Youth Issue | Here! Magazine Fall 2016

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H T U O Y E U S S I

SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2016

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IN THIS ISSUE Volume 3‚ Issue 3

VICTORIA WELCOMES

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cover design contest winner

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THE KIDS R ALL RIGHT

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15 - ye ar- old newcomer‚ Rayan A .‚ is the winner of our inaugural cover design contes t for youth! The theme: “How I am conne c te d to my communit y.”

fun & facts 25

HOME

11

Are you smar ter than a Canadian fifth grader? Take our quiz! Plus: childhood photos of famous Canadians —who are they and why are they famous?

read 26

Local educators Henrietta Langan Desbrisay and Ashley Walker share their favourite wordless books and stories for young and young adult readers.

IT’S A SMALL WORLD

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M

any of us came from somewhere else. Some of us arrived 10 0 years ago; some of us 10 0 days ago. Now we are here — working‚ living‚ and learning together. We may have arrived in different ways and may have come for different reasons; we may be going down different paths, but one thing is the same: here is home.

Immigrant Welcome Centre

BUILDING CULTURAL CONNECTIONS

w w w.heremagazine.ca Publisher | Functionall Books Editor | Fiona Bramble

The Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) helps individuals and organizations to connect across cultures.

We provide information, support and tools to help immigrants and refugees reach their goals. By engaging people through networks, education and arts programming we create a welcoming community.

Copy Editor | Christy Sebelius Contributing Writers | Hyeyoung Jeon, Henrietta Langan DesBrisay, Ashley Walker, Students from Lochside, Prospect, and Keating Elementary Schools.

Design and Layout | Fiona Bramble Get Here! Magazine for your home or organization: subscribe@heremagazine.ca

Immigrant Welcome Centre and Main Office: 930 Balmoral Road (At Quadra) Victoria BC, V8T 1A8 info@icavictoria.org Phone: 250-388-4728 Fax: 250-386-4395 Mon–Thurs: 8:30am–6:30pm Friday: 8:30am–4:30pm

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letter from the editor They’ve got this This old lady is handing the copy over to the

We are over the moon to

kids and I can’t tell you how happy it makes

welcome Victoria’s Youth

me. It goes without saying that newcomer and

Poet Laureate to our pages‚

immigrant youth‚ as all young people‚ are the

with a special poem: HOME.

present and future—and Canada couldn’t be

Take the time to scan the QR code and hear Ann-

more blessed with this globally-minded cohort.

Bernice’s powerfully spoken words.

The Here! team is indebted to the creative‚

My only regret is that due to space limitations we

dedicated youth helpers who inspired and guided

were unable to include all of the youth contributions

their groups in this endeavour. The kids rose to

in this issue. This breaks my heart because I want

the challenge and then some. Special thanks

every young person to feel celebrated in these

to Henrietta Langan DesBrisay and her team at

pages and in our community. To ensure everyone

Lochside Elementary for their tireless advocacy

has been recognized for their submissions‚ we have

and passion for recognising and celebrating

listed the participants here in an honour roll of

newcomer youth achievement in our community.

awesome (p.s. thank you!). Now‚ over to the kids! FB

FROM THE INBOX Here! Magazine has recently responded to a [Facebook] post in which I recorded my students’ experience engaging in the pop!

Here! ar ticle about women in to watch t h em

Vic toria wearing the hijab. I’d like to add that my students have benefited aplent y from

me

this first- rate publication aimed

ch

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at newcomers to Canada. Late o

v

e

r

ea

May, for example, guided by the se

May/June 2016 issue of Here!, nimate t he name cloud— ur h o ve r y o to a

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we explored cultural my ths and stereot ypes as well as “safe” and iconic stereot ypes. Even students who are t ypically reser ved contributed to the animated discussion, a tribute to Here!’s befitting choice of topics, illustrations. Thank you, Here!

—DAHLIA BECK, VICWEST COMMUNITY CENTRE

vi

si

t h er em

a ag

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i ne

.c a

ar ticulate writing and superb

PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH US!

community@heremagazine.ca

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OU R M U LTICU LTU R AL COM M U N IT Y V ic toria ha s a v ib rant and grow ing multic ultural communit y! T he s e org aniza tion s ce leb ra te c ulture and di ver sit y w ith annu al event s like the D ra g on Para d e‚ Flam enco F e s ti val‚ G re ek fe s t ‚ F e s ti val M ex ican o‚ India M e la‚ Loy K ra tong ‚ A friC a F e s t ‚ and the Highland G am e s and C e ltic F e s ti val. T hey al s o of fer s up p or t and s er v ice s to their m emb er s and newcom er s ‚ inclu ding langu a g e s up p or t ‚ he alth and we lln e s s a c ti v itie s ‚ net work ing op p or tunitie s ‚ and work- re la te d sk ill d eve lop m ent .

