Canada is well known for its diverse population and is home for many individuals and families coming from across the globe. ‘Diaspora’ is a term that addresses the large-scale migration that groups of people have experienced upon leaving their home land. Diaspora addresses generations of people coming out of a homeland and immigration addresses the act of moving from one country to another. Although Canada has many diverse populations and communities, the dominant culture in Canada is white Anglo-Saxon. The act of a dominant culture absorbing another and trying to make it adapt to it is called assimilation. An example of assimilation is when European settlers came to Canada, tricked Indigenous people to giving them food and goods then forced them to convert to Christianity as well as forfeit their cultures and languages. By doing so, Indigenous people of Canada had to assimilate to the culture of European settlers.

• Colonialism – a system where settlers occupy land and benefit from it economically.
• Racism – a system that discriminates and deems races, other than White, as inferior.

• Folks emigrating to Canada from non-English speaking countries may have a difficult time being hired for jobs they are highly qualified for. Racism is also a barrier where newcomers are assumed to be inferior and are disrespected based off of having an accent, the colour of their skin, or the way folks dress. As a new arrival to Canada, some folks face difficulty gaining Canadian status. Without status, it is hard to find housing, access healthcare, or go to school.
• It is important to address that colonialism and racism also affect Indigenous individuals and nations on Turtle Island (now called North America). Although Indigenous people lived on this land first, the white settlers that dominated the land killed large numbers of Indigenous communities and forced Indigenous children into Residential Schools that were specifically made to assimilate them. Today, Indigenous people face much racism and discrimination. Indigenous peoples still do not have control over their land and face barriers to housing, water, healthcare, and education.
• Although Indigenous peoples and folks coming out of the diaspora face many barriers, newcomers and Canadian citizens that are descendants of diasporas still have access and benefit from the exploitation of Indigenous land.

• It is not okay to ask if someone is a Canadian citizen, what their status is, or their migration story. It is not okay to make fun of an accent or pretend to have an accent.
• It is never okay to tell someone to “Go back to where you came from.”
• Always ask for permission before talking about a culture you do not belong to.
• How do you address internalization of dominant cultures and bodies? You can provide books, media, and representation of non-white experiences.

Learning and Teaching Global Maters in Local Classrooms (Thornwood Public School)
A multi-cultural fairy tale (Steven Pecar)
11 books to teach kids about residential schools (Alex Mlynek)