Growing up in Toronto after the Second World War, we always had ready lessons in the problems faced by the children of refugees and immigrants. The children were the rapid adapters of the language and culture they found. They sought acceptance by their peer groups among native-born children. And, in turn, we saw the conflicts created between the old-country parents and their children as the children became more acclimatized and familiar with North American ways.
The tragedy of these cultural conflicts cannot be better expressed than the current conflict between Ontario’s school system and the densely packed immigrant population in an area such as Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park. Having lived in that community when first married and before buying our first home in North York, we know the area. The dramatic difference in Thorncliffe today is the once run-of-the-mill North-American shopping mall in the centre of that mass of apartment buildings now has many of the characteristics of an Arab souk (bazaar).
While many new immigrants like to live where they have the support of so many others, it can cause serious problems. Their children are getting far less opportunity to interface with children born in this country. Their integration is being retarded. It is harder to find the acceptance they need and want. Estrangement can often build resentment.
And now they are being used as pawns in a tug of war between their parent’s and the Ontario school system over sex education. The parents’ objections to the relatively tame discussion points for teachers in the health curriculum are perceived as being based more on ignorance than any religious grounds. The children need the education to cope in this country. They are not living in the old country. Nobody expects the parents to integrate easily into this foreign culture but they have to allow their children to adapt. This country and its culture are a package deal. It is based on tolerance.
What is wrong here is that without the language needed to understand what they hear, the children will get their sex education on the street from less reliable sources. In this freer society they can be more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. These are just children who want to be like their classmates while their parents appear to be used by others’ to further political agendas.
And speaking of political agendas, you should not wait for the federal Conservatives to rush to the aid of the Syrian and Iraqi refugees flooding into Europe. They will work up a few crocodile tears for appearances but the last thing their extreme right-wing Conservative supporters want is a large number of Muslims impacting the demographics in this country.
-30-
Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]