V i c to r i a an d Van co u ve r I s l an d G r e e k C o mmuni t y S o ci e t y

H un g ar i an S o ci e t y of V i c to r i a

V ic tor ia Canada- China Fr iendship A s so ciation Fa c e b o o k : V i c t o r i a C a n a d a - C h i n a

Chin e s e C o n s o li d a t e d B e n evo l e n t A s s o ci a t io n 6 3 6 Fi s g a r d S t.‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

W hi t e Ea gl e Po lis h A s s o ci a t io n

V i c to r i a N a t i ve Fr i e n d s hip C e n t r e

4 6 4 8 E l k L a ke D r. ‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

Fr i e n d s h i p A s s o c i a t i o n

476 B a y S t.‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

250 -388 -50 04

9 0 D o c k S t. ‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

231 R e g i n a A v e . ‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

2 5 0 - 3 8 4 - 3 211

U k r aini an C an a di an Cul t ur al S o ci e t y of Van co u ve r I s l an d

V ic tor ia Filipino - Canadian S enior s A s so ciation B a y a n i h a n C o m m u n i t y C e n t r e

V i c to r i a H i ghl an d G am e s A s s o ci a t io n

L a S o ci é t é f r an co p h o n e d e V i c to r i a

3 27 7 D o u g l a s S t. ‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

5 5 5 L a m p s o n S t. ‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

S o n s of S cot l an d‚ 20 4 B al g ow ni e

We b: s o n s o f s c o t l a n d .c o m /a b o u t - u s /p r o v i n c i a l locations/204-balgownie

170 9 B l a n s h a r d S t.‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

2 0 0 - 5 3 5 Ya t e s S t.‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

2 5 0 - 3 8 8 -73 5 0

V i c to r i an Cr o a t i an C o mmuni t y

4 0 81 G o r d o n H e a d R d .‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

Vic toria Korean- Canadian Women’s A ssociation We b: v kc w a.w o r d p r e s s .c o m

L e o n ar d o D a V in ci C e n t r e

I n di a C an a d a Cul t ur al A s s o ci a t io n

V i c to r i a Filip in o - C an a di an A s s o ci a t io n

Fa c e b o o k : I n d i a C a n a d a C u l t u r a l A s s o c i a t i o n

Bayanihan Communit y Centre 170 9 B l a n s h a r d S t.‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

Victoria Filipino-Canadian Caregivers Association B a y a n i h a n C o m m u n i t y C e n t r e

J e w is h Fe d e r a t io n of V i c to r i a an d Van co u ve r I s l an d 3 6 3 6 S h e l b o u r n e S t.‚

170 9 B l a n s h a r d S t. ‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

V i c to r i a A f r i c an C ar ib b e an Cul t ur al S o ci e t y We b: v a c c s o c i e t y.c o m

Van co u ve r I s l an d T h ai A s s o ci a t io n

Fa c e b o o k : Va n c o u v e r I s l a n d T h a i A s s o c i a t i o n

195 B a y S t.‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C .

V i c to r i a N ik ke i Cul t ur al S o ci e t y Fa c e b o o k : v n c s .c a

M e x i c an C an a di an C o mmuni t y A s s o ci a t io n of V i c to r i a We b: v i c t o r i a m e x i c a n c a n a d i a n .o r g

V I C TO R I A I M M I G R A N T & REFUGEE CENTRE SOCIET Y 9 3 0 B a l m o r a l R d .‚ V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C. 2 5 0 - 3 8 8 - 47 2 8

6 37 B ay S t ., 3 r d F l o o r, V i c t o r i a ‚ B .C. 2 5 0 - 3 61- 9 4 3 3

P l e a s e co n t a c t u s a t co m m u n i t y @ h e re m a g a z in e.ca i f yo u n e e d t o u p d a t e yo u r o r g a n iza t i o n’s in fo r m a t i o n o r i f yo u w o u l d li ke t o hi g h li g h t yo u r o r g an iza t i o n o r e ve n t in H e re ! M a g a z in e.

Victoria welcomes

Nothing says awkward like asking three young people who have just met to interview each other! Stella (15) and Soroosh (7) arrived in Victoria B.C. in 2013.

On a sunny August afternoon at Oak Bay’s Willows Beach park, youth interviewer Tru (11) chats with the sister and brother pair about early life in Iran and Dubai and well, just regular Canadian kid stuff.

Tru: You took an airplane here, I’m assuming? Not a boat?

Stella: Yeah. We were on the other side of the world.

Tru: How old were you when you left Iran?

Stella: Grade 3.

Tru: Was your hometown quiet or was there a lot of people?

Pretty crowded?

Soroosh: I can remember the last time I was there. I went on a trip to Iran with my mom and Stella didn’t come. I remember it was pretty crowded.

Tru: Did you ever go to places outside of Iran?

Stella: You don’t really leave Iran because it’s really hard to get out of it. I kind of didn’t know Canada existed.

Tru: I know what you mean.

For quite awhile, I thought this island consisted of every single human being.

Soroosh: I really don’t like crowded places.

Tru: You were in grade 4 in Dubai? What do you remember?

Stella: I remember places and activities in Dubai but not the architecture or anything.

Stella (continued): I learned English in Dubai but when I came to Canada, I didn’t know the swear words and the slang.

Tru: Do you play sports?

Stella: I play soccer and volleyball.

Tru: I can’t think of anything to ask.

Soroosh: I know one thing we can talk about: SOCCER!

Stella: If I’d lived there, I wouldn’t know how to speak English; I wouldn’t play soccer; I wouldn’t play volleyball. I wouldn’t know how to play flute or violin or guitar and I wouldn’t know a lot of stuff. I’d probably be super quiet and let people tell me what to do.

Tru: Do you play soccer a lot?

Soroosh: Yes! It’s my favourite sport.

Not only that, it’s my most favourite thing to do in the world!

Th i s i s a w k wa rd.

r nea i a ? b Du d Sea Is e R the

Tru: Do you have any favourite foods?

Soroosh: Lots. Most of them aren’t candy.

Chicken. Fish. Ribs.

Tru: Got a lot of friends?

