TO OUR LOYAL READERS: A Heartfelt Thank You
To our incredible readers, today is Thanksgiving in Canada and we want to thank you for your unwavering support. Your engagement means the world to Neil and Brian.
In the spirit of sincere gratitude, we encourage you to find moments of thankfulness in your own lives. Even small things can bring immense joy. Take a moment today to appreciate what you have.
Now here’s today’s article.
As we follow our neighbours down the destructive trade war rabbit hole, we must remember our own DNA. As an immigrant, I had the choice of going to Canada or the USA. I chose Canada because I knew more about the country - we studied it in our geography class. Even though I had family in the US, and none in Canada, I chose Canada. When I came here and was despondent and alone, I had the option to go to the US and refused. It was only after some time that I realized one of the most significant differences in perspectives between the two countries. That epiphany served to drive home the fact that I had made the right decision. At that time, the US referred to all immigrants as Alien in their official documentation. Canada, referred to immigrants as…immigrants.
If you’ve been reading my work for even a brief time, you know that I believe in the power of words. The words we choose to use carry our soul to the ear of our audience. I was happy to be a Canadian immigrant and eventually a became proud Canadian. This may not be the country that I was born in, but it was the country that provided me with life.
I remember the conversation like it was yesterday;
“Mum, I want to leave Trinidad!”
Her response surprise me, “Okay, you can go to New York by your cousins. Do you want us to call them?“
I did not expect that. Now, as I think about it, I am not sure what I was expecting.
“No. I want to move to Canada.”
“But we don’t know many people there.”
“I understand, but I want to move to Canada.”
That simple, perceivably innocuous choice was the beginning of my journey. A choice to that, to this day, I have never regretted.
I find Canadians to be friendlier, welcoming … more …. humane. I found that humanity in the strangest of places. Immigration forms to the US refer to people like me as “aliens” while their Canadian counterpart refers to me as “landed immigrant.” Which would you prefer?
The word alien is defined as belonging to a foreign country or nation while immigrant is a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.
Do you see the difference?
Alien describes your “otherness” whilst immigrant describes your personhood and that - for me - makes the world of difference.
Here in Canada, I am a person among persons, and I am happy to be seen that way.
There, they call me alien I’m seen as different Unsure I’m home sapiens Reasoning fraught with dissonance Here, I am an immigrant Truly representing my actions Here they see no difference Just a migratory transaction There, is a meritocracy "Hard work" is the algorithm But that is an abject falsity It’s all about the nepotism Here, we depend on each other Shoulder to shoulder, hand to hand We may not be brothers But together we make a stand There, many value the supremacy Of one race over the other Belief in racial hegemony A story of the politics of colour Here, that’s also a question we face Asking whether racism is systemic Unafraid of having that debate We understand that racism is endemic Here religion and politics do not intermix We understand the need for their separation The mixture always ends in deep conflict And that always leads to division We share a border that unprotected After all we have so much in common But the place where we are disconnected Is that we see ALL people as human
Bio: Brian Sankarsingh is a poetic firebrand, a sharp, thoughtful storyteller who walks the crossroads where Caribbean folklore, social justice, and the human condition collide. He is a truth-seeker who questions political tribes, challenges lazy platitudes, and writes with a deep pulse of empathy, always pushing for nuance whether you're exploring grief, cultural identity, or the monsters that haunt cane fields and hearts alike. He blends advocacy and art seamlessly. He is part historian, part philosopher, part bard, driven by a hunger to illuminate overlooked stories and empower marginalized voices.
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