Tus xub thing Vaj kub siab heev kuv thaum kuv tuaj txog hauv cov neeg dawb huv John yog hais tias kuv mam li nco dheev pom tau hais tias kuv yog ib tug suav. Kuv yog zoo li cov neeg nyob ib ncig ntawm kuv. Lawv cov Canadians thiab kuv yog suav. I didn’t have this feeling when I was in China because all others were Chinese too.

Ces yog xav tau qhov txawv yog li cas. Maj, Kuv pom muaj qhov txawv yog nyob txhua qhov chaw! Piv txwv, Brian, Kuv leej niam leej txiv hauv homestay, kom kuv rau ib nab vam tom qab ib txhis suav noj kuv siav rau nws. Qhov chim siab rau nws lub ntsej muag tom qab kuv hais rau nws tias muaj tug tsis muaj khoom noj qab zib tom qab cov pluas noj rau suav los ua kuv tseem muaj kuv ua tej yam txaus ntshai heev. Hav, Nws yog ib tug big deal rau Canadians, cov khoom noj qab zib! Muaj cov piv txwv qhia cov nyuas txawv 175,000, especially between the East and the West.

Thawj ob peb xyoos, txhua yam kuv tau pom muaj qhov txawv ntawm kuv thiab lwm Canadians. Ntawd ua kuv kho kho siab thiab nyuaj yog. Txawm li cas los, cov qhov txhab uas muaj hnub nyoog thiab lub sij hawm, Kuv pom tau hais tias tag nrho cov kev txawv no yog lus tseeb thiab thiaj li muaj teeb meem tsis muaj kuv nyiam nws los tsis. Tseem, rau lwm cov tes, peb muaj kev zoo sib xws li sib txawv me ntsis ntxiv, Nws yog ib qho meaningfully ntxiv rau kuv mus nrhiav tau thiab los xyuam xim. Fundamentally, tag nrho cov hnub nyoog hlob thiab muaj tuag muaj ib hnub twg; peb yeej muaj tus kis txij ua ke mus ua ke; peb yeej tseem yuav hais goodbye rau cov neeg peb hlub thiab peb tej lawm yuav ua li cas peb ntxub ua. Peb muaj ntau tshaj ib yam li qhov txawv. Kuv zoo siab heev tias kuv pheej nrhiav tau lwm ntawd thiab txij hnub ntawd los tau, yuav muaj qhov xaus, Canada became my home.

Tsis ntau yuav qhia tau rau tam sim no qhov chaw txwv tiamsis kuj muaj ntau muab. Kuv hlub Canada thiab kuv xav zoo nyob ntawm no!

- Pab kev kho nyob rau hauv cov neeg dawb huv John, NB

-Duab: © EdArias

Zuj zus raws li qhov tus me nyuam txoj kev nyem heev. Yog thawj lo lus nug kuv twb yeej hais koj “where are you from?” Cov lus teb uas yooj yim yog Pakistan. Nws yog ib feem ntawm kuv. Besides, Kuv xav nyob hauv Canada tau yooj yim. Kuv twb hais kom tau ib tug “Paki”, niam txiv yuav tiv kuv tsis pub kuv mus sleepovers thiab tsos thiab kuv cov khaub ncaws tsw zoo ib yam li cov txuj lom Pakistani kuv niam siv nyob rau hauv peb cov zaub mov nws yog tshuaj Hmoob mus. I was caught between two worlds and didn’t know how to reconcile them.

Kuv tsis paub hais tias thaum nws tshwm sim, tiamsis sometime thaum kuv lub xyoo kawm ntawv qib qis, hais tias tias kuv yog los ntawm Pakistan tsis tau cov lus teb yooj yim muab. Kuv puas thiab lub neej nyob Canada pib paub zoo dua. Kuv niam thiab txiv thov nej tsam ces kuv mus nquam paj nquam nruas thiab pab txhawb rau kuv lub tsev tshiab thiab nco txog ib tus kuv nco. I remember attending my Citizenship Ceremony and excitedly telling my 5^th qib xib fwb Mrs. Burnett that I was now a Canadian.

I volunteered at an MPP’s office and had my first trip to Ottawa where I called my mom from the Peace Tower at the Parliament of Canada in awe of where I was standing.

