Showing posts with label immigrant youth. Show all posts
What Can Trudeau Do For Us?
On November 4 of 2015, Justin Trudeau of the Liberal Party of Canada assumed office as the country’s Prime Minister. Indeed, there was a mixture of reactions into it especially if you’re not a supporter of the liberal party or their ideology. Anyhow, as much as I hate doing the “us and them” mentality, I will talk about what some of us have in mind with respect to having a new Prime Minister: What can Justin Trudeau do for us youth immigrants.
As I scroll on the liberal party’s website (www.liberal.ca/realchange/) for their platform, I thought that Trudeau is pretty much aiming for equality. That’s actually good news for us because now we can be sure that equality and fairness is not only one of the priorities of the government but it is being valued as well. I also saw a handful of things that I think will have some impact on us (in a good way, of course).
Prime Minister’s Youth Advisory Council
First, on “young people”, Trudeau’s government is planning on creating a council that will give a “non-partisan advice” to the Prime Minister about issues Canada is facing. The council is going to be composed of young adults ages 16-24.
What this means for us
If Trudeau actually goes forward with this, this could be good news for not just us, immigrants, but to all youth. Indeed there are already a lot of group or initiatives that are consist of youth such as us, but a group or rather a council dedicated to giving advice to the Prime Minister is pretty big deal. Imagine if one of those members in the council is an immigrant like us, we will have that opportunity to give advice to the prime minister on issues that involve us. I just think that advice coming from the people who are actually going to be impacted by such issues are the best people to get an opinion from.
Renewed Youth Employment Strategy
Trudeau’s government plan on creating 40,000 youth jobs including 5,000 youth green jobs each year for the next three years.
What this means for us
Well, this means jobs! I know it may not be particularly hard for us to obtain a part time job, but what mostly draws me to this plan of Trudeau is the “green jobs”. It may not be that related to immigration issues, but I think that this is a good starting place for us to build connections and with people who share our interests. Moreover, it’s not as easy to get a job that concerns the environment as most of these jobs often involve the agencies of the government and government jobs.
Residency Time credit for International Students and Temporary Residents
Finally, Justin Trudeau plans on restoring the residency time credit for international students and temporary residents. Additionally, they will also the Canadian Experience Class to lessen immigration difficulties faced by international students.
What this means for us
I think this a great example of how Justin Trudeau is trying to show that Canada is indeed a nation of diversity. Trudeau’s making it easier for international students to become residents here. I have often encountered international students who are having trouble making friends because in their head, they’re international students – not a resident, but someone whose life here is unsure. They don’t know if they can join clubs or group that cater to immigration matters even when they intent to live here for the rest of their life because they’re labeled as international students. Now, if Justin Trudeau actually executes this plan, this will help international students on a more social and, I guess, emotional level. They would feel more welcome and be encouraged to be part of the community. They will be also perceived as someone who are here to contribute to Canada and not the stereotypical “leech” that gets more privileges in school just because they pay more.
Hopefully, Trudeau stays true to this platform. Although, we already see that he intends on doing so as he recently appointed a gender-equal cabinet. It’s nice to see that Canada is going back to its principles – welcoming people who want a new start in their lives. With regards to us immigrants, I think that Trudeau will not fail us since he’s also quite young himself. I know that’s rather an absurd assumption, but I just think that Trudeau should care about the youth as his age was one of the attacks that his opponents used on him, claiming that he is inexperienced. I hope that this will compel Trudeau to appreciate our opinion as he knows firsthand what if he feels like to be disregarded because of your age.
5 Myths About Refugees
Disclaimer: At VANITY Blog, we encourage youth immigrants to speak up and express themselves. This post does not necessarily reflect the views or beliefs of VANITY Blog as an organization.
On November 13, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks occurred in and around Paris, France. Reports of Syrian passport being found near the dead body of one of the terrorists have caused many to attribute the cause of this terrorism to Europe's acceptance of 700,000 refugees and migrants this year. Even though there is a possibility that this passport might have been just forged since it has not even been verified by officials yet, a lot of Canadians are already expressing worry over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan of resettling 25,000 refugees, saying that taking in refugees would only mean taking in terrorists. This is a groundless myth.
This post aims to dispel various myths about refugees by providing data and facts from credible sources.
Many local citizens disagree with taking in refugees because they believe that refugees will take their jobs, particularly the unskilled ones. This is actually a myth. Studies show that refugees actually play a big role not just in job creation, but in increasing the wages of locals as well. A study in 2014 shows that an increase in refugees in an area also increases the wages of people in that area. This may also be attributed to the likeliness of refugees to open businesses. Steve Jobs of Apple, Jerry Yang of Yahoo!, and Sergey Brin of Google are all refugees who have largely helped stimulate the economy of the United States.