S and S: Yeah.

Soroosh: My whole class.

Tru: Do you think Victoria is better than Tehran?

Stella: Yeah. I can do stuff.

Tru: Could you play sports there? Like organized sports?

Tru: That’s bad. Yeah, I guess this place opens up opportunities.

Tru: What have you guys been doing the last week?

Stella: We went to America, I did tryouts, and I worked!

Stella: No.

Tru: Your little brother seems to have a lot of energy. Is he always like that?

Tru: That’s bad.

Stella: Yeah.

READ MORE NEWCOMER INTERVIEWS @heremagazine.ca

7

Kids R All Right THE

CANADIAN NOVELIST AND PHILOSOPHER JOHN RALSTON SAUL RECENTLY WROTE: “AS

FOR ME, I MARRIED A REFUGEE WHO ARRIVED HERE AS A SMALL CHILD.

THEY HAD LOST EVERYTHING, AND SHE DID PRETTY WELL.” SHE CERTAINLY DID DO “ PRETTY

WELL.” THAT SMALL CHILD—ADRIENNE CLARKSON—BECAME A BROADCASTER‚

JOURNALIST‚ AND CANADA’S 26TH GOVERNOR GENERAL. ALMOST 20% OF NEW PERMANENT RESIDENTS TO CANADA ARE CHILDREN WHEN THEY 1

ARRIVE AND APPROXIMATELY 21% OF ALL REFUGEES TO CANADA ARE CHILDREN. OF THE SYRIAN REFUGEES RESETTLED TO CANADA IN 2014‚ 34% WERE UNDER 15 YEARS OLD AND 2

52% UNDER THE AGE OF 18. ON AVERAGE‚ CANADA WELCOMES 50‚000 NEWCOMER CHILDREN EACH YEAR. THE HERE! TEAM JOINED FORCES WITH THE DYNAMIC EDUCATORS AND LEARNERS IN GREATER VICTORIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS’ ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS SUPPORT PROGRAM TO CELEBRATE THE VOICES AND TALENTS OF NEWCOMER YOUTH LIVING AND THRIVING IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE LUCKY TO WELCOME THEM TO VICTORIA‚ AND CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THEY WILL BECOME: SCIENTISTS‚ JOURNALISTS‚ TEACHERS‚ ARTISTS‚ CHEFS—PERHAPS A GOVERNOR GENERAL OR EVEN... A PRIME MINISTER! 1 source: kidsnewtocanada.ca 2 source: lifelinesyria.ca

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

8

― Malala Yousafzai heremagazine.ca

The best pa rt of me is my ha nds. I ca n do a ha ndsta nd. I see blood vei ns. I ca n cli m b u p a mou ntai n. I ca n open u p red Chi nese New Yea r envelopes.

Pieter K .

heremagazine.ca

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THE BEST PART OF

ME

Inspired by Wendy Ewald’s The Best Part of Me, Victoria B.C.’s newcomer and immigrant youth answer: What is the best part of you, and how does it connect to your family or culture?

The best part of me is my EYES. When I look at my eyes‚ I think about chocolate.

When I look at my eyes‚ I feel happy because my whole family has brown eyes. I like to look at flowers in the spring time. My eyes help me see gulub jaman.

—IHMANI J.

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heremagazine.ca

My TONGUE is wet and bumpy. I can see that

foods with my tongue. I use my tongue to speak m some French. I can taste spicy foods with my tong —SOFIA M.

PHOTO CREDIT: ELIZABETH MARTIN

SCAN THE QR CODE WITH YOUR PHONE OR TABLET TO WATCH ANN-BERNICE PERFORM HOME

HOME

from Youth poet laureate

ANN-BERNICE THOMAS

I am made of concrete jungles of cracked pavement flower babies dandelion seeds and taxi seat windows.

I am made of rainy Sundays Well rainy everydays of woods hiding secret gardens and narrow winding streets holding years of industrial history.

The best part of me are my EARS. I like the feeling of my cartilage. When I get too cold‚ I feel my ears getting red.

I can also hear 7 feet away without any gadgets. I think because I have good hearing‚ I can run without seeing. Also‚ my family all has donkey ears‚ but I have straight ears‚ I learned English better because of my hearing.

—DAVID K. I build lego with my HANDS. I play with my tablet. I put stickers on my writer’s notebook. I like Kung Fu. My hands are medium. I like to touch lego. I like to touch my toy.

—JASON T. The best part of me is my FEET. My feet feel rough and soft. I can hear my feet running‚ kicking a ball‚ and walking. In the Philippines‚ I play soccer and basketball. I use my feet for biking.

I use my feet for street dancing in the Philippines.

—XANDER P.

my tongue is pink and sometimes white. I taste lots of different my languages. I use my tongue to speak Spanish‚ English‚ and gue‚ like Tajin‚ several Mexican candies‚ chilorio‚ and meat in tacos.

But I am also made of rolling green hills.

Of sugar cane stalks and multi-coloured rubble stone houses of sweet church Sundays Rum cake birthdays Sun slicked skin‚ sinking rivers and mornings soaked in honey scented dew.

I am born of islands.

Of England and Jamaica raising me equal parts city and country domesticated idiosyncrasies drawing me always to the sea to the trees to history wrapped up in classroom textbooks‚ or grandmother’s knees.

So I suppose it makes sense that I ended up here.

A land I had never heard of dripping in history in greenery in growth in hands.

But there’s something all sorts of tragic about being somewhere you don’t belong.