Thaum kuv cuv xyoo nyob hauv University Toronto, Kuv pib taug kev thaum lub summers. Sia mus thoob ntiajteb ua nyob rau hauv tej zej zos ntau, Kuv twb nug cov nqe lus nug tib kuv twb tau kom koj nyob Canada “Where are you from?"Kuv teb, "ntawm Canada"

Cov nqe lus nug tom ntej no yog “Qhov twg yog koj tiag tiag los?"Hauv siab, tej zaum dismay, Kuv yuav teb, “Kuv yug hauv Pakistan, tiam sis kuv loj los hauv Canada”. I was very proud of my Pakistani birth and early years but I was also very sure that my home was now Canada.

Nyob rau hauv 2009, kuv tsev neeg txiav txim siab rov mus xyuas Pakistan. Kuv yog tus pog thiab tshee. Ua ntej peb tshuav Canada, Kuv nco ntsoov xav tsis muaj leej twg yuav nug kuv qhov chaw uas kuv tau los – Kuv hais lus npliag Urdu, wear the traditional shalwar kameez and will not stand out in a crowd.

Thaum peb lKoj tuaj qhov twg tuajahore, Mus nrog kuv tsev neeg thiab yuam kom tau ib chana phaj los ntawm ib txoj kev vendor. Kuv tab tom mus noj thaum tus poj niam lub suab qab kuv ntsiag to kom “APP kahan se hain?” lub ntsiab lus “Where are you from?”

Kuv ntseeg tsis tau tias nws. tsis nyob ntawm no!

Kuv yug xwb li ob peb teev tsav ntawm Lahore nyob hauv ib lub zos hu ua Sargodha. Kuv hais rau nws kuv tau los ntawm Pakistan. She wasn’t convinced and asked again.

kuv hais, “Kuv yug hauv Pakistan tab sis ntau zus hauv Canada.” Peb ntaus tuaj sib tham thiab sib noog sib tham txog peb lub neej nyob ntau qhov chaw hauv ntiaj teb. Kuv tsis tau pab tab sis xav tias tus neeg kuv puas yuav yog kuv tsev neeg yuav tsum tsis txhob tshuav Pakistan. Thaum kuv tuaj txog nram qab hauv Canada, Kuv tau pomzoo ntawm qhov unexplainable zoo nkaus li muaj “tsev” when I saw Toronto.

Hnub no, Kuv tseem tau nug koj seb koj nyob qhov twg kuv tuaj. Hais tias kuv yog Pakistani-Canadian yog cov yooj yim thiab cov lus teb txoj kev yog muab. Kuv kuj muaj tau yug los nyob ib sab ntawm lub ntiaj teb thiab nyiam ua nyob hauv ob peb puas muaj kuv, tiam sis Canada yog kuv lub tsev. Ua ke, ob qhov chaw tau ua kuv leej twg tau kuv thiab rau cov uas, I am grateful.

-Sadia hauv Mississauga

Thaum twg koj tawm hauv Liberia los khom hauv Canada, nws yuav tsis muab koj ntev mus cim tau qhov txawv ntau hauv culture. Ntau Liberians tom tsev rov qab yuav tsis pom zoo nrog kuv vim peb ntseeg tias peb cov culture yog zoo txuas rau North America vim lub teb chaws no yog tsim los ntawm cov dawb qhev nyob mem kuj. But it was quick for me to notice that our assertions are wrong.

Ntawm ib sab kuv lub teb chaws ntawm tus hauv paus chiv keeb, Kuv nyob hauv peb nyias teb chaws rau txawv peb continents tsis pub dhau lub xyoo caum lub xeem. Canada tam sim no yog plaub. Muab kuv kev, Nws yog ib qho yooj yim uas kuv qhia hais tias cov kev cai sib txawv. Cas tsis yog yooj yim, ho, twb ua rau kuv kho rau cov kev hloov hauv culture. This confirms a saying in my country that “old tree can’t be bind easily”.

