The Journey to Canada - Part 1
An immigrant's story by Brian Sankarsingh
For the folks who read my poetry you know that I tend to stay away from flowery meanderings preferring instead to write about everyday social issues that affect us all. One of those issues that is near to my heart is immigration. I am a first-generation immigrant and immigrated to Canada a long time ago. However, I still remember the struggle. I remember the sacrifice. The pain of separation from my family. The fear of being in a place unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. But I learned to live here and grew to love it.
This poem speaks about the immigrant at the beginning of his journey. Stay tuned next week for what it might be like some thirty years from now.
In the fullness of time, and the point of no return I wonder if this land will grow fruit or be barren Will this journey be worth, the troubles that I have faced? Yet, I made my decision to settle in this place Leaving my homeland, as a baby leaves the womb A few dollars, a dream, a sense of impending doom Stepping into a great and mysterious unknown Sounds like an epitaph that one would put on a tomb Urgently searching for something more than survival I set steel to my soul to make it unbreakable This fuel ignites a conflagration in my heart Ready to do anything to set myself apart My immigrant status does not diminish my worth It only identifies the country of my birth It does not make me "other" or "stranger" among you Our congruent aspirations show this to be true My love for this land isn't defined by my status These things are superficial and none of them matter Nor my speech, cultural norms or even my colour They just serve to complement our Canadian milieu I do not want your pity, handouts or a head start See me for who I am, gift me with your open heart
Bio: Brian Sankarsingh is a Trinidadian-born Canadian immigrant who moved to Canada in the 1980s. He describes himself as an accidental poet, with a passion for advocacy and a penchant for prose, an unapologetic style, he offers his poetry as social and political commentary.
A very powerful and enlightening poem that captures how much of a huge undertaking that journey is. I recently thought about my parents leaving their home countries to move to England, then Canada, and I wondered if they thought it was ultimately worth it. Integrating into Canadian culture plays out differently for different people, with a host of variables impacting how well (or not so well) the process goes. I'm so glad there's more coming on this; I look forward to reading the continuation.