Anonymous
Editor’s Note: Our interviewee for this story has asked to stay anonymous. As such, a pseudonym will be used as a replacement for her actual name
“I thought [moving to Canada] was gonna be, like… [how] I see them in TVs, [but] it's not. It's very, very different.”
“So I think that was, like, the expectations. Because I was telling everyone, well, I see you on TV, so I don't think it'd be that bad, or I don't think it'll be that hard. But it ended up being [very] hard.”
The adjustment to an entirely different environment and the contrast between the screen and stories to reality can often shock first-generation immigrants, especially those who come in their adolescence. Having already formed a personality and perspective influenced by her life in Nigeria, Kristina found it hard to adapt.
“I first came to Canada 3 years ago in May. And it was very exciting [yet] stressful because I was moving from a place where I had a lot of friends to a place where I had nobody…it was really scary too. And I moved without my mom because [she] came in first…I came with my dad.”
Kristina is a senior in Nova Scotia who moved to Canada relatively recently. The transition was tough socially and from the cultural differences but luckily, there were many people in her new environment that helped her adapt socially. This included Kristina’s biggest supporter—her mother—and friends.
“I wasn't really a social person, so I just kept to myself most of the time. And my house then was okay. We lived in our apartment for a year…[and then] moved into a house…my mom [helped me adapt to the new environment]...Because she knows that I find it difficult to talk to people, so she's always encouraging me to find friends and to be able to talk to people. And my friends have [also] been really encouraging to make other friends.”
Some of Kristina’s early social struggles can also be attributed to the cultural differences in communication in Nigeria compared to Canada.
“The way they communicate is very different from how they communicate in Nigeria…It's not very straightforward…it's different”
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) published the article “Migration, cultural bereavement, and cultural identity,” which speaks to the impacts of migration on individuals. Although this study focuses mainly on the effects of cultural bereavement and cultural identity on psychological and mental health issues, it highlights the effects of migration on individuals holistically. The research paper explains that “social adjustment… may be influenced by the duration of the relocation, the similarity or dissimilarity between the culture of origin and the culture of the settlement, language, and social support systems, acceptance by the ‘majority culture,’ access and acceptance by the…community, employment, and housing.” Lacking any of these factors could lead to a sense of rejection, alienation, or poor self-esteem.
Furthermore, it is harder for adolescents moving to a new environment to ‘give up’ previously standard and accepted cultural norms in favor of a new culture. Such a process, known as acculturation (defined as the “assimilation to a different culture, typically the dominant one” by Oxford Language Dictionary), is more common and normalized for younger first-generation immigrants entering Canada as toddlers, without a defined personality or understanding of the diverse cultures around the world.
Migratory loss is a natural and even healthy development involved in migration. However, those who cannot accept this and experience cultural identity conflicts can jeopardize their well-being. Cultural incongruency is a process that adolescent immigrants are more susceptible to as they are less likely to have developed healthy coping mechanisms, have somewhat formed personalities and cultural identities, and yet still have open-mindedness to their new surroundings.
In Kristina’s experience, a well-founded support system was the key to her adjustment to Canada. Being surrounded by peers with similar circumstances, experiences, and cultures prevented a feeling of isolation or discrimination in her new surroundings and fostered camaraderie and resiliency.
“...being surrounded by Nigerian friends also help[ed] to curb [any feelings of discrimination or disconnection] as well because [I] believe [I’m] like [you]. I'm the same.”
“It’s gonna be an adventure, and it's going to be amazing. There are gonna be some tears, and there are gonna be some celebrations, and that's totally fine.”
