To me, there is nothing more paradoxical than when people associate immigrants with laziness. I recognize that immigrants are not a monolith and do not all have the same story or personality. However, it just astounds me due to the fact that, generally, immigrants have to work harder than most people in order to make a living.
I always think about how brave my parents are. My dad was 20 years old when he decided to leave Canada to embark on a journey to Canada. He left behind everything he knew to reside in a place with no close family of his. He had to become fluent in a language that he wasn’t comfortable speaking and a country where he was a minority. After he was finished his engineering degree, he worked to ensure my Grandma and uncles were able to come to this country too.
The only person he had when he first arrived was my mother. They married before he came to Canada and wrote each other letters for a year before he was granted citizenship. They struggled emotionally and financially to be able to provide for themselves. They both accepted this burden because they believed Canada was their future. They wanted their children to have unlimited opportunities. Their sacrifice ultimately left a legacy in our family for generations to come. Our family will continue to flourish in Canada.
I am thankful for this, however, I know for a lot of children of immigrants, this comes with a lot of pressure. There is pressure to achieve greatness. There is pressure to go to university, whether or not that is something that the individual desires. External pressure to achieve these things may not necessarily be negative , and can be used as a motivation to reach their full potential . For children who don’t fit the mould, this pressure may cause stress. The child recognizes the great sacrifice their parents made, and harbours guilt over not fulfilling their parent’s dreams. There is also pressure to become immersed in both cultures. If you’re perceived as too “ Canadian” your family overseas chides you for forgetting your culture. If you’re perceived as too “cultured” or too drawn to the culture of your homeland, you encounter more racism and it makes it more difficult to fit in. Immigrants push themselves and their children to do everything with their heart and soul, they want them to overcome any barriers they may face.