In 1964 Kuv tus txiv, 4-xyoo tus tub thiab kuv emigrated ntawm Scotland mus rau lub zos me me Ontario – Orillia, Stephen Leacock Mariposa. Peb twb nkag assimilated mus rau hauv pejxeem Caucasian dawb mas, ntau tau ob thiab peb lub cim xeeb leej xeeb ntxwv uas ntxov settlers. Nws yog ib qhov yooj yim hloov kom peb txav los ntawm ib lub teb chaws mus rau lwm. Peb tau txais thiab tau txais tos thaum muaj ob peb yim txoj txhob hais thiab Scotland nyob muaj twb nrog rau ib tug me, well established Italian community.

It was not the norm for aIl newcomers.

Nyob rau hauv 1967 I saw a young Asian couple with a little boy carrying their laundry to a nearby laundromat and commented to my husband on how strange and lonely it must be for them as they were the only Asian family in our small town. It turned out that the young man was a chemist who worked for the same company as my husband. He and his wife and son had just arrived from Seoul, South Korea so we decided to find out where they were living, and invite them to join us for a drive to show them the area. Their names were Yong and Jong Jin Song and their two-year-old son was named Sonny. Yong spoke English quite well but Jong, who was a teacher, spoke no English. They were living in a trailer park, having had difficulty renting suitable accommodation, due in part to their ethnicity.

After spending a delightful day driving them through the Muskoka area, a relationship developed that has lasted to this day. We laugh about that outing now. Jong and me sitting in the back of the car with our two small children, smiling and nodding to each other and not understanding a word either of us was saying, our seven year old son sitting between the men acting as translator for Yong as my husband had a very strong Scottish accent and Yong could not understand some words.  From that day we became their Canadian family.

We have shared their sorrow when Sonny was killed playing street hockey, their happiness when their three daughters were born and the day they became proud Canadian citizens. Over the years our lives and those of our children have been enriched through this friendship and learning of another culture.

It was our good fortune the day Jong and Yong said yes to that drive. Little did we know it was the beginning of a long and mutually enriching journey together.

- Audrey in Vancouver