Nick Noorani Website

By Meena Menezes
A once proud man hangs up his business suit to clean lavatories, to feed his family. A successful journalist trains for a job in a supermarket, while others from skilled or senior posts do anything from driving cabs to working in factories, to make ends meet.
The first taste of life in Canada can be bitter, as new arrivals must take any job they can get to support their families.
Some fall at the first hurdle, but for many it is a rite of passage as they gain a foothold in a country full of opportunity.

Competition for those opportunities is strong amongst the 250,000 hopeful immigrants who enter Canada each year – many of them expatriates from Bahrain and the Gulf.
New immigrants like former Bahrain residents Cecil and Nirmala Mannapperuma and their children Ransi, 17 and Rahul, 13, who are originally from Sri Lanka, come from just about every part of the world.
Some leave secure jobs and comfortable lifestyles, while others risk the little they have in the hope that this will be the stepping stone towards unlimited opportunities for themselves and their families.
While Canada welcomes the diversity in cultures that these immigrants bring, it is challenging for some to adapt to a whole new way of life and integrate themselves into a culture which often appears so alien to them.
“Having lived in Bahrain for nine years and prior to that in Saudi Arabia, the nature of our jobs gave us the opportunity to interact with people from various cultures and this helped us adapt quickly to Canada’s multi-cultural environment,” said Mrs Mannapperuma.
The family have settled in Toronto and although Mr and Mrs Mannapperuma were fortunate to get jobs in their fields soon after they arrived, they admit that life in Canada can be tough.
“Adjusting in a new country, finding the right schools for your children and looking for a suitable place to live, all these things take time and can really test your patience,” said Mrs Mannapperuma, now a medical administrator at the Humber River Regional Hospital.
Her husband is an accountant with a private company, so life has worked out well.
One worry is the possible negative influences children may face at school, but while Mrs Mannapperuma was concerned, it wasn’t something that gave her sleepless nights.
“A lot depends on the values we instil in our children. My husband and I make it a point to remind our children about our culture and where we came from. They also know what our expectations are of them,” she said.
While she misses her close circle of friends in Bahrain, it is the annual vacations to Sri Lanka to visit family that she misses most.
Ransi loves the multi-cultural flavour of Canada and the opportunities it has given her.
“I have become more independent, I have a part time job and I plan to take driving lessons soon,” she said.
Adjusting to a new school, participating in various activities and learning new things is keeping her happy and very busy.
If there is anything she despises, it is the freezing winter temperatures.
For many, landing that first job in Canada is very much like winning the lottery, even if less prestigious than the position they left behind.
Most immigrants are familiar with the rejection from potential employers and the ‘Catch 22′ situation that many won’t give work to new immigrants since they have “no Canadian experience”.
The stark reality is that many can’t find suitable work with proper pay. They arrive here and face the dilemma of being unable to find the skilled positions that they hoped to fill.
Many of these educated immigrants, from engineers to doctors, have tasted success back home. They have arrived under immigration criteria to fill skill shortages.
However, many are initially compelled to work in menial positions, because their credentials are not accepted.
Frustrated and left with no choice they take up part time jobs, from driving taxis to working in factories for a minimum wage.
While a majority of employers are open to the idea of hiring skilled immigrants, they often cite poor language proficiency and lack of cultural awareness for turning them away.
Employers want immigrants trained in how Canadians apply for jobs, what employers look for and the nature of the Canadian workplace.
While your work experience may get you an interview, it is your soft skills such as communication, problem solving, positive attitude, teamwork, leadership skills and overall personality that will get you the job over other candidates who have similar skills and experience.
Something as simple as shaking hands can be vital to how an employer views your soft skills.
Nasreen, who asked not to be fully identified, was 16 when she watched her father Ali, a proud man, put aside his business suits to take a job cleaning washrooms at a local club, after migrating to Vancouver from Iran.
“It was really painful to watch my dad, who had no self-esteem left, take three buses to go and clean somebody else’s washroom,” she says.
“He had planned to open a restaurant here but realised it wasn’t as easy as he had anticipated. Meanwhile, my mother who barely ever stepped out of the house in Iran, took a job grinding metal at a factory.”
Nasreen admitted they were constantly depressed, yet realised there was no going back, given the political situation back home.
So she focused on the need to live up to her parents’ expectations and get an education, to ensure they wouldn’t have to work like that anymore.
Nine years down the road, her father runs a small shop selling Iranian sweets, which her mother makes, with the aid of one helper. Nasreen completed her Bachelor’s degree in International Business and is working for a reputed company, which is now sponsoring her Master’s degree.
Her advice to newcomers is that no matter how hard it gets initially, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“Moving to a new country where the culture and customs are totally different from what you have been accustomed to, is tough,” she said.
“It is important first to learn to fit in and to take advantage of the many resources available to new immigrants.”
Unfortunately, not all immigrants are aware of these resources, which are readily available. Settlement programmes are part of a successful immigration programme.
Under the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), Citizenship and Immigration Canada works with the province and immigrant-serving agencies to make a real difference in the lives of immigrants, by funding a number of programmes that help newcomers settle, adapt, and integrate into Canadian society.
These include the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Programme, which provides orientation, referral, and counselling services.
Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada provides language training and the Host Programme helps newcomers connect with volunteers, who help them access services, establish contacts in their field of work and participate in the community.
Furthermore, local libraries offer a wide range of free services for children of all ages, which encourage them not only to visit the library and read more, but also teach them to listen better and be more prepared for school.
Some libraries offer a series of programmes for new immigrants and also partners with immigrant settlement agencies, who send representatives to the library to help newcomers with their settlement questions.
Among those who have succeeded, despite initial hardship, are Indians Santosh Shetty, his wife Sherry and their children, who migrated to Canada from Bahrain 11 years ago.