Ob xyoos kuv muaj nyob rau hauv Canada, Kuv muaj struggled uas hu rau cov neeg uas lawv lub npe. Yog hais tias koj xav txog zej zog wherein laus yog cov muaj hnub nyoog ib cohort, nej yuav to taub dab tsi kuv yuav tsum mus txog txhua hnub. Tab sis, qhov no yuav tsis tau ib qho teeb meem rau kuv 8 lub xyoo laus nkauj uas tsiv los Canada thaum nws xwb 20 lub hli. Nws hu tau yooj yim rau ib tus neeg laus txog lub hnub nyoog uas nws pog los ntawm nws lub npe. Kuv ua rau lawv nws tias qhov twg peb tuaj hauv no yuav tsis pub. Peb ntseeg hais tias lub npe hu rau yog thawj kauj ruam hauv uas qhia kev "hwm". Ces leeg muab txuas mus saib lub hnub nyoog ntxi thiab leej twg cov npe. Yog li tag nrho cov niam txiv nyob rau hauv lub zos no txiv ntxawm los yog niam hlob. Tsis txhob hu ua ntej cov npe, I approach people without calling their name which at time looks awkward.

Tseem, Kuv sai pom tias tsiaj, yuav muab miv los yog ib feem ntawm ntau cov tsev neeg dog. Kuv qhuas cov tsiaj uas yuav kho li cas kom saib taus thiab hwm. Kuv yeej xav qhov nqi raising ib tus tsiaj, thiab xav thov txim rau phav phav tus neeg nyob hauv kuv lub teb chaws uas nyob rau ntawm ib duas tsawg tshaj li ib hnub. Qhov twg kuv tuaj, aub, thiab miv uas txawv. Txhua sij hawm, Kuv tus ntxhais twb qhia kuv nws xav ua ib Vet, Kuv xav tias nws yuav hais tau nws zus hauv Liberia. Vim tias Vet no tsis muaj hauj lwm tus me nyuam Liberia yuav npau suav txog vim cov tsiaj no tsis txhob coj mus vets. Besides, I can’t remember seeing a section in the groceries store for pet food.

Cas kuv qhuas tshaj txog cov neeg Atlantic Canada yog lawv cov hospitality thiab siabzoo li cas lawv tseem. Nws amazes kuv li cas cov neeg pib sib tham los tham txog huab cua. Lawv yeej mus li no, "peb muaj ib tug zoo hnub twg hnubno". No zoo piav tes piav taw, rau kuv, breaks all communication bearers and creates a platform for communication.

 - William nyob hauv cov neeg dawb huv John, NB

Although I already spoke English fluently when I came to Canada there were days of struggling with English awaiting me, along with French.

After 6 months living in Moncton, my wife and I moved to Ontario, due to job reson. We lived there for 2 years and 2 lub hli. It was different from New Brunswick. I went to English LINC course there.

It was winter when we moved to Ontario. Speaking of winter , where I originally came from we have only few days snow. It was tremendously shocking for me to see the amount of snow and thick ice. It was scary. All I thought about was “Why am I here?”

I only lived in Saint John for 19 days now but I think I like the good mix of culture here.

I certainly have been home sick quite bad and have experienced some hard days coming from cultural differences as well but I can comfortably say that I am glad that I came here because I experienced something that I could not have experienced back home.

- Shigeki in Saint John,NBB

- Photo Credit:  Fred Chartrand, The Canadian Press

Kuv npe hu ua Sophie thiab kuv yog los ntawm Fabkis. Kuv tuaj txog hauv Canada dhau lub kaum hli ntuj, 2012 nyob rau hauv neeg dawb huv John. kuv nco qab thaum kuv tuaj txog, txhua leej txhua tus siv tau los nug cov lus nug no:

“Auj, koj yeej tsis Canadian? (vim yog kuv luag Iwm haiv neeg Fabkis txoj obviously), Koj yog Fabkis txoj, ntawm Moncton, Quebec tag lub zos? Ntawm Fabkis? Tiag tiag?! Vim li cas neeg dawb huv John?”

No mas, yeej ua kom ib tug hluas nkauj Fabkis txoj de neeg dawb huv John raws li nws lo lus thawj zaug nyob hauv Canada uas peb. Zoo kuv siv los teb: “Kuv nyuam qhuav sib ntxiv kuv tus tswv nyob rau Fabkis thiab nws yog ib lub sij hawm zoo meej rau kuv kom kuv cov thawj kev nyob rau hauv teb chaws txawv teb chaws, sab nraum kuv kev xav tsam, ib hom lus sib txawv, tiam sis nyob hauv lub teb chaws uas kuv tseem xav ua tsev.” Nws twb txawj tso dag heev npaum li cas tus neeg ntawd heev amazed tias kuv yog ib tug “real french”!

