Emily Jacir is a Palestinian American artist whose work addresses the plight of the Palestinian people through universal themes of home and community. Her artwork reveals to viewers the universal plight of human beings who suffer the loss of home and homeland. In which, I found an echo with her feeling about loss and confusion in cultural identity.
When I am thinking about community, I expect it is a place for everyone to grow by supporting each other. I know Vancouver already has done a great job on building multicultural community by facilitating colorful multicultural programs. However, let’s look at another side of Vancouver: the cost of living is increasingly out of reach for low-wage workers who are mostly new immigrants.
Vancouver is a place having special privileges for people who have potential networking connections for local people. Discrimination in employment still exists. In my first job, I didn’t get the same pay as other local people. But with the same qualifications, I am competent for a professional job in my homeland. Hence that makes me rethink citizenship as concept.
Painted in 2012 by J. Chen. As immigrants, we are like no-root dandelions flying around to find right places to plant ourselves.
Paula Nicho Cumez also speaks from the heart about immigrant rights in her Crossing Borders. Over the boarders, some people triumph, and some people fail. That’s how things go when someone leaves their place of born. Even I wasn’t forced to leave my country to Canada, I have strong feeling about people who leave their cherished home and migrate in order to survive.
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