Jimmy Christeas
Jimmy Christeas is so busy he won’t sit still for an interview, running back and forth from the cash to the backroom at Quinpool Shoe Repair, a business he has managed for 10 years and … Read more
The benefits of immigration we hear about most are those that meet our immediate and pressing needs – more people to bolster our aging population and fill labour gaps. We do not hear enough about the long-term benefits of immigration – the contributions made not only by newcomers, but also by their children. Research has shown that children of immigrants, or second-generation immigrants, make invaluable contributions to our communities and are very successful in their educational pursuits and employment. Making Waves – Stories of Second-Generation Immigrants gives voice to these remarkable stories.
Born and raised in Canada with a unique combination of global and local perspective, many have more than one or two languages to help them understand and engage in the world. All have two cultures to broaden their view of life. They are supported by highly motivated parents, eager to give their children the best of at least two worlds.
Second-generation immigrants are also first-generation Canadians. Their experience in local schools, playgrounds, community groups, workplaces, and sports teams gives them grounding in a reality different from their parents. They blend in so easily that we forget how they came to have unique combinations of skills and understanding. Throughout the history of Canada, second-generation immigrants have contributed to nation-building in diverse and unique ways.
These stories remind us that the benefits of immigration continue and grow through generations; that there are extraordinary Nova Scotians who enrich our province because their parents came here to start a new life.
Jimmy Christeas is so busy he won’t sit still for an interview, running back and forth from the cash to the backroom at Quinpool Shoe Repair, a business he has managed for 10 years and … Read more
Nineteen-year-old Manuel Moncayo-Adams is on a challenging journey to fully understand his Colombian heritage and how it affects his life. His Colombian-born father, a veterinarian, settled in Canada in 1988 after meeting and marrying Rose … Read more
Until he was school age, Labi Kousoulis had no idea his parents spoke English. “We only spoke Greek in the house,” says Labi, adding that he and his sister attended Greek school. “It was on … Read more
Perhaps David Hung is destined to become a doctor. After all, when he was six, his physician father, Dr. Orlando Hung, would take him and his little brother to the hospital. “He’d find the smallest … Read more
Bernadine Gerrits and her husband, Klaas, raised three children of their own and were foster parents to 22 others, something she mentions almost casually. Most were teenage girls. Some stayed overnight in emergency placements, many … Read more
Howard Ramos, son of an Ecuadorian immigrant, is an expert on the integration of immigrants and refugees in Canada. He grew up in Toronto, but didn’t focus on immigration until moving 14 years ago to … Read more
One day last year, Monica Mutale, her parents, three older sisters, brother-in-law, niece and nephew stood in the middle of their Cole Harbour street, holding hands, posing for a special family portrait. It was the … Read more
Maria Keselj’s wisdom, confidence, and accomplishment belies her 17 years. The grade-12 student, enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program, is her student council’s outreach coordinator, organizing fundraisers and volunteer opportunities. She edits her high-school newspaper, … Read more
Matthew Ngo, a physics teacher at Citadel High School, has good and bad memories of growing up in Spryfield with Vietnamese as his first language. “We had three Miss MacKenzies in elementary school, and they … Read more
When Reema Fuller was five, her family moved to India because of her father’s work opportunity. Since she spent her formative years there, Reema, felt she had two identities. “My dad traveled back and forth … Read more
One of Deputy Mayor Tony Mancini’s favourite assignments is attending citizenship ceremonies. “I get to tell the story of my parents; I’m happy to tell it,” says Tony. “And I ask them to go home … Read more
Sana Kavanagh laughs when she’s asked to describe herself. “I often say I’m a non-aboriginal Lebanese-Irish Cape Bretoner,” says Basma’s younger sister. She has worked at the Mi’kmaw Conservation Group, outside Truro, since 2012, as … Read more
For Basma Kavanagh, being an artist and poet was not on her parents’ agenda for their daughter’s future, but they grew to respect it. She discovered that on her Lebanese mother’s side, her grandfather was … Read more
Gerald Bermundo selects Alderney Landing to meet, a place that holds special memories. “I’m looking at my generation who grew up here and participated in multicultural events, and now watching a later generation doing what … Read more
When Jody Riggs was a teenager, he attended a conference about overseas Christian humanitarian work. “I decided I wanted to go overseas and work with people who didn’t have advantages we had,” says Jody. Later, … Read more
Amina Abawajy’s visits to her parents’ homeland of Ethiopia are special. “I feel at home there. We got to see our story before it started. And how we’re doing today is shaped by the decisions … Read more
Stan Kutcher’s parents made separate treacherous journeys to Canada from Ukraine after surviving World War II. “My dad somehow made his way as a young man to a deported persons’ camp in Germany, got into … Read more
Miia Suokonautio didn’t grow up with the familiar pressures of immigrant parents wanting their children to succeed because of their sacrifices. “They didn’t come here to make a better life; they came on an adventure, … Read more
Annie Chau recalls an episode in grade two when a substitute teacher sent her to the “English as a Second Language” class. “Here I was Canadian born, and grew up in the English language. My … Read more
Henk van Leeuwen has a special piece of paper — a receipt for a deposit on a ticket his newly married parents purchased in Rotterdam to sail to Canada in January 1963. “It was here … Read more
A young woman with a cause. That’s Habiba Cooper Diallo, who at 12 became concerned about “obstetric fistula,” a hole in the birth canal caused by long labour, especially among impoverished women. Now 22, Habiba … Read more
That I am here is because of so many wild links,” says Rena Kulczycki, Community Development Coordinator at HeartWood Centre for Community Youth Development. “It’s a pretty amazing story.” Rena’s father was born in Warsaw … Read more
Justice John Bodurtha vividly remembers the day last summer when he called his parents in Ontario to announce he had been appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. “My mother started screaming … Read more