As in I don’t know how to call Canada home As in I’ve been here for twelve years and I still get asked where I’m from.

And I know that England is not the answer they are looking for.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

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11

THE BEST PART OF

ME

The best part of my body is my face because I use it for smelling, looking, talking, and chewing. My face is covered with lots of skin and muscles.

Some people say I look like my dad, but my dad has black hair like many other Persians. My hair is brown but I am the only person in my family with black hair.

—KIYAN H. Legs, legs, you are the best. You carry me around the world. If I don’t have you, how could I run? How could I walk? How could I jump? And how could I kick?

—ABEL C. I get my curly hair from my dad’s side of the family. I get my hair from my great grandma then grandma then my dad then me. When I feel my hair it feels soft, curly, and long. When I see my hair it looks like curly, brown, Mexican/Costa Rican ringlets. My hair smells like the conditioner I use. The best part of me is my hair.

—OLIVIA M. The best part of me is my hands. I can play basketball with my hands. I use my hands to eat food like beef and lollipops and Chinese food. I sometimes see nail polish when I look at my hands. I use my hands to do cooking with the person I love most, my mom.

12

—ALICE H. heremagazine.ca

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

The best part of me is my eyes. My eyes are green/blue and grey. My ancestors are Hawaiian and First Nations. In Hawaii, I can see the Hawaiian sunset shimmering with pink, orange, and yellow. As the sun sets, it looks like the sun is actually going

i nto

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at

The best part of me is my hands. With my hands, I can be a soccer goalie.

I can turn the pages of a book. I can take pictures in Canada and Cuba.

—JORGE M.

e r.

—J U L

My father does not like the Rastafari Because they want to return to a motherland they have never been to‚ weren’t raised to love it like those who lived in it‚ So Sierra Leone never slips easily off my tongue in response to where I’m from because I have never had her earth under my nails.

Never watched the Sun melt into her oceans like I watched it rise over Jamaica’s hills Never tasted her sweet fruit‚ or seen the baboons‚ or been left outside in torrential rain season like I’ve had England’s rain fill up my boots.

IA H.

But my mother says I look African.

I wear the dark skin well‚ the plump lips sexy‚ Thick thighs‚ hips wide one sided hereditary.

I am a mix breed lady.

My face is my favourite part of my body because I can taste rice with my mouth. I can smell flowers with my nose. I have the same chin as my family. I can blow up a balloon with my mouth and make funny faces with it. I cry when I’m sad with my eyes. I smile and laugh with it.

My forehead gets warm when I get sick.

—ARSHIA S.

And it bothers me that I do not know all my sides equally.

Only raised on stories‚ on memories‚ on white washed textbooks and guilt fueled I’m sorry’s.

But sorry does not change the shades between us.

Does not dull the automatic exotic the spices the tribe the nomad the inquiring eyes burning you do not belong‚ As in Go back to where you came from As in Our use for you is done As in I cannot call Canada home but I cannot go anywhere else.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

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My legs are

The best part

hard, strong,

of me is my

and usually

arms. I can

stinky. My

help my mom

legs are

a lot and my

amazing.

grandma a

I think I

lot to make

can almost

roti. I can do

walk, run, or

exercises like

swim around

push ups. My

the world.

arms are long

My legs are

and strong. I

linked with

can pick up

my family

Amanat with

and culture

my arms. With

because with

my arms, I

my legs I play

can dance and

baseball.

write stories.

Baseball is

THE BEST PART OF

ME

—SIMRIT B.

played a lot in Japan. My

My hands

mom loved

feel soft and

baseball

smooth and

when she

nice. I see a

was little.

lot of veins

—ATANAS T.

on my hands.

I hear my hands typing on my laptop.

I taste chips, pancakes, apples, and carrots. My hands are linked to my culture because I use them to set the table for Norooz.

The best part of me are my eyes. I see everything, including my friends, family,

—ARIAN J.

and other people on the street. I see traditional dances, clothing, events, and important things. I can see all my favourite things. When it is sunny, I see the bright sun. When it is rainy, I see water pouring from the sky. I can see the Filipino flag, the Philippine independence day, and Edsa people power day.

—ABIGAIL M.

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heremagazine.ca

“The Best Part of Me” photography and project coordination by the English Language Learners Support Team at Lochside Elementary.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

I often wonder if I want to reclaim my roots because I have something to prove.

That I belong somewhere‚ I have so much history in my skin that I must fit in‚ I just have to find it.

The beautiful thing about this country‚ is that it’s a wild flower garden‚ A hodgepodge comradery of cultures and people‚ moulding to the surroundings of a new nation that accepts their different.

Sometimes.

One day‚ I will go to Sierra Leone.

I know I will because it’s a question that burns in me fires too deep to quell.

And I do not know what I will find.

What I will learn.

Only that I will recapture a part of myself that is already a part of my cells because I am made of islands.

And Sierra Leone is on the coast.

And the domestic idiosyncrasies in me pull me towards the sea towards trees and textbooks filled with histories of other wanderers like me in-between.

And searching for comfort for home out there or within themselves.

The best part of me are my eyes. I can see my brother, my mom, and dad. My mom says my eyes look like the night sky. I can see and read Chinese and English writing. Every Chinese person has very, very, very, very, very dark eyes.

—MEGAN Y.

