That came close to home when I was getting gas the other night in Strathmore. The gas jockey, a fairly young guy in his mid-30s, turned out to actually be the owner. He not only was the owner of that particular station, but of two more – one in Taber, the other in Lethbridge. His roots were in Pakistan, and somewhere along the line, he and his family caught the dream of moving to a new land, and as a result, have become positive, ambitious members of our culture.
This is the way it should be when they come to Canada: move in, fit in, and buy in. This is part of the Canadian dream, the free entrepreneurial system that at least creates opportunities for economic advancement. Some of the greatest financial success stories have been written by impoverished immigrants who seized an opportunity here in Canada.
There is a richness in the diversity of nations that is woven into the fiber of this great country, and I not only want to encourage immigration, I want to actually expand it. The tension is found, on one hand, with the colour that they add to our culture and, on the other hand, blending it with what already exists.
Let's face it: We're all immigrants, some from a few generations ago, others from the USA where their grandparents pioneered the prairies, with others still in their formative years, having moved up from Mexico and Belize. A difference worth noting, as I see it, is that some of the immigrants bought into the vision of the new land, whereas others have tried to establish outposts of the old land they left. Clusters of cultural islands in the sea of Canadiana are good, not bad, but only so long as they are still part of the overall society.
Years ago in high school, I learned in that the USA was a melting pot, whereas Canada was a mosaic – at least when it came to immigration. Re-stated, most foreigners that came to the States adjusted to the American way of life; however, some of those that came to this country have tried to re-create their own. I think that the melting pot ideal has shifted in the USA, especially with all the so-called illegals (Spanish-speaking immigrants).
I love my country and I want to share it with the world. I just don't want to be Ireland West or Peru North, for example. I want the Irish and Peruvians to come here and become one of us. I don't even want them to become Irish-Canadian or Peruvian-Canadians, for example. (Don't get me going on the term "French-Canadian"; a rich heritage, indeed, but please drop the divisiveness.)
If people choose to come to Canada – and the more the merrier – let them come on our terms. For the sake of argument, try re-locating to, say, Russia, and demanding your own way of worshipping, communicating, and educating. You would be placed on the first plane out of the country, with a one-way ticket (and with hopefully enough gas to get across the Black Sea). Like my Pakistani acquaintance, to fit into that culture, I would need to move in, fit in, and buy in. That's how successful immigration works.
It is a big country and there is room for all of us. I have some really radical views on the connection between dying prairie towns and re-locating English-speaking foreigners to them. Even an interest-free loan, with some very rigid accountability, could be thrown in. I see a number of solutions with such a wise plan. But I will leave that for another day.
So it is Canada Day tomorrow. I wonder if our founding fathers, immigrants or children of immigrants themselves, of course, would have approved of this modern-day version of Canada. Somehow I think so, but they may have insisted upon many of the expectations that I have pointed out. A case in point would be how they opened up the prairies to the Europeans.
Happy birthday, Canada! May you age gracefully.
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