REFUGEE INTERVIEW SERIES: Hardest thing as a Newcomer to Canada?
Question : What was the hardest thing as a newcomer to Canada ?
Answer : Refugees come from a Prison like existence. We lived in fear constantly that Police would find us. If we went to an American Church in Thailand, we were afraid the Police will stop us and ask us for Documents. Often Police would go to Churches and look for Refugees. If we went to the Refugee Center to help others, we were afraid. No matter what we did or where we went ,we were always afraid.
Then we came to Canada and found other hard things to deal with. Different Culture. Different ways. Refugees assume that Canadians are happy to meet them and wish to become friends. After all they sponsored us into this country. That expectation was not realistic. It seemed to us that western people value independence and privacy over relationships and it makes life hard for newcomers. To us that was a real Culture Shock. We come from a Culture where we are never really alone. We are always surrounded by people. Newcomers try to understand how people communicate here .You wonder about a lot of things. You try to understand how people relate to each other .Most Newcomers have no relatives or friends.
It is not easy to adjust to the differences – it is a long process. We did not know where to Shop. We did not know how to open a Bank account. How to use Buses. Where to buy Bus Passes. I had to use YouTube to get advice for all these things.
Church people in Canada are really polite but it seemed they do not wish to get involved. It seems the Western Way is distant and impersonal. They seem to rely on text messages and emails but neglect personal contact. In Our Culture we interact daily and we do not do well alone. In Canada I had to learn to do that. It makes you feel tired because you try to learn so many things and try to understand new ways of doing things. Then Covid-19 hit the world and everyone was Isolated not just Refugees. But it added to our inner pressure of being in a new culture and not have anyone to talk to. It was hard.
Biggest help was getting a Job. I loved being around people and at work everyone was nice and friendly. I felt I could understand the Culture and people better. Interacting with others is very important. I learned a lot at work and made friends there. Everyone at work liked me and told me about their life and that was a good . I learned a lot from them. I love Canada and I am thankful I am here. But adjusting takes time.
I hope and pray people in the Western World learn to connect with each other. In Canada people have many material things but they seem to lack in human relationships. In Asian countries we have very little material things – but we have many close friendships .We value relationships . I Pray God changes things in the Western World. I Pray people learn to genuinely care for others and make time for each other.