Source: Washington Post
Source: NeverHome.ca
On November 13, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks occurred in and around Paris, France. Reports of Syrian passport being found near the dead body of one of the terrorists have caused many to attribute the cause of this terrorism to Europe's acceptance of 700,000 refugees and migrants this year. Even though there is a possibility that this passport might have been just forged since it has not even been verified by officials yet, a lot of Canadians are already expressing worry over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan of resettling 25,000 refugees, saying that taking in refugees would only mean taking in terrorists. This is a groundless myth.
This post aims to dispel various myths about refugees by providing data and facts from credible sources.
1) "Refugees will take away our jobs"
Many local citizens disagree with taking in refugees because they believe that refugees will take their jobs, particularly the unskilled ones. This is actually a myth. Studies show that refugees actually play a big role not just in job creation, but in increasing the wages of locals as well. A study in 2014 shows that an increase in refugees in an area also increases the wages of people in that area. This may also be attributed to the likeliness of refugees to open businesses. Steve Jobs of Apple, Jerry Yang of Yahoo!, and Sergey Brin of Google are all refugees who have largely helped stimulate the economy of the United States.
Source: Washington Post
2) "They are crowding our healthcare system and stealing our services"
Some people also think that refugees interfere with Canada's healthcare system and steal other governmental services from locals. In reality, there is highly restricited access to basic health care services for all refugees in Canada. In 2012, the federal government announced major cuts to the Interm Federal Health Program that drastically reduced refugee access to basic health care. Later that same year, the Federal Court of Canada ruled those changes to refugee health care as unconstitutional. The Government has appealed that decision and health care for refugees and migrants remains slim.
Furthermore, in 2012 alone, 19 Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) offices across the country were closed down by the federal government, limiting the services that refugees and immigrants can access.
Source: NeverHome.ca
3) “They come here and they don’t speak our language!”
The federal government, in 2012, ended their annual $22 million dollar agreement with the BC government. Vancouver Community College (VCC), which trains nearly half of the province’s 9,000 ESL students, won’t have enough money to continue its programs past 2015. Forcing them to fire 70 instructors. The provincial government will now have to pick up the cost for ESL education, like other provinces. Stalling the process of transition into the labour force for new immigrants.
In an interview with the Globe and Mail, a staff who has worked at VCC for 33 years said, “A number of [ESL students] don’t really know where to go. We’ve had this huge program for so many years, filling all these different kinds of needs – English for work, for academic purposes, and literacy programs – and that’s just not going to be around.”
Source: Times Colonist
4) “It’s not our problem. Our government has done enough.”
There is this looming belief among those against taking in more refugees that the Canadian government has done enough to help. According to CIC, Canada took 23,286 refugees in 2013. In that same year, less developed and geographically smaller countries like Pakistan, Iran, and Lebanon took 30 times as many refugees as Canada did. Canada only ranked 33rd in refugees per capita in 2012, taking in 5 refugees per 1,000 people. Syria, Jordan, Chad, and Lebanon all took more than 20 refugees per 1,000 people.
The newly elected Liberal government has stated that they would take 25,000 Syrian refugees. Before the Liberal government was elected, the plans of the federal government had been to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees within 12 months.
Sources: Canadian Council of Refugees and ISSofBC
5) "Refugees are terrorists!"
Many terrorist attacks this year--most especially the attacks in Paris this month that left the entire world dumbfounded--have led many Canadians to vocally raise their concerns about the security threat of bringing in 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of the year. Many Canadians have even signed a petition to ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to cancel his plan of resettling 25,000 refugees. Although I think that their concern around security is valid, there is insufficient evidence to support that bringing in refugees would mean Canada will be more prone to terrorist attacks. In fact, data and experts say that resettling refugees may actually do the opposite and decrease threats to Canadian security:
- *There is a three-level screening process that verifies the background and records of all refugees coming to Canada. First, refugees will be selected by the United Nations. Second, they will undergo an interview before they come to Canada. Third, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service will conduct their own front-end security screening to ensure that the information they have match with those submitted by the United Nations. This rigorous process exponentially decreases the risk of dangerous terrorists coming in to Canada
- *Terrorists attacks in Canada have been caused by local citizens. According to Global News, more than 263,000 refugees arrived in Canada between 2005 and 2014, but neither of the two terror-related attacks on Canadian soil last year were carried out by either refugees or immigrants; the attacks in St. Jean-sur-Richelieu and on Parliament Hill were both carried out by Canadian-born young men.
