#snowsuitfundsavedourasses

[anh-dinh]

Just a bunch of refugees experiencing Canadian winter for the first time #wasntprepared #snowsuitfundsavedourasses . . . Long post ahead. Had this photo on my phone and wanted to share my parents immigration story. It is nothing grandiose, just another story among many others but I think it's worthy to share given the current political climate. . . My parents were part of the last waves of Vietnamese refugees to arrive in Canada. They left Vietnam as wide-eyed newlyweds hoping for a better future, spent weeks floating in a rickety boat with dozen other hopefuls in the open ocean before finally being rescued by a Portuguese fishing boat. My brother and I were born in refugee camp, as many kids we know were. Having to pick between Canada or the UK, my parents chose Canada, specifically Ottawa to be 'under the direct eye/care of the government'. They came to Canada with nothing, knew nothing of our culture. For our first Halloween, my dad gave coins and eventually dollar bills because he didn't know why kids were knocking on our door. Now my parents ham it up by buying too much Halloween treats. They practically have Tim Horton's coffee flowing through their veins... Medium double double every single day for the last 15 years will do that to you. They are Canadian through and through but they still honour our Vietnamese heritage. . . With each new wave of newcomers, another layer is added to our culture. Today there are pho restaurants and endless interpretation of Vietnamese food, but when I was a kid, people were repulsed by the lunch my mom packed. Think of all the different cuisines and culture that were brought over by immigrants and refugees that have become integral to our Western way of life. Grabbing a bagel in the morning, dim sum for lunch, and then maybe late night kebabs. . . I hope in the coming days and months that these new waves of people entering the United States and Canada will be given the same opportunities as my family did. Who knows, maybe in 20 years, Syrian food will be the new hipster foods ✌️