Qhov tseeb Canada heev rau kuv, ua ntej kuv los txog, txawv teb chaws teb chaws tab sis yeej zoo xws li cov Fabkis . Thiab zoo kiag li nyias!!

Ua ntej koj xav hais tias cov lus Fabkis txoj yog tib yam, but not at all…Koj xav tias koj yuav nrhiav tau tib hom zaub mtab sis tsis txhua all, thiab thaum kawg koj xav hais tias peb yuav muab ib yam “culture” tiam sis ho txawv kiag li tiag tiag!

Lub teb chaws no loj tiag tiag yog, qhov loj ntawm cov tsheb, txoj kev, tsob ntoo, lub tsev, Txawm tias cov zaub mov thiab ntim!

As a french person I will take the example of food.

Yog koj mus rau ib lub tsev noj mov, cov feem no loj tiag tiag. Tiam sis nws tseem tau yog hais tias koj tsis muaj tag koj tais koj nqa ib lub hnab aub dua! Koj yuav tsis pom qhov no nyob rau Fabkis. Txom nyem Canadian cov neeg los mus rau Fabkis, lub teb chaws uas zoo noj, thiab yuav khiav lub rooj tseem starving!

Dua, nyob rau hauv ib lub tsev loj, cov kev faib ua feem ntawm cov Kem no tsis zoo li qub. Aisles cov zaub tseem me heev, tab sis tus tej daim, pizza, coca kafes, cov khoom noj khov, qab zib, qua ntxi zaub mov yog ob zaug loj dua Fabkis. Kuv nco ntsoov kuv twb nrhiav chocolate tab ua kom kuv lub ncuav mog qab zib. Kuv nug ib tug neeg hauv khw thiab nws yuav tsom kuv lub “npaj noj ncuav mog qab zib”, Kuv hais tsis yog kuv xav yeej ci kuv ncuav mog qab zib, Nws hais rau kuv tiag? Tab sis cov uas txhua yam yuav npaj? Nws tsis paub kuv li kuv twb nrhiav tau. Qhov kev noj no txawv heev!

Tab sis tom qab muaj kev to taub txog tus nyob style, huab cua, enjoying kuj zoo ib feem ntawm cov khoom noj khoom haus zoo li cws hom loj, Canada yog ib lub teb chaws zoo kawg thiab uas koj tuaj yeem pib dua lub neej tshiab. Tej yam uas koj xav tau, koj yuav tau sim hauv Canada, and that’s why I fall in love with this country.

Zoo siab Tostxais Canada!

- Sophie nyob rau hauv cov neeg dawb huv John, NB

1) People in Saint John are very friendly, especially to newcomers.

2) There are not heavy traffic here and you have less chance to meet heavy traffic.

3) The climate here is better than any other cities in NB.

4) You can eat more fresh sea foods because it is seaside city.

Anyway, People are friendly is the most important reason for us to live here. After two days’ house hunting, we bought our house. Lots of friends cried that we had made a crazy decision but we never regret our decision. We are living a good life here and my daughter likes the schooling very much. Surely we try different sea foods very often.

This is my short story. Although it is not interesting, it is really true.

 - Jian in Saint John, NB

The Multicultural and Newcomers Resource Center here has played a huge role in my life here. You get to meet people from all walks of life, and appreciate the different cultures around you. I have since graduated and I am now working for a company I love thanks to the multicultural center. I am glad I came here and decided to make this a second home for me.

