Canada is well known for having a mix of ethnic groups, languages and cultures that co-exist in society. This multi-cultural idea often referred to as a cultural mosaic or a salad bowl.
The salad bowl concept acts as a metaphor to Canada, since various components can combine to make a salad. Though Canada takes pride in having a diverse society, there are still hardships that foreigners face when moving.
Maria McNey moved to Canada from Portugal when she was 11. She explains how “it was really hard the last couple of weeks before I left knowing I wasn’t going to see my family ever again, even the houses as I was driving by places thinking wow I’m never going to see this street again or this house again”.
Since then, Maria has been able to go back a few times but at the time, she thought she would never come back. It’s tough moving with the thought of never seeing friends or family again.
Starting a home in a new country can be overwhelming, luckily now there’s social media to play a big role in staying connected. Social media helps those stay connected to familiar faces in a new place.
As there’s no way to eliminate hardships completely, Canada tries to help minimize difficult times by not inflicting pressure to abandon culture norms.
