There were early days in Canada when Bharati Sethi’s PhD dreams must have seemed worlds away. But even when employers at her waitressing and cleaning jobs laughed at the notion that she would one day be a professor, Bharati kept moving toward her goals.
Now a Londoner for two years, an award-winning researcher named one of London’s “diversity and inclusion champions” and listed among the Royal Bank’s “top 25 immigrants to Canada,” Bharati was an aspiring Hotel Management student in Montreal when she first moved to Canada from Mumbai 20 years ago. 
As her status shifted in Canada from a foreign student to a foreign worker, she had to overcome many new obstacles – racism being the biggest constant challenge, and continuing to this day – and she says she realized many of the hardships that she and so many other newcomers faced were directly connected to policies. With that awareness, Bharati felt compelled to do more research that could result in policy changes that would have a direct impact on future hardships.  As an assistant professor of social work at King’s College, Western University in London, she works directly with students and other academics to achieve the greater goal of making this country more inclusive.
For her thesis – titled “Do You See What I See?” – Bharati provided cameras to immigrant women and asked them to capture images that they felt illustrated their experiences in Canada. The project has been exhibited in several Ontario cities and received praise for empowering women who are marginalized by giving them an opportunity to tell their own stories using photographs.
As a London diversity and inclusion champion, Bharati provides input to the city on how to be inclusive. She reminds governments at all levels that the health of a community depends on the health of all its residents, including newcomers and immigrants.
And as someone who has struggled, yet continued to focus on moving toward her goals, her advice to newcomers is to do the same.  “If you stop, you know for sure that you will not reach your goal,” says Bharati. “If you need to rest, rest for a bit, if you need to crawl, then crawl, but always keep moving.”

With five young children, London was a good choice for  Asmaa and her husband to make their new home after leaving the uncertainty that surrounded life in Syria. Considered a quiet, safe city, London has a reputation as a “good place to raise a family,” and that’s exactly what they needed. Originally from Iraq, the family spent five years in Syria before the United Nations High Commission for Refugees selected their family as refugees to be placed in Canada.
“To have our file selected to go to Canada was a big dream come true,” says Asmaa, who was a medical doctor in Iraq. The entire family obtained citizenship in August 2015, and Asmaa now works in London as a medical interpreter.
“I wish to give Canada all that I can,” says Asmaa, “This is where we will be staying forever and we just want an equal opportunity to succeed.”
When they arrived, the couple didn’t know anybody in London, so they began reaching out as volunteers and immediately sought to get “equalization” for their Master's degrees and to learn how they could integrate into Canadian society with ease. Community connections led  to Asmaa becoming a certified interpreter. She now works for Across Languages.
Asmaa also volunteers with the Middlesex London Health Unit, London Intercommunity Health Centre, London Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership, London Cross Cultural Learner Centre, her children’s schools and community centres.
In 2017, Asmaa was selected for the award “Life As Refugee Award - From Refugee to Londoner.”
She hopes her experience can inspire other newcomers. She urges other newcomers to push through discomfort and get involved in the community through ESL classes, job workshops and volunteering. Doing so leads to improved language skills, which Asmaa considers the key to success in Canada.
“I want to inspire people,” says Asmaa. “I want someone to look at me and say, ‘because of you, I didn’t give up.’”
She asks the broader community to “open your doors for the newcomers,” arriving in London with educational and career experience from all over the world.

When she arrived in 2009 along with her husband and two children, Sandra Zarate knew London would be the right home for her family. A small community with good schools, hospitals, and opportunities for employment, the biggest barrier Sandra faced as a new immigrant from Colombia was being only fluent in Spanish. Sandra immediately set out to fix that, enrolling in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Eager to get involved with her new community and despite her language barrier, she approached her children’s YMCA child care centre and asked if she could be a parent volunteer.
Sandra says stepping out of her comfort zone was a difficult step that led her on a path to good employment today. While she helped care for the children, her English-language education continued. “I would sit with all the children while the teachers were reading some children’s books,” Sandra says.
Although she already had a post-graduate university degree and years of professional experience, she felt like a “kid in the classroom.” The experience was invaluable and led to other volunteer opportunities with Children’s Aid Society, which then led to employment in Canada.
While contributing to the community and networking as a volunteer, Sandra continued her studies at Fanshawe College, then both she and her husband connected with London’s WIL Employment Connections. Through her willingness to try new things and get involved with the community, one thing led to another and she is now happily employed in her field.
Though it wasn’t easy for Sandra to come out of her shell, she has learned that stepping out of her comfort zone is the only way to build strong relationships and get connected. “It’s amazing what overcoming your fears and reluctance to reach out and ask for help can accomplish,” she says.
Sandra encourages newcomers to get involved. If you are good at something, find a field that complements that, as there are many opportunities in London.
“We have all come to Canada from somewhere – we are working hard every day to improve our own lives and the lives of our families, while positively contributing to society,” says Sandra.
Sandra knows the process can be frustrating at first. Her advice: Take your time to settle, but keep moving forward and accept help along the way.
“Being a Canadian is being supportive and compassionate. When you come to London, you are offered so much to help you settle, and the community makes you feel so welcomed,” comments Sandra

