Being Canadian

“When I am in Canada, I feel this is what the world should be like.” — Jane Fonda, actor

I am a proud Canadian. But I wasn’t born one. Instead, my citizenship was a gift.

My parents are immigrants. Mom was raised in rural China and spent time fleeing from the Communist government (the rule of Mao to be exact) by hiking through mountainous terrain, under the cover of darkness, in a bid to avoid encounters with armed guards. Dad, on the other hand, was raised in Hong Kong – a British colony at the time – where he held a good job in the medical field and lived a reasonably prosperous life.

With three kids in tow (my younger brother hadn’t yet been born), Mom and Dad decided to leave their families and everything they owned behind. After some discussion, and having struck Australia from their short list, they settled on Canada as the place where my siblings and I would hopefully have better lives.

For my parents, Canada is a place where opportunity, when coupled with hard work, will always lead to success. Mom spoke no English, but got a job as a sewing machine operator with GWG (later bought out by Levi Strauss). The company was good to her (and to the many other immigrants it employed) and so she stayed there until her retirement. Dad started off as a driving instructor (he wasn’t able to get a job in his field right away), while he studied auto mechanics full-time. He later got a job in the medical field and also opened his own auto repair shop, and essentially worked two full-time jobs for several years. Mom and Dad were determined. They toiled away, made some smart investments, and retired early.

Growing up, I always had a strong sense of my parents’ love and pride for their adopted country. For me, it manifested itself in a desire, at a young age, to work for the federal public service – a career path that both my parents and I considered noble. This desire then led to a conscious decision, at the age of 12, to seek to become fully bilingual, something I accomplished through courses in junior and senior high school, extra course loads in university, and immersion and work programs in Quebec.

My parents love this country. They never complained about taxes; always reminded me that our health care system, even with all its faults, is still superior to what you’d receive in any number of places; and impressed upon me that it is not only my civic duty, but also a privilege to vote. They also instilled in me a sense of national pride and cautioned me to never take our country and all of its opportunities for granted.

As a proud Canadian, I make it a point to participate in Canada Day activities. I encourage you to do the same!

Happy Canada Day!