[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZhbmNob3IuZm0lMkZhbm5pY2tiaXNzYWludGhlJTJGZW1iZWQlMkZlcGlzb2RlcyUyRkVwaXNvZGUtMS1UaGUtZGVmaW5pdGlvbi1vZi10aGUtd29yZC1JbW1pZ3JhbnQtZTl2MGRuJTJGYS1hMTk0bTF1JTIyJTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTIyMTAycHglMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjQwMHB4JTIyJTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjIwJTIyJTIwc2Nyb2xsaW5nJTNEJTIybm8lMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZpZnJhbWUlM0U=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Episode 1_ Definition of the word immigrant
Welcome to the Immigrant Dilemma podcast. Thank you so much for listening to the first episode and today I’m happy to start with my simple question, what does it mean to be an immigrant? So we all know that there are many social differences and perceptions when using the word immigrant. So I’m just giving you some little time here to think about this and see if I’m wrong. I found a Bob Dylan song named PD, the poor immigrant, I honestly didn’t know this song. And I think it’s just explained so well what I’m trying to say here. So I took some lyrics from it, and I’m going to cite them right now.
It says, pities the poor immigrant Whose strength is spent in a thing whose heaven is like our insides, whose tears are like rain, Who eats but is not satisfied, who hears but there’s not see who falls in love with wealth itself and turn his back on me. You thought I was going to sing this right? But Sorry to disappoint you, I am not a singer. Now you can listen to a short piece of music from Bob Dylan called a PD immigrant.
Bob Dylan clearly portrays here the poor, immigrant or refugee. So in other words, being an immigrant is often related to being desperate. So what I’ve done to clarify things, I want to find your research, and I did, I found a study from the Hoover Institution from Stanford University, I’m going to start a lot of parts that I found very interesting, and try to ask questions for you to ask yourself the question, and so we can create a debate. So the first one, it says that never has immigrant to the west been more confused. So basically, they’re going to explain why, how, and why aren’t really confused. So that’s really the goal of this postcard is to understand that we also understand throughout the research that there are that little intention and perception of knowing that immigration always goes to one single direction it moves from the non-Western countries to the west, it’s only one direction only saying the word immigrants. It’s not for the western going to non-Western countries, and it might be upset in some people’s minds. So I think it was very interesting when he explained that because it’s, it is kind of true, there’s a little bit of Trumps in it. And also immigrant, they kept saying that it means poor and desperate, non-Western people that are leaving their homes for a better life. And usually these people, these non-Western countries are like in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. So they’re coming from a different culture to go to a host country. And these host countries are usually Europe and United States.
I myself added Canada here, Canada was not mentioned. So we often get this image of immigrants leaving everything in their own lives to come for a better one. I think, no matter when this research was done today, it’s kind of like a little social issue here. It’s a perception. I think that so many people have had perceptions. And going with this idea of finding a better life isn’t always true. From the immigrant perspective, and immigrant from non-Western perspective, itn’t always doesn’t really feel like home at a certain point. And from the other way, I really want to understand both sides here. Moreover, I say read and as I get into the research, I understand the Western tradition, the definition of it. So it’s always based on embracing constitutional government having personal freedom, free-market economics. It’s always about the importance of private property, religious tolerance.
That’s what’s part of Western traditions, free expression. Having an independent judiciary. There’s little room for debate here. It’s not always true. Artists tradition is always respected. That’s my question here. So that list can go on and on and on. Just besides Western values, basically, are the reasons why immigrants are allowed to enjoy security and freedom. The restrictions of the word unknown in their abandoned homeland, to use the word unknown seriously. So we understand as well that the people in the host country often face the fact of not wanting to judge these other places it is, as it is explained in the research, all the non-Western countries are called other places in the world. So, do keep explaining that they don’t want to be judgy. They don’t want to say anything, to offend people from other cultures. And I feel like even though they don’t want to do it, but it’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy, I didn’t want to offend the other cultures, and they keep doing it, and on and on, and on and on, it keeps just same thing, same thing every year. That’s really my personal feeling here. And so I found that was really interesting. And they also felt the need for the immigrants from this non-western country to become one of them and understand time, they kind of have mixed feelings. Do you want to non-Western parents become one of them? Do the non-Western immigrants have to become one of them? Do they have a choice?