- *Delaying or cancelling our plans to resettle refugees may increase threat to national security. According to Anne Speckhard, Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Security Studies at Georgetown University, terrorists become terrorists because of exposure and pressure to adhere to radical and extremist ideals. Hence, the longer we leave the refugees in despair in conflict zones, the more prone they become to radicalization. This would only strengthen and solidify terrorist groups.
Sources: The New York Times, CTV News, and Canadian Council for Refugees
Man-made tragedies always generate public discussions that attempt to find out why they happen and figure out a solution to avoid that same tragedy happening again. Although I am a big supporter of utilizing social media as a venue for this public discussions, I am disappointed at how quickly some people have been using it to voice out their opinions without even looking at facts or thinking hard about the consequences of what they say. Hopefully this post serves as a reminder for everyone to avoid forming opinions without first looking at the facts.
(Editor's note: The graphics in this post were originally made for Check Your Head's Democracy Check Digital Media Campaign last month, and were made with the help of Katie and Rodney. Reuse and republication of these images were permitted by all the creators.)
- Sean
VANITY Blog is looking for Executive Board Members!
We are currently looking for talented immigrant youth and refugee youth to join our team! If you want to get invovled in your community, this is an awesome opportunity to make a difference! The full posting is below. If you have any questions, e-mail us at vanimmigrantyouthblog@gmail.com
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Organization: Vancouver Immigrant Youth (VANITY) Blog
Mission Statement:
We use the stories and experiences of immigrant
and refugee youth in Vancouver to inspire other young people who just newly
arrived in Canada. We help newcomer youth through three main ways: maintaining
a blog website for newcomer youth, organizing events for youth immigrants, and
interacting with youth immigrants through social media.
Position Description:
As an executive board member of VANITY blog, you
will be a part of a group who will be chiefly responsible in developing,
managing, and improving our blog website. You will be constantly working with
other 6-8 students to guarantee that our blog site remains appealing to young
audiences, make sure that each blog post published is exciting to read, and see
to it that our site becomes known by numerous students who are just starting to
settle in their new lives here in Canada. This could involve having a group
meeting once a month, holding weekly Skype and Facebook conversations to update
each other, and having an exclusive access to our blog account.
Aside from being a blog site, VANITY Blog is
also known for building communities through conducting workshops, organizing
events, and reaching out to youth through our social media channels.
So if you are a refugee, immigrant, and/or a
newcomer youth, DO NOT HESITATE TO APPLY TO BE A PART OF OUR EXECUTIVE BOARD!
Currently we are looking for people for the following positions:
·
Event Management Officers (Openings: 3)
·
Social Media Managers (Openings: 2)
·
School Ambassadors (Openings: 4)
·
Media Director (Opening: 1)
General Qualifications*
·
Refugee, immigrant, or newcomer youth (15-24
years old)
·
comfortable
in sharing his/her migration experience
·
passionate about inspiring other youth
·
Can balance studies and extra-curricular
activities
·
interested
in using social media as a tool to promote diversity
·
love for writing (whether in English or in your
own language!)
*These are just general qualifications. Specific positions require
different respective qualifications. Please go to http://bit.ly/vanityblogpositions to check
out the available positions and the position-specific requirements.
Benefits and Recognition
·
Valuable learning experience
·
Skill building: team collaboration, networking,
project management, etc.
·
Opportunity to meet new friends
·
Reference letters
·
Free tickets to youth events in Vancouver
Approximate Position Start
Date
September 25, 2015
Position Duration
10 months (September 2015 to June 2016)
Time Commitment
· *3-6
hours per week (flexible hours, most of this involves working online through
e-mail or Skype)
· *able
to attend meetings for two hours once every month!
To apply, please go to: http://bit.ly/vanityblogapply
Tips For High School New Immigrants
I’ve been writing advice articles for years, but every now and then new realizations hit me. Since I’m now older and wiser, I think and believe these new ideas of mine could help you guys and save you some time.
1. There is no shame in summer school
This shame in summer school belief may not be shared by everyone. From where I came from, summer school is somehow apprehended with a little bit of reluctance. Everybody knows that you’re there because you’re in remedial or repeating a class you failed. No one is there to do advance class. When I first got here, I almost cried when I found out I’m going to summer school. Then I realized, it was for the better. I was there to catch up with my credits so I could graduate in time. Moreover, no one should be ashamed in school during the summer. You’re doing it to better yourself, and, aside from that, you get to make new friends from different schools!