 - Victoria in Saint John, NB

Kuv yog pog tiag tiag li kuv twb yuav mus ua daus thawj zaug nyob hauv kuv lub neej. Heev yog thawj hnub ntawm lub tsev kawm ntawv, Nws yog storming. Kuv zaum lub caij nplooj zeeg ob peb lub sij hawm rau qhov uas lub tsev kawm ntawv rau hnub ntawd. Tus mob khaub thuas yog unbearable rau kuv. Tseem kuv pom nws muaj kev lom zem rau puag saum cov huab cua. Qhov tseem zoo nkauj tshaj plaws kuv enjoyed tom qab no los yog cov ib puag ncig ntawm lub tsev kawm ntawv. Txhua leej txhua tus yeej ces cuag thiab pab. Kuv muaj kev koom tes nrog cov sib txawv txawv qws rau hauv lub tsev kawm ntawv. Uas muab rau kuv lub sijhawm mus ntsib ntau phooj ywg ntawm qhov sib txawv ntawm lub ntiaj teb no. Kuv tabtom thiaj foom koob hmoov rau kom kuv ob tug zoo phooj ywg uas kuv tau ntsib hauv University of New Brunswick neeg dawb huv no John. One is from Canada another one is from UAE.

Tom qab kuv kawm tiav tiav kuv, Kuv tau muab kev koom tes nrog tus neeg dawb huv John Multicultural thiab tuaj tshiab Resource Center. Ntawm nov dua kuv ntsib los ntawm thaj av ntawd los ntawm cov kev ua si sib txawv muaj neeg coob heev. Tom qab no, kuv nyuam qhuav txav los rau neeg dawb huv John, Kuv muaj lub sijhawm los kawm txog nyias culture, food and I am enjoying it every bit of it.

 - Nazma nyob rau hauv cov neeg dawb huv John, NB

About a month after that trip, I was hired at the University of New Brunswick (Saint John campus) in the International Office. They must have really liked what I had to say about the Cuban culture because at that time, that was it for any multicultural experience. I remember on my first day thinking that this was going to be so crazy, working directly with international students, because I didn’t have any multicultural background and, again, had never really left Saint John. By the end of the first day, ho, I knew that I had found my passion.

Over the next 7 years, I had the opportunity to meet students from all over the world. I took private lessons in Korean and Mandarin. I attended every multicultural event on campus. I studied and completed my Teaching English as a Second Language certificate and tutored international students. (I still keep in contact with many, including my first student, Yuki from Japan.) I also had the opportunity to travel as part of my job at UNBSJ and I visited 11 countries in two years. I learned so much during this time (including the fact that the world is so small…..after having met a man from Sussex, NB, teaching in Chile!). Although I do not work at UNBSJ anymore, I am still quite close to a number of international students – many of whom have graduated now. Some have moved out of the Province, but many are still in New Brunswick, including Vicky from Kenya who graduated and now works full-time at the Royal Bank.

Through her work, Vicky has met many people who know me (which is not too hard b/c, again, I have been in Saint John all of my life) and she always tells people what I did for HER. Little does she know what SHE has done for me! I continue to learn so much from Vicky and others; my passion for multiculturalism never waivers. Thiab, it is, no doubt, because of my love of international students like Vicky that I took a position – I was one of the first two people hired – to start the Saint John Multicultural and Newcomers Resource Centre, where I still work today.

- Mary in Saint JohnNBNB

One day the father of two little boys approached me and asked if I might give his sons more English-sounding names.   My own opinion was that they might want to keep their names in order to hold onto something familiar in this new place.  But their father was adamant.

Xav txog tej no tam sim no, Kuv twb paub lawm tias leej txiv thiab kuv tau ob yam kho cov npe raws li kev cai cim – lawv txiv xav cov npe uas yuav pab tau nws tus tub zoo rau hauv no nyuas tshiab, and I was thinking about their names connecting them to the culture they had left behind.

Kuv thiaj muab qhov teeb meem tiag. Mulling nws nyob rau ntawm ib qho chaw twg los ntawm tus Rockies ob peb hnub tom qab, I hit on two names that were as close sounding as I could come to the names they had arrived with.

Xyoo kuv muaj cai thiab marveled ntawm cov nyiaj thiab txiav txim ntawm cov tsev neeg Nyab Laj thiab muab cia nrhau, work hard and thrive in their new home.   I wonder how Ian and Neil have fared with the names they were given as they launched into their Canadian lives.  I hope they’ve served them well.

- Niam Mab Liab nyob hauv Alberta

- Diam duab daim credit: neeg tawg rog awaiting thauj hauv nkoj nuv ntses; PH2 Phil Eggman [Public sau], ntawm Wikimedia Commons