You hear it all the time. Sometimes it’s a casual, “You ain’t from around here, are you?” to the downright vicious, “Go back to your own country!”
But what is it that drives some people crazy about outsiders arriving? (For the record, I’m not one of them. Canada is built on newcomers.)
My first instinct was to do a little digging into our evolution. Not surprisingly, there’s some evidence that humans (or at least our ancestors) are territorial. This is a common theme across the animal kingdom. This made sense back in prehistoric times, when resources weren’t able to be moved around as easily.
In other words, you had to be there in order to eat it. It made sense from a survival standpoint that we protected the food and water in our area until it ran dry.
But what about now, when food is shipped across the world, and we can buy bottles of water from almost any store? Does it still make sense for people to be xenophobic?
No. In fact, staying in one place for years or decades is actually counter to our evolution.
We’re historically more nomadic than sedentary
The notion that we are born and raised in one place is actually quite new — only about 12,000 years, says a BBC article. Before modern civilizations, we roamed around in tribes, looking for plants and animals to eat.
When predators came into our territory, we left. (This is perhaps similar to refugees seeking new countries when their governments become oppressive. They are literally following the patterns of our ancient cousins.)
However, somewhere deep in our history, we started seeing nomads as enemies. This, as the BBC points out, may be traced back to the Mongols, who roamed around conquering other civilizations in the 13th century. This seems to have created the long-lasting idea that all who wander are looking to kill (or assimilate), but we should know by now from logic that isn’t true.
From my experience, those who arrive in Canada from other countries are often grateful for the opportunity, looking to learn about our diverse culture. Even if newcomers aren’t actively trying to integrate with our “way of life” (there isn’t just one, as we’re a rich blend of cultures), they certainly haven’t been trying to steal my home.
One of the main arguments from newcomer naysayers is that they will take our jobs.
Yes, they’re taking jobs — the ones the rest of us don’t want
Statistics suggest that about 27.7% of the Canadian workforce is made up of immigrants, up from 25.7% in 2016 according to The Globe and Mail. However, most “true blood Canadians” wouldn’t ever have do the jobs they are complaining about losing.
From truck and taxi driving to food prep and delivery, I see a lot of recent immigrants doing these kinds of service jobs, along with those who have been in this country for some time.
Are newcomers taking over management positions at big companies? Well, I would say no, although the article notes that many immigrants are bringing a bachelor’s degree with them. However, just because immigrants may be qualified to work in higher-paying jobs, it doesn’t mean it’s easy to get one that they’re trained for.
In fact, Canada recently rolled out provisions to encourage more doctors from abroad amidst a shortage. It may be easier to land permanent residence status as a physician now, but the certification process for foreign doctors is still lagging behind. To be able to practice medicine here, many qualifications apply — including that the medical degree is “recognized in Canada.”
(I do have to mention that Ontario is apparently working on a fast-track program for doctors — but only those from other provinces. This Ontario government does not have a great record when it comes to supporting our public institutions including healthcare and education.)
These same born-and-raised Canadians who whine about immigrants also complain about people on social assistance, saying stuff like “no one wants to work.” Well, it’s not that no one wants to work, sir — it’s that many of the jobs available here are gruelling, with little pay to compensate.
These could be called “survival jobs”, as they put food on the table until a newcomer is able to find work they excel in. (This process can take a long time, if at all, as there are “Canadian experience” barriers.)
The West is literally built on immigration
Borders are imaginary. There are no “countries” without humans saying so. The notion that we shouldn’t be able to cross into another land without facing scrutiny (or much worse) is highly outdated.
If you don’t have a job, don’t blame immigrants. It’s your own lack of skills, experience, or motivation. In fact, those complaining about “no jobs” could easily start their own venture, with all of the Canadian government supports that come with it. In fact, some of the newcomers to my neighbourhood have opened storefronts to create their own opportunities.
If you think you’re not working because a newcomer from Syria or Iran or China or Ukraine or wherever took your dream job, you’re delusional. If you think that taxes are going up because we’re giving big handouts to immigrants, you’re sorely mistaken. There are provisions to help them get their footing here, but it’s short-term.
You’re probably also racist, pure and simple. Many people think that Canada is a place that welcomes anybody — and I’d like to believe that, as I did growing up. But sadly, it’s just as racist as anywhere else. (My grandparents were white immigrants from Scotland, but to my knowledge, no one ever told them to go home.)
In the spirit of fairness, here’s an article about how immigration affects American workers. But notice that those most affected by lower wages from “decades of record immigration” are Black and Latino.
Anti-immigration policies are counterproductive
Canadian politics are shifting further to the right, and many conservatives don’t take kindly to uninvited arrivals due to their distorted and outdated beliefs.
We should instead be welcoming newcomers with open arms, as they bring different viewpoints and skills, while helping companies compete on a more global level. Not to mention, they are doing a lot of the low-paying jobs like delivering food to our doors, and other minimum-wage or precarious gig work.
They’re also doing a lot of construction jobs, literally building our future (and past) infrastructure. So if you’re mad about that, go buy a pair of steel-toed boots, and apply to a construction firm. What’s that? You’re too comfortable making $150 an hour as a consultant? Okay then.
We can see what happens when a country tries to close its doors, as in the failed case of Brexit. We could see the same anti-immigration pattern emerging under the former U.S. president, which hurt the entire country.
You don’t “own” the country you live in. It’s not yours. Stop gatekeeping who’s allowed into that space, and stop the doomsday narratives of what will happen if we let “them” in.
It’s small-minded thinking, and most of us humans have evolved beyond it.
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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.
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Photo credit: Canada should never lock its doors to newcomers. From author using AI