Ann-Bernice Thomas is the current Youth Poet Laureate of Victoria‚ B.C. She has been writing all of her life‚ but was pushed into spoken word poetry two years ago and hasn’t stopped since. In her lively 19 years‚ she has lived in England‚ Jamaica‚ Aurora‚ ON (GTA)‚ and is now settled in Victoria, where she has found her voice and learned the importance of truth‚ compassion‚ building connections and fostering community. AnnBernice aims to use her voice to rally change‚ social awareness‚ and share the stories that are rarely‚ but ready to be told. Amongst other things‚ she has performed at Victoria’s Ferguson Rally in 2014‚ The Scotiabank Aids Walk for Life in 2015‚ and The Elevate the Arts Festival (2016). Ann-Bernice is currently working on her youth art and poetry project‚ An Exploration of the Human Body. Sign up and check her out at www.wildwomanpoetry.com

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GREATER VICTORIA’S YOUTH HAIL FROM AROUND THE GLOBE— AND BRING THE RICHNESS OF THE WORLD’S CULTURES WITH THEM. HERE, WITH THEIR OWN PHOTOS, POEMS, AND STORIES, THEY SHARE THE CULTUR AL CONNECTIONS THAT ARE CLOSE TO THEIR HEARTS.

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heremagazine.ca

ARE THE WORLD

T h e c lo th a n d th e m ir ro r a re in m y L iv in g R o o m.

T h e y re m in d m e o f Ir a n a n d m y fa m il y. M o s t of th e m li v e th e re . M y D a d b o u g h t th e m ir ro r a n d c lo th w h e n w e w e re v is it in g m y g ra n d p a re n ts .

O n th e c lo th , in fr o n t o f th e m ir ro r, a re tw o c a n d le h o ld e rs . T h e y a re a ls o fr o m Ir a n . S o m e ti m e s w e u s e th e m when w e’r e c e le b ra ti n g P e rs ia n tr a d it io n s .

I li k e th e p h o to g ra p h o f m y fa m il y re fl e c te d in th e m ir ro r.

— RA AZ H.

The plate is for Injera, a type of bread. I picked my outfit because it’s part of my culture. A lot of Ethiopian people wear this type of dress. The scarf is for the plate to stay on my head. The picture on the left is in Ethiopia. I remember a lot of things about Ethiopia.

There is a lot more food here than in Ethiopia. And a lot of clothes.

—TIZITA S.

There is special food that we eat in this picture. There are dates, Arabic coffee, and a special cake. I chose the background because I like the green and it’s filled with air. I like to drink the coffee in the desert in Saudi Arabia. The coffee pot is Saudian.

— SALEH A. ew dance W e le a rn a n e a lw a y s e v e ry y e a r. W n t p ro p s h a v e d if fe re p st ic k s, in c lu d in g c h o e r c li p s a n d ri b b o n s, fi n g r b o u t a m e te a s e v e e sl g lo n f th e d a n c e rs lo n g . M o st o b u t so m e a re C h in e se C a n a d ia n s d a n c e rs a re C h in e se who have no y e a r I a m in h e ri ta g e . T h is e se d a n c e is le v e l 7. C h in re a ll y fu n !

— F E L IN A Y.

This is Durian— a fruit in the Philippines. It has a spiky skin and it has a really strong smell. However, it is very tasty. Its insides are soft and squishy. I want to be a chef when I grow up.

— PISCES I. heremagazine.ca

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WE ARE THE

MY MAMA’S KAMEEZ: When somebody is getting married my mom will wear this, also known as a salwar. I see my mom in this and I think my mom looks pretty in her dress.

—AMEERAH

W RLD KENTE: My mom wears an interesting cloth that is called kente. You can buy kente material to sew and kente clothes in markets; it has lots of decorations and lots of colour.

The decorations remind me of the forest in Ghana and flowers that grow through rocks. The colours remind me of the turquoise sky. When my mom runs out of the material she calls her friend in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, where we lived. My mom sends money to her and she buys the kente material and then sends it to Canada to my mom.

—NELSON GOLGAPPA: I think golgappa are so yummy. My mom makes them and sometimes I eat one before my mom eats.

Golgappa are round. They are made of wheat flour and water.

I have them with tomatoes, raw onions, zucchini and cooked potatoes. They take a long time to make so sometimes my mom buys them from Walmart or Thriftys. I have golgappa at parties and weddings in Canada and India. I had a lot of golgappa when I was in India because I went to four weddings. —SALEENA

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KUSHARI: Kushari is yummy when my mom makes it. In Egypt my grandma makes it.

Sometimes I help my mom make it. It is made of pasta, rice, tomato sauce and cooked onions. Constantly, I sneak the onions, but my mom catches me everytime! My sister Sarah tries to sneak the pasta. —AYDA MORTAR AND PESTLE: The mortar and pestle is really heavy. It feels as if you were carrying a rock the size of your head. It is also pretty rough.

My dad uses the mortar and pestle to make guacamole (a type of salsa that isn’t spicy).

The way you use it is by putting the ingredients inside the bowl (mortar). Then you start to squish the ingredients with the pestle until the mixture looks like a salsa. Our mortar and pestle is from Mexico. My family brought it to Canada when we moved. Sometimes I help my dad use it to make guacamole.

—BENITO

SPECIAL THINGS FROM MEXICO: There are awesome things that I love from Mexico. I love the lollipops because they are hot and spicy. My grandma sends them to me. When I was three or four years old I loved making quesadillas with my mom with the wood quesadilla maker. I love the cloth because it is pretty and I want to use it to decorate my room. I love the hot chocolate because it is really, really yummy and I love the decorations on our Mexican container. My mom uses the container for decoration. It is high up in the kitchen. It is special to my mom. —SOPHIA

PLANTAIN: Plantain is yummy and I ate it a lot in Ghana.