“As our children were growing up, we realised that there wasn’t much scope for higher education in Bahrain,” said Mr Shetty, former sports editor and later deputy news editor at the GDN.
“This meant sending them abroad and since we didn’t want to separate the family, Canada was the ideal choice.”
Ask any group of immigrants their reason for coming here and you’ll hear the same selfless answer – a better education and brighter future for their children.
For the Shetty family, adjusting to life in Canada wasn’t too difficult, because several family friends migrated at around the same time and the tremendous support system that they provided each other stood them through thick and thin.
“You have to be prepared to do anything when you first arrive,” said Mr Shetty, who lived in Bahrain for 16 years. He left behind a senior post as an established journalist – only to find himself initially undergoing training to work at a 24-hour supermarket.
His determination to succeed saw him back in the media without ending up on the supermarket floor and he is now in a senior editor on the production desk for the Hamilton Spectator and his wife works in the advertising department at the same newspaper.
Asked how his children Samantha, now 21 and son Stefan 19, both at university, had adjusted to life here, his immediate reply: “They love it!”
“The lifestyle here is such that it gives youngsters the opportunity to be independent and self-sufficient, but as children grow older and get involved in their own lives, they seemingly move away from their parents,” said Mr Shetty,who lives with his family in Hamilton, Ontario.
“It leaves you with a feeling of loss, although I realise we have to let them go. but it isn’t easy. Our culture places a lot of emphasis on family, so that makes it harder to accept.”
His advice for new immigrants is to focus on staying positive when they arrive here.
“Especially for those who come from the Gulf, they need to realise it is not all ‘hunky-dory’. As with any new country, whether it is moving to Canada or returning home to India, it is tough and takes time to settle in,” said Mr Shetty.
He still misses the charm of Bahrain, which he calls “Paradise” and hopes to return for a visit, to meet friends and see all the changes that he has heard about.
For Arvind Singh, the opportunity for change and the challenges that come with it lured him to Canada with his family, in September 2006, after nine years in Bahrain.
“I wanted a place where we could all evolve. In Canada you have the freedom of choice, whether in changing jobs or starting a business,” said Mr Singh.
Although it was a rollercoaster ride initially, filled with doubts, he feels it was a wise move for the family, now living in Waterloo, Ontario.
“Initially it can get very frustrating, especially for immigrants from the Gulf, who are used to a very comfortable lifestyle,” he said.
“You have to be willing to change, look at things from the perspective of the country and its laws and learn to adjust.
His wife Renu was initially reluctant to leave their close circle of friends and a great lifestyle.
However, she is now happy with the opportunities available and the fact that Canada gives women equal respect and opportunities; overall you are not treated like second class citizens.
They both have good jobs, bought their first home and their son Nirupam, 12 and daugher Ritu, nine, too enjoy school and have adjusted well.
Mr Singh works at Wilfrid Laurier University as a database administrator and Renu, who worked in Bahrain as a physical education teacher with The Indian School, now works at H&R Block as a tax associate.
She did a taxation course last year with the company and on successfully completing the course with good grades they offered her a position.
Arvind said he realised the need to upgrade skills and that is why she did this course.
On the downside, given the distance from India, the Singhs can’t afford to travel as often to visit family.
For Indians Michael and Yvette Woods, who migrated from Bahrain nine years ago, Canada offered a sense of security.
“There are no sponsorship issues to worry about, you have better job opportunities and you can actually own your own home. Furthermore, there are good prospects for children,” said Mr Woods.
The family now live in London, Ontario.
In Bahrain, Mr Woods worked at Y K Almoayyed as an airconditioning technician and Mrs Woods worked as a secretary/administration assistant with Arab Bank.
They moved to Dubai for a few years, where Mr Woods worked for Yellow Pages and Mrs Woods worked in a secretarial position, before they migrated to Canada. After his initial job, which kept him away from his family so much, Mr Woods now works for Rogers TVL as an Accounts Manager and Mrs Woods as an office manager with a financial institute.
Their college-student daughter Geraldine, 20 and Shaidon, 15, who is in high school, are doing exceedingly well.
While they were fortunate to get jobs shortly after they arrived, Mr Woods’ job was such that he had to live away from his family and only went home over the weekend.
“It was emotionally and mentally draining and being a new country, it was stressful, but one learns to cope,” said Mrs Woods, adding that these were sacrifices they had to make.
She feels it is better to migrate when children are older as they are better equipped to deal with their new surroundings.
“They tend to know right from wrong and are less prone to be influenced by peer pressure,” said Mrs Woods.
They both agree that Canada is a good country to live in – but for the exceedingly high taxes.
Most immigrants think likewise, particularly those who arrived from the tax-free Gulf.
But what they fail to realise is how these tax money is used. It helps pay for free education up to high school level, child benefit payments until the age of 18 and a good public transport system, amongst other facilities.
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley recently announced that Canada will be accepting between 240,000 and 265,000 new immigrants this year.
“The Government of Canada is committed to helping newcomers succeed, by assisting and providing much-need services and easing their transition to life in Canada,” she said.
Today’s immigrants are a far cry from those who came years ago, penniless and unskilled, with dreams of a better life.
However, for those who have settled over time, Canada is a great place to live. It’s a mosaic of many different ethnic and cultural groups living in harmony, breaking the boundaries of prejudice and racism.
The bottom line is that it is not easy. You need to be resilient, you have to network and learn to get to know people in your field and you have to be persistent. It helps to be armed with enough information and a positive attitude.
The onus is on you to utilise the available resources and work towards making your dreams a reality.
As one recent immigrant said, “I learned that if you’re thrown out a door, you just jump back in through the window.”
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=208963&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30334