Immigrants . . .

[Utour]

I wanted to post a question to all of you folks out here and get your opinion on immigrants.
How you do people of kelowna and Okanagan valley look at immigrants who come to Canada from all over the world?

Would you be ok to be neighbors with someone who was not born in Canada?

Just curious to see some of your answers.

[Triple 6]

Of course! I love people born in the good ole' US of A!

[Snowbaby]

Well, my hubby is from England...as are a few other posters on here.

[Triple 6]

Well, my hubby is from England...as are a few other posters on here.

Oh right, there's Saxon, Baba too. So England - Good!

[Fancy]

I'd say "WELCOME"!!

[Utour]

Keep the posts coming I really want to see what we come up to in a day or two.

Thanks

[AlanH]

Landed Immigrants become Canadians sooner or later. I have befriended many people in many cultures, and what brings a tear to my eye with pride, is hearing someone studying for their citizenship, and speaking at how great a Country we have here. I am glad that the test is so in depth, a good portion of Canadians would fail it miserably. I love Canada's diversity, and love how well our cultures get along most of the time.

In school, I went to the principals office in grade 9, because the teacher went around the room, asking what Nationality everyone was. Many answers, German, French, British, American, Russian... He finally asked me what my Nationality was, I stood up, placed my hand on my heart, and proudly stated "Canadian". The teacher, was not impressed, apparently this was the point of his lesson, certainly my Mother and father were German, and Finnish, but I was born right here in Canada. Apparently he thought I knew what he was going to ask, so figured I was being disruptive. The principal got an earful from me about why I was a Canadian, and just how proud I was to be one. I received a written apology from my teacher. My parents, and Grand parents brought me up loving this land.

My children, one in grade 4, and the other in grade two have friends of many cultures as well, the school does one heck of a good job with getting the kids involved with a taste of the traditions of differing cultures. Canada day always brings tears to my eyes, it reminds me of my Grandfathers stories of having to come to Canada with nothing, and how great we have it here, he had more pride in saying he was Canadian than anything, and that is because he earned the title. I still to this day pass on to my children his stories.

I never forget, and always treasure the luck, and pride I have in being born here. I will never take for granted that this is my home, as for immigrants, I welcome them with open arms, and hope that some day they too will be able to say with a tear in their eye, I AM CANADIAN!

Sorry for the long reply, but it's a subject close to my heart, right after my Family, comes my Country.

[LoneWolf_53]

I'm an immigrant and there are plenty of other people here in the same boat.

This area has people from all over the place.

I've encountered folks from Iran, Pakistan, England, Australia, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Romania, Russia, India, Taiwan, China, Philippines, USA, Colombia, Ukraine, and probably some places I've forgotten.

For the most part we all seem to get along and I for one care more about a person's character than where they were born.

[crash 99]

I've encountered folks from Iran, Pakistan, England, Australia, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Romania, Russia, India, Taiwan, China, Philippines, USA, Colombia, and probably some places I've forgotten.

For the most part we all seem to get along and I for one care more about a person's character than where they were born.

[Utour]

You guys...
Well I gotta post again then.
I will explain myself and I hope I can make it short.
I was not born in Canada...
People would call me an immigrant, but I consider myself a Canadian. I posted this question to see what kind of response I would get from you folk out west and I'm really happy to see you being so open.
Living here in Ontario I hear it all the time that someone is Italian, Someone is Indian and someone is Russian. I always asked, why not Canadian??? I came to this country to be part of it, not to bring the old world where I was born here with me. Isn't it the point why people come here, because they want to be part of this country???
I changed my name (legally) and people say "well that's stupid" "you should remember your heritage, where you came from" I say, well I like where I am much better than where I came from and I want to be part of the people's lives who are around me and not have them try to fit into my past life.

Often I am not understood here. See I think at one point cultural diversity reaches such a point that the point of being Canadian is lost. We want to show that we're open to all backgrounds and so on, well this is great. But WHY, WHY someone who comes to this country and lives here and enjoys all the benefits of this country would not show a little love to it, by putting a Canadian flag on their house? You see that in US all the time? I don't see this in Ontario too often.

I was called an immigrant on other thread today, it didn't feel good. I know when you talk to me I'll have a little, just a little accent. But don't you hear the same when you travel down south to US?

All in all, I'm happy to see that you folks are welcoming. I hope that my family can make a lot of great friends among you if we move to Kelowna.

[LoneWolf_53]

I changed my name (legally) and people say "well that's stupid" "you should remember your heritage, where you came from" I say, well I like where I am much better than where I came from and I want to be part of the people's lives who are around me and not have them try to fit into my past life.

I had a really nice Ukrainian neigbour for a while so I figure if the name had as many consonants in it as his did you probably made a very wise decision.

[trapp]

For me I have always welcomed immigrants.

Talk about shedding a tear, this is my story. Hope it's not too long.

My father volunteered with the Canadian army, The BCD's, and served overseas. My mother was an English war bride. I was born in England and because my father was a Canadian soldier overseas I am automatically a Canadian by birth even though born in England. At 8 months old, in 1946, I was brought to Canada by my mother, traveling alone to a strange country. The Soldiers returned home on separate troop ships. Landing in Halifax both my mother and I got Landed Immigrant status.

In 1986 I needed a passport to travel to Europe. I could not get a Canadian citizenship because my father did not have a birth certificate. A Conservative MP at the time even tried to help me but not in time. I ended up traveling on a British passport which I got in 3 days and picked up as I went though Toronto. The British Consulate hand delivered it to me. I gave up with a Canadian citizenship in disgust with the bureaucrats in Ottawa. The one I was dealing with could not hardly speak English and his only solution was for me to take the course and go before a judge with non Canadians. He refused to pass me over to a supervisor. ( this is certainly not an immigrant bashing statement, there are ignorant Canadians as well ). I was already Canadian, by birth, why would I want to become a Canadian all over again ?

last April I again made application. I sent a letter of explanation, my fathers army registration, baptism certificate, marriage certificate,( all showing he was Canadian ) a letter from my aunt ( his older sister ), my birth certificate showing my father as a Canadian, my mother's birth certificate, and my Landed Immigrant papers. Much of this documentation was sent in on my first attempt also. They would not accept my landed immigrant papers because they only accept a form from 1955, my form was too old, and there is no way of getting new papers.

Finally last Tuesday morning, the long awaited reply arrived, after 11 months. There was a plasticized Canadian Citizenship card, and a piece of paper with a file number, client ID, and certificate number on it telling me not to loose it. You have no idea how emotional I was. I wanted to run out and buy a Canadian flag and fly it in my yard. The provincial meeting I MC'd on the weekend opened with O Canada, I had tears running down my cheeks, as I have now typing this. Facing an audience of 200 people they must have thought " Now there's a proud Canadian ", and for once in my life I am.

[BriTer]

" Now there's a proud Canadian ", and for once in my life I am."
Trapp, from what little we know of you I doubt it was the first time.
Congratulations Trapp.

[eyepop]

I love people born in the good ole' US of A!, Oh right, there's Saxon, Baba too. So England - Good!

any others?

[Bsuds]

Both my neighbours are immigrants, one is from Portugal and the other is from Edmonton!

Like them both.