It looks like big bananas. My mom fries it in a pan. I eat it with other food. —JERRY

PICTURES OF MOM AND ME: My mom is special. When I was little my mom took me to a different country, Vietnam.

I keep my picture frame on a shelf in my room so it can be safe. I look at the frame of my mom and me sometimes but not all the time. I look at the frame to remember my mom. My mom is very special because I don’t see her often. My mom lives in Vietnam and she is moving to Vancouver. —AMY SOFREH HAFT SEEN: lt is a tradition in Iran. The celebration is two days in March. The first day of the celebration, we get some grass from the Persian store, and throw it in the river for good luck. Then the men build a fire and the men, women, and children jump over the fire for fun. If you’re too small, two men sing a song then grab you and take you over the fire.

We also play a game. It’s like monkey in the middle. —SAM MY MOM: I love my mom and she is from Colombia! I am part Colombian. Colombians love beautiful things. My mom makes Colombia food every day on school days. She makes burritos and quesadillas. Quesadillas are basically a triangle with cheese and chicken. My mom is really good at cooking all stuff, especially Colombian stuff. My mom is very special to me.

—JENNIFER

WINE: My grandpa is all about making wine. Portuguese people love making wine. My grandpa learned how to make wine in Portugal. My grandpa lived in Portugal for over 20 years I think. There is a small wine making place down in the basement of my home.

—CIANNA

BUDDHAS: This is all about Buddhas. We have a picture of the master, who is from Vancouver and we sometimes meet the master. We have a statue of a healer—it is a blue, golden one. The master has a tool to heal you. We pray three times in the morning. At night, I have to do six prayers. My brother, who is older, has to do twelve. —ANTHONY

DANCING DRESSES: My grandparents sent me a dress from India. I do my Indian dancing in this dress and it is the favourite of all my dresses.

I wear dresses to parties, engagements, weddings, and dances. I love wearing the one my grandparents sent me because it’s bright green and it pops. My sister and I go to Indian dance classes once a week, on Sundays. On Diwali, we perform a dance at the Diwali celebration which is at the University of Victoria. —RIYA

MORE BUDDHAS...AND MOMS: My Mom loves to meditate. It is a great sportish thing. It is fun sometimes to do; she meditates to get her health back in place. You should do it too. I meditate every day or night. Our Buddha is made of gold. —JACKEY heremagazine.ca

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IT’S A

small world

AFTER ALL Every Friday morning‚ the Family Centre at the James Bay Community Project fills with joy‚ excitement and laughter.

James Bay Community Project has been offering a weekly playgroup for families who are immigrants‚ refugees or newcomers to Canada who speak English as a second language.

For the last three years‚ the Welcome Playgroup on Friday mornings in the Family Centre has welcomed more than 100 families speaking a variety of languages from 31 different places around the globe.

The Welcome Playgroup provides a great opportunity for parents to meet other parents‚ make friends‚ find out about community resources and support their children in discovering a new place to play and meet other children.

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p h o to s by A aro n Li cht

BY HYEYO UN G J EO N

Yanira Heredia moved to Victoria five years ago after living in Spain and Switzerland. She joined the playgroup four years ago when her son‚ Aydan‚ was six-months-old. He started preschool last September but Yanira has continued to attend with her two-yearold daughter‚ Yuna. “As

a newcomer to Canada‚ I found this place to be a great community. It is not only for stay-at-home moms but also for people who are disconnected from their communities as newcomers.” She says‚ “This is a safe place to share my experience‚ meet friends and inspire my

children in their activities and social experiences.

The most important thing is I met the person here who used to take care of my kids when I had to go back to work. We became friends and we feel wellbonded now.”

Nancy Smith‚ the Family Centre Coordinator‚ facilitates the playgroup and says that the program attempts to support newcomer families who might enjoy meeting new people and benefit from joining a familyfriendly community. “It is wonderful to see families connecting with one another‚ making friends and even socializing outside of the Friday morning group time. I often see families reaching out and helping one another: by exchanging phone numbers‚ connecting on Facebook‚ sharing baby clothes and other items‚ even recipes. Sometimes their children have attended one another’s birthday parties and parents have even organized weekend outings at the park‚ picnics or potlucks.” CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE heremagazine.ca

21

THIS IS A SAFE PLACE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE, MEET NEW FRIENDS, AND INSPIRE MY CHILDREN IN THEIR ACTIVITIES.

— N E W C O M E R M O M YA N I R A H E R E D I A

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

There is a great blend of newer and more experienced families who can often provide the greatest bridging support to the new families because they have been through it themselves and are eager to ease the way for others.

Camilla Nordberg came to Canada from Finland in September 2015 as a visiting researcher at the University of Victoria. She is the mother of two small daughters and says‚ “Being a mom of two‚ a 5-year-old and an 18-monthold‚ it’s difficult to have a chance to meet friends or other people because I always have to bring my kids when I go somewhere.

There’s no chance to feel relaxed or have a cup of coffee as I have to keep an eye on them. This playgroup is a wonderful place as I can relax in a safe and comfortable environment.”

