Episode 23: Integration - It Takes More Than Just Me
Coming to a new country can feel like having a new adventure - it might be exciting and mysterious. But it can also be very uncertain. How does someone make sense of a new culture, a new place, a new country? Integration is often left to the newcomer to Canada. But it takes more than just one person - it takes all of us.
Andrea and Hostion will talk about their ongoing journey of integration in Canada. They’ll talk about how it may feel easier to leave your heritage culture behind or even to isolate yourself because you're tired from trying to fit in, to be included and to feel at rest in your new country. Integration doesn’t really have an end. For it will always be a part of the immigrant, her new life and her every day experience. Integration requires grace and patience for ourselves and for other people. It’s a relationship of giving and receiving, of listening and making hospitable places for everyone we meet.
Episode Sources
Canada’s Settlement and Integration Model - Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada
‘Adjusting to a New Culture’ - John Berry’s Acculturation Model
W-Curve Adaptation Model - Researchgate
Quiz Sources
Canada’s Population Totals for 2023 - StatsCanada
Canada’s First Immigrants - Government of Canada