Like many newcomers, Hanadi chose to settle in London because of the opportunities her family would have here. “When we came here, the children were very young. London offered a safe, peaceful place,” she says, recalling her arrival from Syria in 2002.
Hanadi has also taken steps to be a contributing member of her new home, volunteering with many organizations, including her children’s school, the Middle Eastern Women’s Association, Syrian Canadian Council, London Intercommunity Health Centre and the London Cross Cultural Learner Centre.
She is a social being who loves being involved in her surrounding community and helping others, so it seemed natural that she would enter a career that involves working with people.
Hanadi obtained her real estate licence after taking courses through Orea College in Toronto and now works as a real estate agent. She is the first London real estate agent with a head scarf and hopes to inspire other Muslim women in hijab to enter the field.
Hanadi also works as a teacher at the Islamic school and volunteers with recent refugees who have arrived from Syria. Her volunteer experience has come in handy many times in real estate, she says, when she has been able to connect clients with services throughout the city.
It was not easy to leave Syria, a country she loves and recalls as being peaceful, rich and “amazing,” before the present crisis took hold. But she says she is grateful to Canada for the life it has given her family.
Here she feels “protected” and “strong,” she says. Her advice to other newcomers: “Be positive, be active and love your community. It gets back to your family. Here there are many opportunities to be a Canadian and feel like part of the community.”

When Laszlo Morar first immigrated to Canada from Hungary, he settled in Mississauga. It was not long before friends told Laszlo and his wife about the nearby city of London, a smaller community filled with beautiful parks and access to all the services they’d need.
Lazlo connected with organizations that assist newcomers with settlement and integration, gaining valuable skills to help him adapt to London and have a greater understanding of Canada. In his country of origin, Laszlo worked as a Border Patrol officer and he was  determined to  continue  working in the field he was trained in. Through a mentorship program at one of the agencies in London, Laszlo connected with the London Police Service which led to his employment as a court prisoner security officer soon after.
Today, Laszlo enjoys living in London and encourages newcomers to reach out to organizations to help make the transition easier. His motivation to never give up and continue trying is an inspiring message to newcomers and locals alike.
So what does being Canadian mean to Laszlo? Being Canadian is unique in its diversity because of the mix of cultures. “Never forget who you are, being Canadian is a unique opportunity.”

For banker Lynette D’Souza, moving to London was a no-brainer. She had been traveling to visit her siblings in the Forest City since 1998 and had fallen in love with  its ethnic diversity, mix of “old and new,” and growing arts and culture scene. “London is a microcosm of what makes Canada so beautiful,” says Lynette, who loves to immerse herself in nature right in the city, making good use of London’s many walking trails. It was time for her family to join her siblings.
With more than two decades of experience in banking in Bahrain, Lynette was working as a risk manager within three months of arriving in Canada. “I found something I love . . . Opportunities exist in London.” She says her family has felt welcome in London and feels at home in their neighbourhood and church. She has gotten to know people, knows her local McDonald’s cashier well enough to ask how her family is doing.  And she has been giving back to her new community since she arrived, volunteering with programs such as Reforest London, Food Banks Canada, the Boys and Girls Club, and Habitat for Humanity. Lynette also volunteers on the City of London’s Community Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
“My philosophy in life is: You don’t only take, you give back,” explains Lynette.
What does being Canadian mean to Lynette? It means belonging. “I am invested in the future of Canada and I can see how my contributions matter to Canada. There is a deep sense of belonging.”

