My Thick Accent
‘My Thick Accent’ podcast aims to break the stereotypical moulds the immigrants are asked to fit in by introducing you to the fascinating world of existing and new immigrants from all walks of life. So, stay tuned and let's get to know each other Beneath The Accent!
All episodes of Season 2 are LIVE NOW!
My Thick Accent
Happy Canada Day 🇨🇦 | Hear How Immigrants Define Canada
Click here to text me your thoughts about the show!
What happens when you ask immigrants to describe Canada in just one word? Their responses paint a nuanced portrait of the immigrant experience that goes far beyond simple stereotypes or political talking points.
"Opportunity" rings out as the most common descriptor, with newcomers seeing Canada as a land where personal reinvention isn't just possible but encouraged. "This country has helped me find my own self," explains one voice, capturing the profound sense of possibility that drew them here. The multicultural fabric of Canadian society emerges as another powerful theme, with many describing the experience of finding themselves in diverse classrooms and communities where people of different faiths, cultures, and ethnicities coexist harmoniously.
Yet beneath the positive descriptions lies a more complex reality. "It's not always rosy," cautions one immigrant, while another notes that Canada "is definitely challenging you." These honest reflections reveal the tension between opportunity and struggle that defines the immigrant journey. "Don't expect things to be handed to you," advises one voice, speaking to the self-reliance required to succeed. Perhaps the most poignant description comes at the conclusion: "It's a lovely struggle once you make it" a phrase that beautifully captures the immigrant experience in all its complexity.
Listen as these diverse voices reflect on what Canada means to them, from initial hopes to lived realities. Their stories reveal important truths about immigration, national identity, and the ongoing project of building a multicultural society. What word would you use to describe Canada?
Follow the host and the podcast on Social Media channels below:
- My Thick Accent on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mythickaccent/
- MyThickAccent.com - https://www.mythickaccent.com/
- My Thick Accent on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@mythickaccent
- Gurasis's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iamgurasis/
- Gurasis's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamgurasis/
Want to share your story? Or know someone I should invite next on the show? DM us or write to us at Hello@mythickaccent.com
Describe Canada in one word. What a sentence Opportunity, a land of opportunities. A land of opportunity, opportunity, land of possibilities.
Speaker 2:Possibilities, because this country has helped me find my own self.
Speaker 1:The opportunity to be who I am.
Speaker 2:In Canada, the opportunity for immigrants is here I can reinvent myself.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of tools and possibilities to grow.
Speaker 2:And if you admire and appreciate what it can offer you.
Speaker 1:I think that's so much. Canada represents safety to me Freedom, peaceful, safe, multiculturally vibrant, multicultural.
Speaker 2:Welcoming and embracing.
Speaker 1:Because it's multicultural, you see people from different backgrounds. You can be who you are In one class, like I have a classmate who is Jew. I have a classmate who is, like, for example, hindu. I have a classmate who is Muslim. Like all people together, like different skin colors, different cultures, and everyone is okay.
Speaker 2:The circles that I've navigated so far. They have been very welcoming to me as this unique and complex person.
Speaker 1:You can express yourself as a person of color. It's the most accommodative and friendliest country.
Speaker 2:I've ever been to Canada right now is home, away from home. Canada is home, man. You might have people who would say that's not my experience. It's not always rosy, coming from a first world country to a first world country. Challenge is not something that you think you're going to encounter, but Canada is definitely challenging you. Don't expect things to be done for you, don't expect things to be handed to you, because we all went through that and you got to give just as much as you receive.
Speaker 1:It's complex.
Speaker 2:I love that it is so hard to define what it is to be a Canadian.
Speaker 1:In the people, in the different cultures we have, in the changes that happen to people once they get off that airplane from the first time to the end of their time here. It's complex.
Speaker 2:Canada. It's a lovely struggle once you make it.
