspapers, 12 Oct. 2018, www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/10/12/canada-clear-strong-with-saudi-arabia-on-human-rights-trudeau-says.html.
Hello J.T.
I appreciated the way you introduced yourself, as not always having been of Canadian citizenship, but still feel a sense of belonging and acceptance here in what is marketed as a multi-cultural country. Your point on the reading list for this class being mostly Caucasian is especially poignant, considering how many different races and cultures fall under what it means to be Canadian and/or live in Canada. How do you feel your Korean heritage combines with your Canadian citizenship? If we were to study a book on yours, or your families story, what unique insight would that give to Canadian history?
Hi Sandra!
Thanks for reading my blog. I think you can see from this class alone that we are made up of many different backgrounds and I think that’s awesome. Even though we are so different, we share our current home together—it’s a cool thought.
I feel that my cultures combine quite well, especially as more and more people are discovering Korea through media (K-pop, food, movies, tv, etc). I remember when I was younger, people would always think I was from a communist country because all they’ve heard about Korea was of the North and the nukes. I’ve always had a Korean community to turn to if I wanted one, which usually came in the form of churches, but it is easy to find Korean people/food/culture in Canada if you know where to look.
It’s interesting to think about how my family’s story could provide some kind of insight into Canadian history, but I guess we are part of it now, aren’t we? I suppose the most “unique” element of my time here is the fact that I chose to write in a language that used to frustrate me to no end. I had a lot of hatred for English growing up as it led to lots of bullying and misunderstanding. Growing up and eventually connecting with language again has been a huge moment in my life.
Hey!
Thanks for this interesting blog. As someone who wasn’t born and raised in Canada as well, I agree with many points of this post. However, to share my own encounters with racism, I have to admit that I did experience it quite a lot growing up. From my Korean lunch box in middle school, to my participation in an exchange program in Quebec, to me just walking down the streets of Downtown Toronto; many of those situations ignited racial slurs as a foreigner.
It is so interesting how our neighbours, like you mentioned, treat their people so differently compared to Canada. It is noteworthy though that each province it extremely different when it comes to discrimination. Perhaps it is because Canada is such a big country with so many diverse cultures migrating to different areas. Based on my experience, I also wonder whether some provinces are doing a better job at being inclusive than others and what affects it. Is it the provincial government or does it depend on which cultures are trying to merge and become “Canadian”?
I’m curious to hear about your answer as someone who rarely encountered racism. I do embrace my memories of traveling across the country through all the beautiful provinces but the discrimination I encountered will always remain a part of my history here in Canada.
I would also like to thank you for the interesting yet terrifying article about the sterilization of Native women without consent. It is absolutely disgusting to see this happening in Canada to the first settlers of this land. Stereotyped as “inclusive”, “loving” and “kind”, our country definitely still has a long way to go when it comes to treating their own people well.
Anyhow, thanks again for this great blog. I am looking forward to another great entry and I will definitely visit again to check it out!
Hey Minhe,
Firstly, I would like to apologize for not considering my words more carefully, especially considering that I was touching a sensitive subject. I feel like I have misrepresented the experience of Korean-Canadians as a whole, and when I wrote what I did, I meant it to be of my own experiences.
As I said, I have faced racism in my early years in Canada, and lots of it. I agree that racism against Asians does exist. I can relate to your experience of being bullied for our food, I remember a rule that I had: no eating kimchi if I planned to go outside (even if I brushed). I remember my father getting called a chink as we were trying to leave a parking lot after enjoying the fireworks of our very first Canada Day… how’s that for national pride, eh? And a couple of years ago in Calgary, some passerby in a truck yelled at me to go back to my country. I remember these moments very clearly, and they too will forever be a part of me as well.
What I meant to say is that nowadays I don’t notice them as much anymore, and I hope you agree with me that they have become rarer as the years passed. I’ve also learned to shrug off racism because I learned that my emotional distress is exactly what racists want, and I refuse (when I succeed) to let them control me in any way.
Maybe I’m being stubborn in the same way when I say I don’t see my race as a disadvantage, as I refuse to believe that my Korean heritage will stop me from achieving what I want. But again, this is all me, because I know there are still Asians out there that face prejudice depending on where they live and what they desire to do (for example, Asian actors in western tv/movies).
Thanks for sharing your experiences with me and bringing these issues of my writing to my attention. I hope we will get to talk more throughout this course!
Hi J.T,
Thank you for sharing your story. As someone who was born in Korea and grew up in Canada, I can understand the racism that you have experienced. I was harshly faced with racism at a young age when I was in Toronto. I did not speak any English at the time, so they made fun of me for not being able to speak, the food I ate and the accents I had. But like you mentioned, I rarely encounter racism nowadays. I have a dual citizenship with Korea and Canada. This sometimes makes me very confused and like you said a little disconnected to Canada’s history and people. I do love this country and maybe a little more than Korea at some aspects but What does it mean to be a Canadian? Where can I fit into this narrative? Although I have been in this country for a long time, I know very little about it. As much as Canada today has become a multicultural nation, there still lies dark past with the Indigenous peoples.
Hey Cathy, thanks for reading!
As I’m beginning to think/study about this more, the more I’m beginning to understand that we create our own knowledge of being Canadian/Korean/Whatever. I had met a caucasian person the other day who had a Master’s in Asian History, and man, it felt a bit embarrassing talking to her because I knew nothing about Korea compared to her. Sometimes (thanks to modern society putting too much emphasis on academics) we feel like only by studying books, like history, we can know something. But that’s not true. Although I may not know about all the wars, kings, periods, historical artists in Korean history, I know what it feels like to go to my grandparent’s house in Busan for Seollal (lunar new year), be surrounded by cousins, playing yut with others my age, and enjoying that amazing food.
That experience is something a book can never teach us. You can probably show me how to have a good time in Toronto. Even if we don’t fit in with Canadians, who are they exactly? My mother and brother are (Korean) Canadians, and I fit with them. Maybe you hang out with other Korean-Canadians, and that is an experience people outside of our niche culture may never understand. Canada is a nation where we don’t have to be assimilated into the melting pot, but we inevitably end up rubbing cultures with everyone around us, creating infinite unique experiences. I think that may be one way we can fit into the Canadian narrative.