Newcomers to Canada -- Your experiences?

[TheSpouse]

As a native-born Canadian I´m curious about what it´s like to be an immigrant to Canada. If you are an immigrant/newcomer to Canada, can you tell me:

1 - Was coming to Canada a good thing or a bad thing in your life, overall? Or mix of both?
2 - Do you find that Canadians are welcoming of immigrants in general, or are they xenophobic or rude to immigrants?
3 - What do you miss most about your home country? What do you like best about Canada?
4 - Where are you from (country or at least continent)?

Just curious about what it´s like -- thank you for any experiences you choose to share!

 

[haver]

Hi there,
The questions you are asking are not so simple as you think.
1 - I got what I wanted in Canada: safety for my family and myself. The bad things are English knowledge. It will never be my laguage because the most people I speak speaking my domestic language.
2 - I general I find Canadians as friendly and welcoming new immigrants. Some of them are rude and crazy or may be different mentality.
3 -
4 - Ukraine

 

[AlanWales]

1 - Was coming to Canada a good thing or a bad thing in your life, overall? Or mix of both?
A great thing, everything I wanted it to be, I had been waiting a long time for this to happen (years before being able to actually apply.
2 - Do you find that Canadians are welcoming of immigrants in general, or are they xenophobic or rude to immigrants?
I have had nothing but good experiences so far, everyone has been friendly, Canadians are, it seems a very polite populace.
3 - What do you miss most about your home country? What do you like best about Canada?
I miss very little about the UK, probably the only things are certain foods and brands which are not sold here.
4 - Where are you from (country or at least continent)?
From the UK, Wales to be precise.

 

[qorax]

As a native-born Canadian I´m curious about what it´s like to be an immigrant to Canada. If you are an immigrant/newcomer to Canada, can you tell me:

1 - Was coming to Canada a good thing or a bad thing in your life, overall? Or mix of both?
2 - Do you find that Canadians are welcoming of immigrants in general, or are they xenophobic or rude to immigrants?
3 - What do you miss most about your home country? What do you like best about Canada?
4 - Where are you from (country or at least continent)?

Just curious about what it´s like -- thank you for any experiences you choose to share!

...but, why do u ask?
Just being curious too...

 

[haver]

Sorry, correction:
2) In general, ...

3) I miss some friends with no replacemnets...

 

[thaiguy]

1 - Was coming to Canada a good thing or a bad thing in your life, overall? Or mix of both?
Bad. Couldn't find work. Ran out of money. Canada is not a good place to be poor.
2 - Do you find that Canadians are welcoming of immigrants in general, or are they xenophobic or rude to immigrants?
Generally welcoming. Only rude behind your back.
3 - What do you miss most about your home country? What do you like best about Canada?
Things were cheaper at home. Canada is modern but has the problems of a modern country - drug addicts, homelessness.
4 - Where are you from (country or at least continent)?
U.S. - yes, things are cheaper in the U.S. compared to CA. It's also easier to find work, and jobs pay more.

The fates are against me, I guess.

 

[cheguevera]

Thank for asking.

1. Was coming to Canada a good thing or a bad thing in your life, overall? Or mix of both?
Both! But, I have to say that Canada turnout to be really different from what I heard in the news or what I read on the internet.
2. Do you find that Canadians are welcoming of immigrants in general, or are they xenophobic or rude to immigrants?
There are two types of Canadians. One type composed of Caucasian and some other groups. I find that people from this group are very welcoming, very friendly, honest, helpful and treat others with respects. The other group is dominated by Chinese, Indians, and Koreans. This group tend to be very un-welcoming, racially biased and always try to benefit from you. Having lives in Asia, I recognize these attitudes. It is very unfortunate that immigrants are the one with the most deplorable behaviour.
3 - What do you miss most about your home country? What do you like best about Canada?
I like the multi-cultural environment of Canada. But, I wish that these communities were really integrated not just living side by side.

 

[angelbrat]

As a native-born Canadian I´m curious about what it´s like to be an immigrant to Canada. If you are an immigrant/newcomer to Canada, can you tell me:

1 - Was coming to Canada a good thing or a bad thing in your life, overall? Or mix of both?

The best thing ever.....my 15 year old son has a much better chance in life here and I get to stay with my Canadian partner win/win


2 - Do you find that Canadians are welcoming of immigrants in general, or are they xenophobic or rude to immigrants?

Canadians YES!!!!.....immigrants NO!!!!!....so far I have received more rudeness and ignorance from the East Indian community than I have ever had before. I am a white British women, and have had comments like..."why are you here?, you are from the UK, you are taking up Indian immigrant space....get back to UK"....seriously, these people are so racist I am not quite sure where to start.

3 - What do you miss most about your home country? What do you like best about Canada?

Branston pickle and real Leicester cheese

4 - Where are you from (country or at least continent)?

England

Just curious about what it´s like -- thank you for any experiences you choose to share!

