Isak | Moving to Canada was hard. It often wore me down. This gesture changed things

2026/06/30 2 Comments

In contrast to MP Jivani’s proposed elimination of all such months. As noted earlier, unlikely to fly politically even among most conservative voters:

…Imagine a July when their city marks Somali Heritage Month — when the story of their parents is told not as a tragedy survived but as a contribution made. It tells a child they do not have to choose between being Somali and being Canadian, and that the room they walked into is theirs too.

A month in the calendar will not pay anyone’s rent or open the jobs that stay closed to so many of us. Recognition is not the same as justice. But do not underestimate what it means for people to hear their name spoken with pride in the place they now call home. To those who spent years feeling invisible, it can feel like being handed back your own reflection.

I still remember walking off that field in Etobicoke that warm June day, feeling lighter than I had when I arrived. A heritage month would stretch that sense of belonging across a whole country — a month in which a boy, who once watched his city burn, could stand in Toronto and hear his people’s name said proudly, and out loud.

Source: Opinion | Moving to Canada was hard. It often wore me down. This gesture changed things

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Isak | The day my children and I became Canadian, our long journey finally felt complete

2026/05/11 Leave a comment

Although I still believe that in-person ceremonies are more meaningful, even the virtual moves new Canadians:

…Becoming a Canadian citizen was one of the most emotional moments of my life. The ceremony was online, not in a courthouse, but it still felt powerful. We dressed respectfully for the day and sat together as a family in front of the computer. Around us on the screen were people from different countries, each with their own story, each waiting to take the same oath. As I listened to the ceremony, my emotions overwhelmed me. I thought about the years of uncertainty, the waiting, the fear, and the sacrifices. I felt proud, relieved, and grateful.  Citizenship may feel like paperwork or ceremony for some people. For us, it meant much more. It meant safety. It meant dignity. It meant belonging.

As someone who came from Somalia and lived through insecurity, I know the value of peace in a way that is hard to explain to those who have never feared losing it. I grew up around conflict, armed groups, displacement, and fear. I know what it meant when schools closed because of fighting, when people can’t plan their future because the next day is uncertain. I also worked as a journalist and later in security and political analysis during a time when violence and instability were part of daily life. I know what it means to leave behind home in search of a better life. That is why becoming Canadian was not just a legal milestone. It was a deeply human one….

Source: Opinion | The day my children and I became Canadian, our long journey finally felt complete

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