I bet you have a friend or family member with a hard working immigrant story.
Both sides of my family have lived in Canada so many generations that our family ís immigration story is lost.
This may be why I am so moved by hearing the stories of other families. ;
The individual risks and collective achievements, the endurance and personal resolve of those who came here seeking a fresh start are the basis for the narratives that built the richness of Canada ís history. ; ;
Often people tell me their refugee story after they find out that my doctoral topic is studying distance learners who, at the time of studying, were refugees, internally displaced persons, or asylum seekers. ; ;
The refugee stories they tell me are about the journeys of family members or friends. ; ;
What strikes me is that many Canadians are so close to these stories.
Here ís one of mine.
A friend, whom I met when we both worked in a bakery/restaurant, came to Canada as a refugee with no family, studied nursing while working as a baker, then studied medicine while working as a nurse, and has since become a practicing medical doctor in Canada.
I bet you have a friend or family member with a hard working immigrant story.
This year thousands of families who were once refugees, will resettle in Canada.
Once they touch Canadian soil, they will be ìhome, î albeit a new home. They will no longer be refugees. ;
These new families will begin the next chapter of their stories that will be written over the coming years and will be told for decades to come by their friends and family.
Peggy Lynn MacIsaac is a doctoral student at Athabasca University, researching distance education in emergency contexts with a focus on refugees.
