W
hat do you think of when you hear
“Toronto”? You might think about
Canada, the CN tower, or the waterfront.
Do you think of the diversity of Toronto?
Toronto is very diverse and continues
to welcome new immigrants. However,
most recent immigrants live in the outer
suburbs of Toronto. To really understand
the diversity of Toronto, you must travel
outside of the touristy areas to the suburbs.
When immigrants come to a new
country, they often bring their food, shops,
culture, and language. By exploring
Toronto, you can learn about manydifferent cultures and how they contribute
to Canada.
Canada’s first people were the First
Nations people. Since that time, many
immigrants have come to Canada.
The first period was French and British
colonization. In the beginning, Canada
was very restrictive toward immigrants
not from Europe, especially the Chinese.
However, since the 1970s, immigration laws
in Canada have been changed, and many
immigrants to Canada have come from
around the world. Most come from South
and East Asia.Somali Canadians of Toronto
by Emily FloessLiibaan A. is a Somali refugee.
After more than 10 years in the
United States, he had to flee as his
work permit was cancelled and
he faced deportation. It took four
years to be legal in Canada. He
now works within the community
helping refugees.