to Canada, she says. She credits her brother with first suggesting that she start up a recycling company. “My family was in recycling,” she says. “I said to myself, ‘That is where my interest is. Nobody {here in Canada} had this business yet.’ I confess, I did not have the vision {that recycling would be a wave of the future.} I did it by default. No employers wanted me.”
(Chinese Businesswoman Finds Freedom and Success in Vancouver’s Rubbish…1994)
After doing her costing on transportation, Leung realized that it would be profitable to ship paper to Asia’s Pacific Rim. In 1976, at 25 years of age, she started her business with two employees, $15,000 and a van. Initially, she purchased and shipped bales of paper that she bought in Canada. To increase the volume she convinced local politicians to let her provide homes in a few communities with blue bags that would hold old newspapers. Curb side recycling has become very much a part of everyday Canadian life but in 1982 Ms. Leung’s idea was Canada’s first successful attempt at municipal curb side recycling. “Today, Leung’s company employs more than 100 people at five collection centres that annually process more than 100,000 tons of paper, plastic, and metal for shipment to wherever she can get the best price” (Chinese Businesswoman Finds Freedom and Success in Vancouver’s Rubbish…1994). What does Ms. Leung like about Canada besides making money from recycling? “I always looked forward to Western-style living, gender equality – that is the prime factor that motivated me,” she says. “The freedom. That’s what I love most about Canada” (Chinese Businesswoman Finds Freedom and Success in Vancouver’s Rubbish…1994).
CHAPTER THREEGOING FOR THE GOLD
Enough About Other People’s Dreams; What About Yours?
No doubt, you have your own dreams. You may be having visions of buying a home, starting a business, or in the very near future, making a million dollars! For now, however, more pressing concerns may include finding a place to stay, a base from which you can transform your dreams into reality. To be sure, you would not be the first person to have come to Canada with the belief that the intelligence, tenacity, maturity, and other personal qualities that made you a success in your country and helped you survive what might have been a treacherous journey to these parts would also help you to succeed. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case. Such overconfidence has been the undoing of many an immigrant. Far too many have been blindsided in the benign looking environment of Canada, forcing them to abandon their dreams and to accept conditions of life that they would never have imagined a few years before. Not taking the time to understand the Canadian system and the underlying rules that govern life can be pricey in the long run. Taking the time to study the lay of the land, so to speak, will save you from the kind of mistakes that have sidelined many and turned them into bitter wrecks with nothing good to say about Canada.
Regardless of the motivation for migration, the excitement of living in Canada may have meant not giving enough thought to what the realities might be. You may have heard only the stories of milk and honey and those about the big, bright, boulder of gold that glistens through the four seasons, beckoning to all. While the potential immigrant might have acquired some information about the target country, there is no guarantee that such information will always match up with the reality. It is no doubt disappointing, for example, for people who envisioned living amiably in a new environment to find that not all neighbours are welcoming and that not everyone is happy to see them around.
Your First Year
Your first year in Canada might be one filled with emotions. On the one hand, you have exciting opportunities and challenges awaiting you, while on the other hand, you might look back with nostalgia on some of the more precious elements you left behind including the positive memories you have of your home country. Even though Canada may have extended a welcoming hand to you, it is possible that as an immigrant you will find yourself “in a social environment that is confusing, frustrating, and challenging. In most cases [immigrants] will find that holding the status of “immigrant” does not enhance their identity nor does it facilitate their ability to integrate into the host society” (Frideres 2002). You might feel that the best way to get a handle on your new life is to ponder about it from the safety of your room, home, or apartment. Whereas back home you may have been a minor celebrity in your neighbourhood, here in Canada you may be invisible even if you are a so-called visible minority! In your home country your brilliance may have blinded your teachers, parents, and friends but in Canada there are times when, in your dealings with people, you might wonder if they are not perhaps questioning your intelligence. Considering that even those who come to Canada with some French or English speaking ability sometimes have communication challenges the problem may be compounded for those who do not have the benefit of speaking one or the other of Canada’s two official languages: English and French. Do not hold yourself back, however, because of uncertainty about your use of one of Canada’s official languages.
It may seem safe to stick close to your own community whether in terms of race, ethnicity, religion or language. This is especially the case for those who have the benefit of a large ethnic community within which they can operate. For example, a Chinese living in Vancouver may be able to interact in the main with people from his or her background. It is possible to visit a Chinese doctor, eat Chinese food, speak Chinese on an almost daily basis and thus feel that there is really no need to interact with other Canadians. Young people, at any rate, sometimes find it much easier to embrace the notion of being Canadian, sometimes even rejecting the norms of their ethnic or national background. Even after you have become a citizen you might still have to answer questions related to your origins. In this matter, some are proud to identify their backgrounds while others might wonder why there is such a great emphasis on people’s origins. After all, aren’t we all now committed to Canada?
Don’t Prejudge
Just as you do not want people to prejudge you, give others the benefit of the doubt. Approach people with a positive expectation and you’re likely to be met with open arms. Making assumptions about people is dangerous. You may have heard stories of prejudice; don’t let that deter you because not everyone is prejudiced. If you need a job, go for it. Do not hold back on the assumption that you might not get it. If you approach any situation with confidence, you increase your chances manifold. A positive attitude is likely to take you much farther in Canada than a negative attitude will. Sometimes, it is possible to win simply by not entertaining the idea of failure. In any case, Canadians are far from being perfect. Thus, in some cases, one has to fight for one’s rights.
Be Aware
In Canada’s politically correct environment one has to continually pay attention to one’s choice of words. Don’t be surprised if someone snarls at you for using the word “disabled,” for example, which you know to be a perfectly good English word. “Physically-challenged” is the politically correct term. To avoid being accused of sexism you might want to say fire fighter instead of fireman, police officer instead of policeman. Resist the urge, however, to say, “person-hole” for manhole. Immerse yourself in your new environment and feel free to debate with other Canadians while remaining sensitive to others’ feelings.
You Can Achieve Your Dreams
Though Canada holds much promise for personal success and achievement, so often, people have come to Canada only to have their grandiose dreams shattered. It is not uncommon to see immigrants who have been in the country for, sometimes upwards of twenty years, feeling bitter at the “system” and at Canadians for erecting so many overt and covert barriers that the immigrant has virtually no chance to transform his dreams into reality. Some give up, cutting down their original vision to size and taking to existing on the back streets of society, as faceless, anonymous drones. Others may keep their hopes alive though the stark gap between their current