 

[cheguevera]

Hi,

angelbrat! I am glad that your raised your voice against some very disturbing behavior by immigrants in Canada.
I have experienced the same racist behavior here in Vancouver especially from indians, koreans and chinese.
In my case, I spend more than 8 years in Asia and see that many people imported with them the very despicable attitude some of them practice home.
I strongly believe that Canada is not the place for that and those who expereience racial bias should and must speak about and the government should take the necessary steps to stop this early on.

cheguevera

 

[armandoy]

We have been in Canada ( Vancouver since 2005) and we have had a horrible experiance with Human rights , we Both are University Graduates with High Experiance in Live and we have been succesfull everywere we been, My wife had to validate her degree and when she passed with flying colour they asked her to take the full university test, she did and passed and was top graduate, then they asked her for cultural integration classes that she took , then they asked her for additional things and every time it is taking for ever , since 2005 she been batteling and all this was because when she applied for the inicial registration , the old man incharge hit on her and asked her for sex ( a tape recording of the answring machine message is available ) and she refused, he told her she will never get a job any were in canada, we have raised several complaints about this with all prove and documentation including a tape recording of the threats but nothing happen as the legal system here sucks even more and we been told it may take 3 years before some solution happen, meanwhile she is without a work and the costs of legal actions are very high and no one is willing to lend a hand since no one look at us as human but more as numbers and proceedurs , we have spend over 50,000 dollars till now in training, certifications and legal fees and nothing happend till now our bank account is over -20,000 and bills are still comming, Do not come to canada till you are sure of a job, Racism is a hidden system in Canada and specialy in Vancouver

Hi,

angelbrat! I am glad that your raised your voice against some very disturbing behavior by immigrants in Canada.
I have experienced the same racist behavior here in Vancouver especially from indians, koreans and chinese.
In my case, I spend more than 8 years in Asia and see that many people imported with them the very despicable attitude some of them practice home.
I strongly believe that Canada is not the place for that and those who expereience racial bias should and must speak about and the government should take the necessary steps to stop this early on.

cheguevera

 

[CharlotteJ]

some disturbing pittiful comments on here for sure. I am sorry to hear that some of you has been through some really unfortunate experiences.

Perhaps it is better for those who reply to also like some of you indicate where they did start settling, the city, town, region etc.

I know first handedly of some of my Canadian friends, yes, Canada-born people, that indeed Asian communities are truly ignorant, rude and distantive and always complaining about everything, specially the Indians and Chinese immigrants. In order to understand them, one should study their cultures and see that the one child policy in China and the class system in India/Pakistan/Bangladesh/Nepal all that spiced up with being considered emerging economies has resulted in such shameful behavior and off course Canada's government is to blame too that does not screen such better and hold them outside of the borders.

If one of them will tell me why I came here in the first place being an European myself, I shall repeat the question myself and wait for their reply before I answer. It is not rude, but you can at least start a dialogue and point out that Canada is not China or India, neither UK or USA. Either they like you or not. You should learn to take it all with a grain of salt, smile back and be friendly and ignore, ear in, ear out! You got other more important things to do and to take care of rather than allowing yourself to be put in a box or in the spotlight as danger.

I for one have learnt myself to speak their languages (at least a few words as to break the ice and respect their cultures) and that way, immediately change the whole attitude and direction of the conversation.

Perhaps you should try that too.

Having said that, I am sure this behavior is concentrated to places where you face more of the ignorant immigrants rather than the survival type. That is why I personally have never liked Vancouver that is famous for being an Asian city. Calgary vs Vancouver for example is like speaking of Canadian Oil vs Chinese Real Estate. so you go and figure.

Be yourself, find a way to break thorough the ice and start a dialogue. Do not provide people with too much information either. If they ask you what do you do or why did you come here? simply have an answer ready that does satisfy their thirst for a new subject or reason to blame others for their own failures and be good.

Moving to a new country such as Canada does not only mean to learn about the country itself, but Psychology too! ... learn human psychology and wave out all the misperceptions and ignore things that do not matter. I know, I for one, have been an immigrant before to a country with Nazi's and lots of hidden racism among the average Joe & Yolanda, so, I did my homework so I now can be just one of the many yet with a bigger heart!

 

[cheguevera]

Hi there,

Thank you guys for revealing something many people come across every day but keep quiet.
I lived in asian for about 8 years, and I can tell you that what I see here in vancouver is the importation of an evil behavior practiced by some people in their hometowns. And yes, Chinese, Indians (bangladeshi and pakistani) and some korean are leading in this trend.
I agree that the vancouver government should seriously look at this issue before its is too late. There has been problem between indians and chineses in the past, the government took decisive action, things stopped but didnot disappear. If anybody cannot embrace the social, and moral values of this country he or she should be send home.

peace

 

[doc28]

hi guys!
I guess some of u have a bad exp with asian communities. but i would like to tell u something that INDIA is a separate country with diverse cultures(it has so much diversity itself). Pakistan and bangladesh are separate countries with diff. culture. That's it. Please try to have more knowledge aba these countries as immigrants from these countries r moving to canada. But let me tell u cos of the immigration rules, FSW are more who r educated n skilled people. I hope things improve with this change in immigration policies.
doc

 

[cheguevera]

Hi there,

This is not about any specific group. It is about protecting the values that this country stand for. We do not want people who benefited for the hospitality that this country offered them to spread intolerance that exist in their countries or their home towns. If you come here bring the bet of you and live behind the worst.
The fact that the posts here are based on experience, rather than TV, making it very disturbing. The ultimate objective is to finger point those engaging in such behavior, hopefully they understand that there is no place here for that.

cheers

 

[Honolulu]

Mostly depressing stories.
So its not such a good country after all?