A group of Jasperites who immigrated to Canada shared personal stories about where they came from and what brought them to Jasper during a special event at the Jasper Adult Learning Centre, Dec. 18.
Coined “cultural conversations,” the event was an opportunity for the public to hear immigrants’ stories first hand.
“We have so many wonderful immigrants in our community and I think we would serve them well by being more interested in who they are, what they’ve left behind and what they bring to our community,” said Ginette Marcoux, the executive director of the adult learning centre.
She said the event was a small, yet important step, in fostering a more culturally sensitive and inclusive community and gaining a greater understanding of the immigrant experience in Canada.
“I think it allows us to be more compassionate, more understanding and more patient,” said Marcoux.
“It’s about being more culturally sensitive and trying to permeate this sense of curiosity about people that are from other countries in our community.”
The event included immigrants from the Philippines, India, South Korea, Costa Rica, Japan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Sitting at different tables, people rotated from one table to the next to hear people’s stories about how they got to Canada and what life was like back in their native countries. Following a question and answer period, there was a potluck with culturally diverse dishes.
“It’s all about knowing more about people and understanding them,” said Michael John, a Canadian citizen who immigrated to Canada from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13 years ago.
“It’s an opportunity for folks to learn more about my culture and where my country is located and maybe even check it out themselves.”
Those feelings were echoed by Pinky Kang, who originally immigrated from India.
“It’s really nice to meet everyone and learn about who they are and appreciate one another,” said Kang.
The event was the first of its kind in Jasper, but will likely become a more common occurrence next year with two Syrian refugee families coming to Jasper in the new year, explained Marcoux.
To help the Syrian families integrate into the community, the adult learning centre has applied for funding through the province’s Alberta Refugee Resettlement Grant Initiative.
The initiative will provide funding to municipalities, immigration agencies, and private sponsors to help prepare communities, like Jasper, to receive refugees and ensure the families have the support they need to successfully integrate into the community.
“Through the grant there is a big focus on community awareness so we will definitely see events like this in a much bigger forum,” said Marcoux, adding the centre has also applied for grants to support additional translation services.
“I think because they are coming it also gives us as a community an opportunity to really focus on creating welcoming and inclusive communities,” she said.
Paul Clarke
[email protected]
