Migration Journey Part 1

My migration process was not linear, I'd wondered what to do with my life for so long. In Mexico, I was not feeling contented and I started traveling to Canada since 2015. When I came to visit Toronto the first time, I realized that I was able to wear a short during summer time and nothing happened, I was going out with friends and coming back home at 2:00 am in the morning and I felt pretty safe. I came back to Mexico, and comparing my safety between these two countries I felt it was time to move abroad, it took me a while to make the decision, but I finally did it.

I have met other people from different parts of the world and they have told me that they were quite old to start a migration journey, but they would regret if they would not do it and I always tell them, just do it, never is too late to live new experiences and to learn or unlearn from them. 

I am going to give you the following thoughts about what a migration journey has made me feel on those years, I would need to say that this is like an extreme sport and a painful-rewarding journey. I will take you to specific situations that I've been through and introduce you some people that I've met in the pathway. 

When I decided to move to Canada, my English was not perfect, it's still not perfect, but I barely could understood the Canadian accent, something that helped me was that I came to visit for some time, so the second time that I came back, I could understand much better, but the most difficult part for me was leaving my family and friends in Mexico, the first few months, I was really down, feeling that I made a wrong decision. 

Then, the work experience, I did have survival jobs to pay my bills, when you move abroad, you will reborn and unlearn several things, I did not have a lot of friends, and it's unfortunate that other people take advantage of you, just because you are in a vulnerable situation, there were a couple of workplaces where I did not get paid. There will be a special writing about all the jobs that I've done in Canada. 

An acquaintance told me when I was so sad with no job and trying to adapt to a new culture that we have to rely on what we are, what we know, what we think, and to be focused on our well--being, but with all these pressures and life happening, I was not having time to think about it, when you have to think about what you will eat for next meal and how to pay the rent, there is not time for introspection and wellness. 

Let's talk about this acquaintance, she was born Canadian, she has a stable job, she speaks the language, she has graduated from a well-recognized Canadian University, she has a community that hold her back all the time, her parents had given a new apartment, but she was not able to acknowledge her privileges. We as migrants do not have any mental health resources to thrive, specifically if you do not have a permanent status, in my case, as an international student it took me a while to get my health card and have access to health system. 

Some people worldwide do not have access to food and housing and that changes all your perspective, you cannot think about therapy if you have not cover all your basic needs. I've been in that situation, it was so stressful, but I wanted to bring this topic to the table to let the host society know, that our challenges are completely different from theirs. I acknowledge my privileges that I was able to pursue education in Canada, but it was not easy. International students in Canada, face racism,  discrimination, and violence. We do not have access to health system, we work at precarious workplaces and take jobs where they do not follow health and safety standards because if we do not do that, we cannot afford everything.