Nick Noorani Website

I came to Canada in 1998. Canada is the fourth country I am living in – some call me a serial immigrant, but this time its final! Born in Bombay – now called Mumbai we moved to the oil rich Gulf countries and lived there in relative luxury for ten years. Even today, people in Canada ask me ‘Nick, why on earth would you leave a tax free environment like Dubai?’ My answer – ‘for 10 years I didn’t pay taxes, felt guilty and came to Canada to do my penance’. The fact is that for me – I would take Canada’s wealth any day over Dubai’s!
When I came to Canada, I was confused by the media. Mainstream media ignored me as an immigrant or called me a gangster along with most other people from my country! So called ethnic media spoke to an immigrant twenty years ago! I was confused – I saw magazines on every conceivable topic from gardening to damaged furniture yet even though we call ourselves a nation of immigrants, there was no magazine for immigrants!

On April 2004, we launched the Canadian Immigrant Magazine giving a voice to immigrants across the country. Our credo was simple- Inform, Educate and Motivate. Our readers loved us from coast to coast – from all ethnicities.
In July this year, along with my family – we became Canadian citizens. On Canada Day – at Canada Place – to paraphrase a reporter – a bit like getting married on Valentines Day! We became citizens after nine years in Canada. So why did it take nine years? Simple – for me I wanted to feel like I had earned my citizenship – not taken it as a right. In the nine years, my wife and I have worked with helping immigrants succeed in this country. First with a book for immigrants, then with a national magazine and lastly with an international radio show.
Yet, the concept of citizenship left me confused. While our two Governor Generals wear their immigrant status proudly on their sleeves as do successful immigrants like Michael Lee chin among others, several others said to me – I am not an immigrant – I became a citizen last year clearly distancing themselves from the ‘I’ word. So are theses two separate identities? I attended citizenship ceremonies and watched grown men cry freely struggling with the emotions overwhelming them.
My citizenship document has a very unusual word. A word that I believe in many ways identifies Canada’s position within the country and around the world. That word is ‘compassion’. How does that word help when an immigrant is told you have no Canadian experience? Or you have an accent? Funny thing this accent. Last month at a London pub after I ordered a meal, I was asked whether I was Canadian because of my accent!
Five months later what has changed for me? I used to envy you Canadians. And I used to say – you are so lucky. You live in this country and own a part of the Rockies, Whistler and Deep Cove. Today, I too stake ownership over all these. I also take responsibility for being a part of the process of bettering this country for future generations.
Lastly, I have discovered the issues of the first nations. Like most immigrants, all we knew about them was that they paid no taxes. A small price for a people who have had their land and their dignity stripped away. We immigrants talk about correcting wrongs – but our own Karmic evolution in this country can never be complete unless the original owners of this land get what is rightfully theirs.
700 outstanding land claims? Unacceptable.
Living conditions worse than third world country? Unacceptable.
Huge exclusion and unemployment – unacceptable!
Mahatma Gandhi said – be the change you want to see in the world.
Let’s all take ownership and make the change.
Thank you.