Hello everybody! My name is Rajin Sidhu and I am a fourth-year student at the University of British Columbia pursuing a major in English Literature. This is my first experience with blogging and it has been very difficult to get used to for me so far, so please forgive if I have made any mistakes, I promise I will get better! This is also my first time taking an online course and I am very excited and nervous at the same time.

Is this what it means to be Canadian?

I am a first generation Canadian as both of my parents were born in India and moved to Canada in their adult years before I was born. Even though I was born in Canada, my childhood felt as if I was in India rather than Canada. I grew up in South Vancouver, in a predominantly Indo-Canadian community. I attended a Sikh private school during my early elementary years where we only learned about Sikhism and Indian history. My family would always tell me to remember my roots and where they came from and that India is the “motherland” and Canada is our “home”.

Last year I was fortunate enough to take a course at UBC titled English 405A – Canadian Drama, which was taught by Dr. Jerry Wasserman. I will never forget what he asked us during our first lecture – the first thing that he said to the class during our first lecture – What does it mean to be Canadian?  We studied many plays that looked at national identity, and the play that had the most impact on me was “Problem Child” by George F. Walker. It looks at the lives of two troubled characters who are trying to find themselves in a motel room. I can somewhat relate to this story because I too am trying to find out where I belong in this world in terms of my national identity.

I am excited to embark on this journey with my fellow classmates and read stories from others, and learn what it means to be a Canadian. At the end of this course I hope to have gained more appreciation for the first nations history and their influence on Canada. I can’t wait to share my insights and gain more from all of you! Let’s get this party started eh!!