THE PROS AND CONS OF MIGRATION

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Human migration is not a new movement happening in the world. It goes back to the early humans as a way of survival, looking for food and better resources to live. And has never stopped since then.

Many developed countries experience a big flow of immigration. And this is a complex subject as it has its pros and its cons.

For some people immigration is an issue, causing fear, uncertainty and anxiety. To others, immigration is actually, an economic solution and an integrated way to live with no barriers.

Even though I am an immigrant here in Canada, who came from Brazil, I can see some of the negative impacts that immigration can possibly bring to some countries. Issues such as pressure on public services (health, education, welfare etc.), increase of unemployment for local people, decrease of wages, risk of loosing the national identity and language, cultural differences and adjustments, can be just a few of the negative effects of immigration.

And similarly because I am an immigrant coming from a country essentially shaped by immigrants (Brazil was mainly colonized by Europeans and Africans) I can observe the pros of immigration. Economic growth can be sustained, population growth is also maintained, services to elderly can be offered (when there are no sufficient people locally). Immigrants bring diversity and innovation, which creates new experiences and enrich the local culture by adding new food, art, and creativity just to mention a few.

Immigration is a vast topic that has to be planned and controlled by each country, in order to bring the best for both: the host country and the immigrant. Laws and regulations have to secure immigrants’ rights. The host country has to offer a settlement infrastructure to guarantee that the immigrant will adapt. The only thing that has to be out of this topic is bias.

The good of being an immigrant

On my previous post I spoke mainly about the good of being an immigrant. I would like to elaborate on that topic. Today I heard something at my daughter’s school, from its custodian, that made me stop and think deeply on that.

I was waiting for my daughter at the gym; she was finishing an extra class activity. The custodian was also there waiting for the girls to finish the activity. And while we were waiting, we were chatting. He seems to be a very educated man, with an exquisite knowledge noticeable within his talking. We were observing the girls wrapping up the activity when he said: I love this diversity (showing with his hands a presumably Muslim girl – she was wearing hijab - playing along with a presumably non-Muslim girl). Then he complemented his thought “is that way they will learn to get along. We need that on our world”. Bingo!

Through diversity we can understand and, most importantly, experience tolerance in a peaceful environment! It seems so obvious, but if we don’t talk about it, using the words and thinking how meaningful it is, we will never see any changes on our world. Being able to get along with people with different backgrounds, from all over the world, make us realize that “right” is maybe not so right. And “wrong” is the right for some. Tolerance is the word for the next generation!

Diversity today is a requirement; it’s not an option anymore.

Learning from the best teachers

We should learn from children. They are amazing! They accept diversity naturally, no explanations needed. That’s beautiful about them! When my daughter started school here in Winnipeg, one year and two months ago, her classmates were so openhearted and so genuine accepting the fact that she didn’t speak a word in English that it melted my heart.

They helped her. They taught her. They embraced her. She learned really fast. After two months she was comfortable to speak her first complete sentences in English.

The most amazing thing I heard from her, by the time, was: “mom, I feel they respect me”. What else in this world can I even want for my daughter?

Let’s learn from them. Let’s embrace diversity. It can be hard understand other’s points of view; it can be difficult respect other’s habits and attitudes. But at least let’s give it a try! Amazing things will happen on our life once we are connected with “the different”. And one of them certainly is tolerance!