Growing up in the fast-paced environment of China, Flora keeps her busy lifestyle going even after moving to her new home in London. Between attending English-language classes, expanding her knowledge of computers, gardening, and various other activities, Flora dedicates her time to teaching Tai-Chi and exercise to seniors as well as volunteering at multiple centres across the city. “I’m very happy. It feels like sometimes you can do charity and donate money but I said that I have no money to donate, so I can just volunteer.”
Flora is thankful for all the help she received from the community, and observes, “I thought I can give back and this is my way to give back to people. It’s very important for me.”
Flora explained that listening and speaking English was totally different than reading and writing. People speak fast, which makes it hard for her to catch on. She has been studying the English-language for over four years, and every day still offers opportunities for learning. Flora’s advice to newcomers is to participate in community programs, especially ones that allow them to practice speaking English.
Though Canadians may speak fast, they are never in too much of a rush to lend a helping hand. Flora says she appreciates the care that the community has for each other. “When I came here I thought the people were so good. They help you and they care about you and if I am cycling on the street and fall down, a car will stop to try to help me but I wave to say ‘it’s ok.’ Everybody cares about you.” Flora explains she is pleasantly surprised by this, as she is so used to people in China being too focused on their jobs to care. Part of the reason she moved her family to Canada was to allow her son to focus on other activities in school besides education. “Everything is focused on school and not on other activities, just how much schooling they get.”
Flora is happy to be able to learn, grow, and give back to the people who gave her the opportunity.
So what does being Canadian mean to Flora? “To be Canadian means, to me, loyalty, honesty, kindness, and peace.”

Once a childhood vacation spot, Alberto never thought he would be raising his family in Canada. But after 11 years here, Alberto couldn’t be more proud to not only call this place his home, but to be a leader in his community.
Trial and error is what got Alberto to where he is today. He began by starting his own coin laundromat, which was robbed three times. Then he opened a Latin bakery, which wasn’t all he had dreamed it would be, leading to serious economic difficulties. He then moved on to delivering newspapers, pizza, and even driving a school bus. However, the profession that impacted him the most was driving for Para-transit. “I was in contact with people who have several disabilities, and spent a lot of time with their families. It was in that moment that I found the meaning of real love, and family.”
Alberto went back to what his heart knew. He attended Fanshawe College to obtain a diploma in business insurance and eventually the licenses that allowed him to work in the insurance industry, as he used to in Colombia. But it was never easy. During the job search process, Alberto usually received one of two answers: “At entry level jobs they told me I had too much education and experience to be applying and when I applied for jobs according to my education level, the problem was that I didn’t have enough ‘Canadian’ experience or education.” Finally in September 2011, after almost two years searching for a job,  Jim Sutherland, owner of JC Sutherland Insurance Brokers, today SutherlandElliott Insurance Brokers, gave Alberto the opportunity to come back to the field that he knows, the insurance market.
Alberto says that patience was key in his success. “Things will come, but you have to take them step by step.” Alberto is now one of the leading insurance brokers in his field. But this is not the only thing he is proud of; Alberto is proud to be Canadian. Facing his first winters, he realized the empathy between people in Canada. “If you see someone on the street who has a car problem or is walking in the winter, you will help. You help, because you understand that at any given time that could be you at some point or another.”
What does being Canadian mean to Alberto?
“I am very proud to be Canadian, because here you learn to cherish and value other people.”

London was not on the radar of Jacqueline and her family when she first looked at coming to Canada. The typical Vancouver and Toronto options were weighed, and as her husband wanted to continue studying, they eventually decided on London. Coming from a city with a population of six million people, Jacqueline was looking to escape the fast-paced, ever moving lifestyle that she was raised in, and find a good environment to raise their children. Jacqueline explains that she was looking for opportunities where people don’t discriminate.
“We fell in love with the country and my entire family moved to Canada.” She remains impressed by how cultured Canadians are. “A Canadian is someone who is very empathetic, who seeks to understand and look at the deeper issues or the deeper value of things. Canadians are not as quick to judge, not arrogant in comparison to neighbours and subtly patriotic. Being Canadian is also about acceptance.”
In 2007, she was forced her to give up her work after becoming very ill. As a hardworking individual, it was tough to have to lose that part of herself, and she took three years to grieve over it. Eventually, she decided if she was not able to remain in her work environment, she would make her neighbourhood her work environment, and began volunteering. “The last 10 years have been such a period of personal growth. I’ve learned that when one door closes another one does open. You may just not know it or you may have to wait but it does open for you and there’s more to life than the four walls of a building; work can come in different ways.”
Jacqueline pushed herself out of her comfort zone, and as a new immigrant she thinks that’s just what you have to do. You have to be willing to put yourself out there, as success comes in different forms. She says that she’s never been happier than in the position she is in now.
“The big differences are that I feel that what I do [now] is out of my heart, out of passion and of interest. I’m not giving for a pay cheque but I am on a mission to change the attitudes towards volunteers; volunteering is a Canadian way of life.”
Jacqueline’s favourite part of Canadian culture: is the culture of giving back and volunteering.