Etobicoke North is a very diverse
neighborhood. In addition to the Somali
food, we visited a Polish bakery, an Afghani
bakery, and a shop called Dubai. It was very
fun afternoon of exploring different foods.
Moving to a New Country
Moving to another country is never easy.
You may miss your friends, extended family,
food, language, and being in a place you
are familiar with. Additionally, being forced
to move due to a war or because you
are unsafe is even more challenging. You
and your family may have no choice but
to leave, and it will be very difficult to visit
home. Things are not always easy when you
are adjusting to a new country. You have
to get used to a new school, language, and
culture. Sometimes adults are not able to
have the same job they had in their home
country and have to return to school,
repeating education they already have. The
first job they get when arriving in a new
country often does not pay well, and in
a city like Toronto, housing can be very
expensive.
There are many challenges faced by the
Somali community in Toronto. Some of the
concerns are not enough youth programs,
no community center, and even those with
college degrees have trouble finding jobs.
There are concerns about violence in the
community. There are also concerns about
discrimination because Somali Canadians
are a minority in Toronto.
However, Somali Canadians are working
hard to help their community. There are
many groups working on developing
youth programs, community activities, and
education. By working together, they can
make their community strong.
The next time you visit Toronto, or
another major city, perhaps you will not just
think about discovering the famous sites of
that city, but also about visiting communities
of recent immigrants and learning about the
challenges they face.Emily Floess is a graduate student
focusing on air quality and emissions,
and has traveled to Colombia, Nepal,
and China for her research. Emily visited
Toronto and enjoyed exploring the
Somali Canadian community of Toronto..Toronto, Canada’s largest
city, is diverse and vibrant.