Her research project focuses on migrant background mothers and she shares some of her experience: “Although they had prepared to move to a new environment‚ it must have been hard for them to prepare for raising children without the love and support of close family and peer support. It’s sad when

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kids miss opportunities for meaningful connection with their older generations such as grandparents who live in their home countries. It would be great if we could create a program that matched newcomer families with kids to established Canadian seniors.”

The space at the Family Centre is child-friendly‚ full of books‚ puzzles‚ art activities and toys. It also has a fenced-in outdoor play area for young children. A healthy snack is served for the children and it is followed by a circle time sing-along with the children and their parents participating together.

Camilla says‚ “The playgroup provides activities for both of my daughters. My older one‚ Lea‚ loves the art crafts and the outdoor playground.

My younger one‚ Elvi‚ just

started to follow some of the movements during circle time.

It’s great to see how my kids grow every week.”

Psyche Chang remarks on the benefit of the circle time for her 3.5-year-old daughter‚ Kallisto. Psyche was born and raised in Taipei‚ Taiwan and moved to Canada in 2010.

She has been attending this playgroup with her daughter‚ Kallisto‚ since September 2014. Psyche says “My daughter loves all parts of this playgroup‚ but she tends to like doing paintings a lot recently; she also plays at outside playground a lot. I will say ‘circle time’ is the most important part to Kallisto‚ since we do not speak English at home and she hasn’t gone to school yet‚ singing is the most efficient way to help her develop language.”

Jinyoung Kim came to Canada from South Korea with her husband on a work visa in October 2013 but she wasn’t allowed to access parenting classes at newcomer settlement agencies until she received immigrant status in September 2015. “A public health nurse introduced me to this playgroup after the birth of my son‚ Sean.

Well‚ for me‚ it took a lot of courage just to come to this group because I haven’t joined any other community groups since I moved to Canada. I joined the playgroup when Sean was 10 months old. I was so grateful especially to Nancy for being welcoming and nice to me during my first visit. She also gave me useful information about other programs which helped me connect to the community. I have been able to access other community services such as the public library and kindergym. I have been learning a lot about child development‚ parenting and positive discipline. I used to deal with these issues alone as I didn’t know who to ask.”

As well as being a place to connect with other parents‚ the playgroup is also a place to find information

I HAVE BEEN LEARNING A LOT ABOUT CHILD DEVELOPMENT, PARENTING, AND POSITIVE DISCIPLINE. I USED TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES ALONE AS I DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO ASK. N E W C O M E R M O M J I N YO U N G K I M AND SON‚ SE AN.

about community support and health services. Families have the opportunity to talk with a public health nurse and a dental hygienist from Island Health once a month. The public health nurse provides families with valuable information on child development and health and wellness-related topics.

As in every child-centred environment, Welcome Playgroup is ultimately all about the kids‚ and their experiences. As Yanira says‚ “My son‚ Aydan‚ will always remember that the first firefighter hat that he played with was the one here at the Welcome Playgroup.”

INFORMATION ON ATTENDING THE WELCOME PLAYGROUP ON PAGE 24.

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AND THE WINNER IS...!

RAYAN A.

FRIDAY MORNINGS 9:00-11:15 A.M. @ JAMES BAY COMMUNITY PROJECT

547 MICHIGAN ST. VICTORIA B.C.

WELCOME PLAYGROUP is an open and friendly place for families who are new to Canada*.

No paperwork is required to attend and over the past several years‚ the program has welcomed immigrants‚ refugees‚ international students and the spouses of those here on work or student visas. The program is free and bus tickets are available to those in need if they are attending the group.

for more information, visit the James Bay Community Project’s website at www.jbcp.bc.ca or contact Nancy Smith at 250-388-7844 Ext.313 or nsmith@jbcp.bc.ca James Bay Community Project is a non-profit community organization helping seniors, youth and families by providing counselling services, community support and volunteer services.

JBCP has several tenants providing services to the community: the Victoria Health Co operative, LifeLabs, HerWay Home and other independent providers of health services. *New funding guidelines from Public Health Canada define newcomers as families who have been in Canada for less than 10 years.

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Rayan is a 15-year-old newcomer from Syria who arrived

in Victoria B.C. in February 2016. Rayan drew the vibrant and heartwarming cover illustration for the contest theme: “How I am connected to my community.” Rayan’s submission was evaluated on interpretation, creativity, visual impact, and technique. As the contest winner, Rayan was awarded a $100 gift certificate for their Art Store from prize sponsors, Island Blue. We wish Rayan all the best when she starts at her new high school this September!

^

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT

WELCOME PLAYGROUP

The HERE! TEAM is excited to announce the winner of our first-ever YOUTH COVER DESIGN CONTEST: Rayan A.

talented awesome &

FROM THE JUDGES: Rayan’s entry has a bright and bouncy, heartwarming simplicity which makes her art immediately appealing. Its straightforward message of love and inclusivity is one we can, and should, all share. —APRIL CAVERHILL aprilcaverhill.wordpress.com Art becomes more than a pretty picture when an artist shares a passion for celebrating new ideas, works, and concepts about art. The use of personal identities and storytelling can engage and remind viewers that art is alive, influenced, and constantly changing. For me, this drawing speaks to the evolving dialogue created by building new relationships and friendships in the contemporary art world, and the community at large. — CAROLLYNE YARDLEY carollyne.com Rayan’s illustration is original, creative, accomplished and relevant. There’s a lot of heart put into this. You could tell she really had a lot to express. —JONATHAN GLEED jgleed.com

siness! gr8 local bu

amazing team!

WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG... can you find?

