Why did we come to Canada?
About this theme
This theme shows people talking about their decisions to immigrate to Canada. Many state that political and economic pressures were compelling.
Filmed interview with a specialist
A University of Moncton professor talks about the regionalization of immigration and about the hope immigration brings.
Filmed interview with Dr. Chedley Belkodja of University of Moncton
Filmed interview with a specialist
Two staff members at the Canadian Council for Refugees discuss issues concerning refugees to Canada.
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The Tree That Remembers
2002, director: Masoud Raouf
Excerpt (1:50)
Shokoufeh, imprisoned for eight years in Iran, struggles to reconcile her difficult past with her identity as a Canadian. The young woman shows the director, Masoud Raouf, how to recreate, for the film set, the isolation boxes that were used for prisoners. She is also shown in her daily life as a Canadian student.
Find similar content
> Political prisoners | Identity | Middle Eastern people | Social isolation | Psychological aspects
You can watch the different parts of the interview.
Part 1
The various definitions and categories of refugees.
Part 2
Canada's history of refugee protection and its policies.
Part 3
The skills for survival and adjustment that most refugees demonstrate.
Part 4
The various types of trauma that refugees undergo.
Part 5
What refugees must leave behind and what they lose on leaving their country.
Part 6
How Canadians might resent and fear refugees.