2. Eating alone in the hallway is not recommended
I know this may not sound true to introverts, but as a fellow introvert and an immigrant, it would only make you feel sad to eat alone during lunch break. When I was in high school, I never ate in the cafeteria. I never got the chance to meet someone new during lunch breaks. I remember once I was eating by myself in the stairwell. A sad background music is the only thing that’s missing to make a depressing emo music video. I thought to myself, "this has to stop". So I begged my high school counsellor to find me friends. Best decision I did in high school (and taking planning 10 online :P)
3. Decreasing your credit/term load is not always a good thing
When I got into grade 12, I finally got the chance to have free blocks. I thought I didn’t have to take classes that were not necessary. I thought all I needed really was English 12, the rest were electives. Boy, I was wrong. I wish I took an Accounting 12 or Pre-Calculus 12 then I would probably have something to write on my résumé as experience or have prerequisites for college courses. Although, spending all those hours reading in the library is a joy too. The caveat is know what credits or classes you need to take before embarking on a schedule with lots of free blocks.
4. Make friends outside your circle
For us immigrants, we tend to be friends with the same people like we are. How can that be wrong? We know that birds of the same feather flock together. I was content with the friends that I have in school that I never bothered making new ones in my classes. Now, I can literally say I only have six friends. I don’t have anyone to talk to when they’re busy. I didn’t have friends or even acquaintance in my classes that they weren’t in. Learn from my mistake and step out of your comfort zone and make new friends that are not immigrants like you. You’ll have more connections and more strings to pull when you need it in the future. I know that sounded like a crude business person advice, but we have to accept that connections are important in the adult world, especially when you’re an immigrant.
5. Your GPA does not define you
Like any other parents, mine want me to get good grades. B+ is not good enough. I get sad when I’m not in the honour roll even though I knew I worked hard. I got so obsessed with getting good grades that I was not learning anymore. Being in school should mean that we are learning life lessons that we can use when we’re done schooling. I got so fed up with only wanting high grades that I can’t even remember what I learned about last term. And when I finally got into the honour roll, it wasn’t much that gratifying. What’s a grade on a paper going to do when you’re finally out of school and have to do everything on your own? Besides, there are a lot of factors that determine your grades, and your intelligence is not the sole predictor of it.
I’m sure that sometime in the future, I will find some new realizations and I’ll be glad to share it with you again. For now, I encourage you guys to take these suggestions into consideration and keep your head high! High school is not a place to dread for! Good luck.
- Anonymeh
What's So Special About Vancouver?
 |
| Source: Jon Rawlinson |
As an immigrant coming from a third world
country, Vancouver is one of the best places on Earth. There are many reasons
to love the city--from its beauty, its opportunities, and its community. All of these things combined make the best
city ever.
Vancouver--British Columbia in general--is
SUCH a beautiful place. Have you seen the mountains? Have you seen the
waterfront? Have you seen the creative architecture of downtown? If you go on a
long drive toward any direction from where you are, I am sure there is
something amazing bound to be seen. We are blessed to have great beaches and
parks. Speaking of parks, did you know that our very own Stanley Park is named
as Top Park in the World according to TripAdvisor? Yup!
Most of us moved to Canada for a better
tomorrow. Although yes, the living expenses here are quite high, it’s still
something worth more than what we had. Vancouver is a place of opportunities-
may it be career-wise or education-wise or both.
My most favourite reason as to why
Vancouver is so awesome is its sense of community. For example, the Vancouver
Immigrant Youth Blog wouldn’t have been established if it wasn’t for a bunch of
new immigrant youth wanting to make a difference! And here in Vancouver, there
are numerous people who are inclined to change the world. Have you heard that
Vancouver is one of the greenest places on Earth (or at least trying to be
one)? Volunteerism is also on the incline because of all the beautiful,
selfless people inhabiting this little bubble of awesomeness. Vancouver is also
a diverse place. Everywhere you go, you meet a person of a different
background! I always like to compare Vancouver as a mall’s food court- you can
find food from all nationalities in one place! Vancouver is hundreds of
countries merged together in unity.
We are extremely lucky to live in such an
amazing place. I don’t know about you, but for me, Vancouver is the place to
be. So be grateful you live in a great city. Let’s also respect its beauty by
keeping it green and peaceful. Vancouver is definitely a place worth bragging
about.
To Vancouver, the city of rain
Jose