Who are these well-known Canadians and why are they famous?! SEE ANSWERS BELOW.

a) the name of an Ethiopian bread (page 17): b) the name of a Filipino fruit (page 17): c) the name of a Ghanaian cloth (page 18): d) the name of an Egyptian pasta dish (page 18):

Questions as asked on past shows of Global Television’s program Are you Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader?

SEE ANSWERS TO THE RIGHT.

fun & facts

1. GRADE 3: CANADIAN GEOGRAPHY The True North Pole is located in the middle of which group of islands: a) Thousand Islands b) Queen Elizabeth Islands c) Queen Charlotte Islands

2. GRADE 3: GRAMMAR What is the abstract noun in this sentence?

Isiah went to the legislature to learn about democracy.

3. GRADE 4: CANADIAN HISTORY At what UNESCO World Heritage site were bison hunted by being forced to jump over cliffs?

4. GRADE 4: ART ‘The Jack Pine’ and ‘The West Wind’ are paintings by what Canadian artist?

5. GRADE 5: GEOMETRY What is the term for two lines that intersect at a right angle?

6. GRADE 5: WORLD GEOGRAPHY

AN SW E RS: FAMOUS C ANADIANS: 1. Adrienne Clarkson, broadcaster, journalist, former Governor General of Canada 2. Justin Trudeau, current Prime Minister of Canada 3. Mar yam Monsef, first Afghan - born Member of Parliament, Minister of Democratic Institutions 4. Aubrey Drake Graham (“Drake”), Grammy - award winning rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and ac tor. C AN YOU FIND? a. Injera b. Durian c. Kente d. Kushari R U SMARTER THAN A C ANADIAN 5TH GR ADER? 1. b) Q ueen Elizabeth Islands 2. Democrac y 3. Head - Smashed - In - Buf falo -Jump 4. Tom Thomson 5.

Perpendicular 6. Black, yellow, and red.

R U SMARTER THAN A CANADIAN 5TH GRADER?

What are the three colours on Belgium’s flag? heremagazine.ca

25

read

We are great believers in using picture books with students of all ages. Beautifully written and illustrated stories are all around us. Many of these reflect the cultures represented in our classrooms and the issues that our students and their families face. They too are strong springboards for creating discussion and launching writing. They can help tease out stories, build awareness about issues, and inspire and build empathy. Here is a small number of our favourites.

By Henrietta Langran DesBrisay and Ashley Walker

FLOTSAM

THE ARRIVAL

by David

by Shaun Tan

Wiesner The Arrival is a wordless The intricate

book for older readers.

drawings in this

Its clear and intricate

wordless picture

sepia-toned pictures

book tell a story

tell the ageless story

of time passing and extraordinary sights to behold

of migration. A father

under the sea. When a young boy finds a camera

packs his belongings

at the beach amongst the flotsam, he develops the

in search of a better life for his family. He says

film and through the photos discovers an unusual

goodbye to his wife and daughter and leaves his

world beneath the waves. This story is suitable

community for a new world on the other side of an

for preschool and elementary-age children. The

ocean. Upon his arrival, he encounters common

pictures hold hidden treasures and children and

issues faced by many migrants, regardless of their

adults alike will want to read this story repeatedly

nationality and destination: an unfamiliar language

to discover all these treasures.

and culture. Isolated from all that is familiar, he then starts to build his new world with the help

JOURNEY

of some sympathetic strangers. The pages of this

by Aaron

wordless book turn like those of a family photo

Becker

album. They tell a story that many of us can relate to. This book helps us remember our own journey or

At face value this

journeys and helps build empathy for the journeys

is an imaginative

made by others.

wordless story that can inspire students to tell their own creative wordless stories. At its start, a girl takes a feltpen and draws a simple door on her bedroom wall. She then opens the door and disappears through it into a new world, a world of wonder, adventure and some scary moments.

Along the way she continues to draw things that will aid her on her journey. This story can also be the perfect springboard for sharing real-life journeys.

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OTHER FAVES: GLEAM AND GLOW by Eve Bunting Based on a true story about a Bosnian family which is forced to flee from its war-torn home. An important book about the horrors of war and the hope that sometimes emerges from its devastation.

SAME, SAME BUT DIFFERENT by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw A penpal letter writing exchange demonstrates how life in America is different, and yet in many aspects, similar to life in India.

THE SANDWICH SWAP by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah About two school friends, Salma and Lily. They are best friends. They play together, draw together and always eat lunch together. At lunch, Salma eats hummus and pita sandwiches, and Lily, peanut butter and jelly. They never taste one another’s sandwiches, or seem to want to, and one day say as much. Before long, a foodfight starts, and shortly after that, a visit to the Principal’s Office.

JOIN US Come out and meet the Here!

Team in the community: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016 @NELLIE MCCLUNG LIBRARY 3950 CEDAR HILL RD. VICTORIA B.C. FOCUS GROUP: BRING YOUR IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE ISSUES OF HERE! MAGAZINE . OPEN TO NEWCOMERS, IMMIGRANTS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY!

CONNECT WITH US

We love to connect with you on social media to share information that’s important to newcomers and to build cross-cultural awareness!

(Although for some reason‚ our Instagram page seems to boast a lot of flower pictures...)

New to Canada?

We can help.

VISIT US

We want to hear your stories and get your feedback! Visit our website to contribute to polls and questionnaires‚ improve your language skills‚ learn about Canadian culture‚ meet other newcomers in the community‚ and read our digital editions and special web-only features.

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