"Exploring the Immigrant Experience: Life in Canada for Newcomers"
- Akin Kocyigit
- Feb 7, 2024
- 3 min read

The majority of people living in Canada are immigrants born outside the country. Canada is indeed a multicultural country. Basically, English, Irish, Scottish, German, Italian, Indian, and Chinese people are the dominant nationalities in Canada. The natives of the country are Indians.
The official languages of Canada are English and French. Senior civil servants are expected to speak both languages. While the majority of the provinces are subject to the English legal system, the province of Quebec is subject to the French legal system.
The advantages and disadvantages of a multicultural structure should be revealed together. In Canada, it is possible to hear all the languages spoken in the world in social life. Language is a very important factor that brings people together on common ground. In multicultural societies, language causes people to form their own minor social groups. In other words, someone of Arab origin will most likely have social friendships that come from Arab culture and speak their native language. The biggest disadvantage this creates is that the cultures within Canada's seemingly multicultural structure are foreign to each other. We believe that this creates loneliness among the immigrants.
People reach the psychology of migration due to their problems with the society they live in, economic reasons or, in general terms, the need to find something different and better. Of course, there may be exceptional examples. But basically, what is sought is better.
It cannot be easy for a person to establish bonds and connections after a certain age, by leaving his/her comfort zone that he/she will try to get used to. Therefore, the psychological problems this causes in immigrants are also quite common. Unfortunately, Canada will not greet people with a silver platter.
Over the years, the ego of people who have been rewarded for their efforts in telling the positive has caused their negative immigration experiences not to be shared. It is necessary to distinguish between self-confidence in telling the success story and self-confidence in covering up the failure stories. Although there are up to 1 million immigrants accepted to Canada every year, the fact that the country's population does not grow at the same pace is also statistical data that Canada has. Some of those who immigrate to the country perhaps leave the country.
While the aim is to live freely and in good conditions in a democratic country, unfortunately, for example, in the city of Toronto, the need for housing has become a major problem. Roommates are one of the most commonly used forms of accommodation. So much so that it was even possible to see a room-sharing advertisement where half of the single bed was rented (exception). People have to share apartments, which are one room and one living room, with 2 or 3 people. More affordable apartments ($2,000 and up) are rented without dishwashers, air conditioners, or washing machines. People wash clothes for extra money in laundries that they have to share with thousands of other people (more common than the exception). In situations where you want these opportunities to be your life, the tiny apartments you will rent will have monthly rents of $2,500 and above.
Therefore, the adventures of suburbians moving to big cities decades ago, who wanted to get rid of washing clothes in streams for a washing machine, come to mind. What was sought? It was, 'the better.'
The above-mentioned examples are the examples we give to present what we do honestly. Of course, we will also talk about good examples. While there is a transition phase for everyone without exception, you can get through this process faster depending on your professional status, experience or qualifications.
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