These are the questions that came up to my mind. So in the end, he really is it better than a home facing all his issues is a better deal. So I guess here, it’s based on everyone’s priorities and what we’re looking for, I think we should define what better life and it shouldn’t be. It should be different for each person because each person has their own journey. And you just probably thought the same definition at all. I’m 100%. Sure. And also, we need to understand the circumstance of immigrants. So the consensus of the immigrants like people come to other countries for several reasons. And from the same culture, they could come for different reasons, which we should stop categorizing people in like one little box, I think that’s really my personal opinion here. But I have to say, My favorite part of the research is the following. I’m going to click time inside it for you really, really well. It says to note that most immigrants do not arrive with a natural empathy for the West. So in other words, they have no choice to leave their home, or abandoned home and come to the west. But at the same time, they have already a cultural history of the West, which is usually negative. They have emotional baggage that they’re bringing with them apart from their physical one of Izzy. So for example, in the research you really emphasize the fact that international surveys reveal that the United States, for example, as the host country is not popular in China, Latin America, or in the Middle East, for example.
And it could add that socially speaking, it’s also an issue in the Caribbean and African countries. If here, I’m talking about the host country, not just the United States, like if they go to Europe, for example. We all know the history and what it was all about the western decadence before that was based on cooling knowledge and imperialism and racism. So they’re coming to these host countries knowing that they’re going to face it, but still come. That’s my question is to the immigrants who came here who took the decision to come here knowing all this emotional baggage and cultural baggage is honestly cheered to them. And we can understand that socially, using the word immigrant is valid for Caribbean, Latin, Asian, Arabs, and Indians. I am the researcher who never mentioned them. Arch Jews part of that, too, we don’t know. But it’s often Caribbean, Latinos, Asians, Arabs, that’s 100% sure. But honestly, from what I remember, learning in school door, immigrants should be easily defined by the fact of moving from one country to another with the goal of living in it permanently. That was my own definition, to be 100% accurate. I’ve done a minimal effort by typing immigrant of definition on Google seriously, to not even waste my time. And it just took the first website that came up and I found Oxford Online external as I mentioned, an immigrant is a person who comes to leave permanently in a foreign country.
I was not far away from the truth. Anyways to be Hear, what I’m trying to say is that is a person from a European country coming to Canada. Is that person an immigrant? Right? Yes. Technically speaking, yes. Socially speaking, the perception. How does the Canadian How do the Canadians see the person from France, for example, we’re having a lot of French people coming to Canada, especially to Montreal, or to immigrants, on paper, yet socially? That’s really the focus of the book guys here is the perception is to social issue really, that’s what it is.
Compared to like, another non-western person was going to be more immigrant here. And we’re getting more and more immigration from west to West here. My question is that, is it smarter for Western immigrants? Someone from France? Maybe because they speak French? They come here to Metro, maybe any Italian? Who speaks Italian? coming here? Do they speak French? Does it speak English? Is it a smooth integration? No, let’s take the opposite way. If we’re taking a non-Western person who speaks French, for example, a Moroccan person, Asian person, in my case, the patient speaks French and Creole, they have both official languages of both languages. They speak French and Arabic. So when they already speak French, it’s easier for them. The same thing for Asians or they have to face other social issues such as racism. It’s, it’s just so heavy.
So all of this question, really, it’s, I think it’s just so fascinating. And I think it just speaks to me because I am an immigrant myself. I’m living it, I lived it, and probably will continue living it. I realized something while you’re doing the research for the first book, Gus. Even if we’re in this beautiful digital era with Google right next to our nose, while making the world feel so close together, we can say that many people are simply still ignorant
from both sides from Western countries and from non-Western countries, I would say. And they would probably remain like this forever because they just don’t want to change. I feel like they have reached a level of comfort and prosperity that makes them no longer need or even wish to understand the origin of their privilege and some kind of ways. Because you could have privileges coming from different parts of the world, whether it’s the West, or denote list.
So that’s episode one. I want to say something here. That’s super important for me. I’m asking questions and trying to be positive. I am really open to getting in comments and pinion, obviously, I should wait for positive and negative ones. I’m not saying that what I’m doing. It’s 100%. Great, and open for critiques. But there is something that’s very important for me, I really want to stay positive while doing this. Talking about immigration is not the easiest topic.
However, I chose this because I like it. I’m passionate about this. But I would like people to also be passionate about this, and respect everyone. I tried to not offend any culture. If there’s any kind of play, or you founded a culture, please don’t hesitate to send me a DM or private message. And I’ll definitely apologize and fix it if I can. So in my boat cuz I really, really want to keep the respect.
It’s my mantra. And I want to spread it around me. So thank you so much for listening to the Immigrant Dilemma podcast the first episode. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to feel free to share with us and have a great rest of the day. Wait for the next episode, and it will most likely be two weeks. Thank you so much and bye-bye[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”9″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1612308344377-5b7bcb92-6a63-9″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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