My Canadian Outlook

Canada is one of the leading countries that employ immigration as a means to increase the economy, population, and to fill gaps in the labor shortage. Around 500,000 immigrants are welcomed to Canada annually, and more than 8 million immigrants residing in the country as of 2022. Some would agree on how beneficial this concept is, and some would think differently.

Learning a different culture and lifestyle is like starting a new life despite the age difference. Most are flexible learners, but some would find it hard to deal with homesickness, lack of better opportunities, and work/home lifestyle. I was fortunate enough to have the capabilities to blend in with the new life I was dealt with and with those came observations. So, here are a few of the culture shocks I have experienced as a new and young immigrant.

Boundaries- Canadians are very strict with their boundaries and I don't just mean physical. Sure, they would hold a door for you, but back home, neighbors would be spending time leisurely, sharing gossip and almost every community would have an annual "fiesta" where everyone gathers for enjoyment along with big loads of food. A huge part of being a Filipino is the natural camaraderie that each individual possesses. Fortunately, the Filipino community here still practices these types of gatherings, and when visitors are invited, the most common reaction would be, "There is so much food here!".

Sex Education- One of the things I really appreciate about Canada is its openness to safe sex and responsible choices. To have a conversation regarding this issue would be downgraded back home, which is why the Philippines has such a high rate of HIV/AIDS due to poor and mismanaged funds to help educate the young about the repercussions of unsafe and unprotected sex.

Back to Zero- Starting school at a lower level you accomplished before migrating felt demeaning. I have known many professionals from back home who had to start from scratch, completely wiped out of all the credentials they have received, and worked with low-level positions that were not inclined to their careers. However, we immigrants are still fortunate to get these positions because, with this income, it is actually a liveable salary.

Climate- Coming from a small country, the Canadian climate will really test your resiliency. Only in Canada, you would see people shoveling or walking in winter with shorts on, Canadians truly are a different breed. As someone who is from a tropical country, I always rethink my decision of moving here because I am not built for the harsh winters Canadians experience on a regular basis.

Body-shaming- Filipinos always have a way of dehumanizing young individuals by pointing out body image. As shameful as it is, Filipinos will literally point out your body issues and act as if nothing is wrong with that. Living here in Canada was a breath of fresh air where I could talk to a friend or a chosen family and not feel ashamed about how I looked or how much my body changed. This was the place where I learned it is not okay to be humiliated like that, whether they mean it or not. Unfortunately, some Filipinos still practice this.

Mental Health- Taboo is the word I would describe this in Filipino culture. If you say to your family that you have issues with your mental health, the common response would be, “No, you’re not, you just need to pray more”. The lack of support for mental health awareness back home is tragic. A lot of immigrants have undiagnosed depression, anxiety, and many more mental health problems because this type of issue is unrecognized. Filipinos like to brand themselves as resilient despite facing multiple traumatic experiences whether due to controllable factors or not. The amount of support the Canadian government has provided for its citizens is something I wish we had in my country.

English- When I migrated here to Canada, I was complimented on how good my English skills were. I believe this is a platform where I can fully say, Filipinos have access to private schools where English is taught very well. We are also one of the countries that supply ELT (English Language Teachers) to other countries. Historically, the country was colonized by the United States of America back in the 1890s for 48 years. With that amount of time, Americans influenced the Philippines in multiple ways such as the school system, separation of religion and government, introduced English as one of its languages, and many more that are still practiced up to this point. It is also worth noting that Filipino names are mostly a mix of English or Spanish names due to the colonization of the two countries. Therefore, Filipinos don’t have “Filipino names” because our indigenous language and practices were erased during the years we were colonized.

No one wants to leave home. Most immigrants do not have a choice but to migrate for better opportunities which means Canada is our beacon of hope and I'm not exaggerating this. Third-world countries do not have the means to provide a better living to their citizens and it may be due to corruption, exploitation from colonizers, or lack of resources. In my six years of living here, I have learned so many things that I would not have known if I stayed back home, and I would not exchange it for anything else in the world (maybe for better weather but that will be in another conversation). As an outsider, Canadians have it so much better than how it felt back home. I might be on foreign soil, but Canada feels like home to me.