Take It to the Group Chat, Ep. 4: “no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark”

Many immigrants and members of diasporic communities chafe at the implicit expectation that they should be ‘grateful’ to Canada for providing them with a ‘better life.’ This perception ignores many geopolitical realities, including the fact that colonialism and modern-day imperialism create untenable situations that force people to seek out those so-called better lives, and the fact that this dynamic can create the ideal environment for exploitation to thrive.

But… what if you do feel grateful? Especially if Canada has literally been a place to escape to? In episode four of Friday Talks: Take It to the Group Chat, I’m exploring exactly these questions in a nuanced conversation with Jerry Flores, associate professor in the department of sociology at the University of Toronto, and journalist and television personality Nam Kiwanuka. We’re delving into the reality of being a refugee to Canada, social stigma—and the complicated feelings refugees can have about needing to escape their homelands in the first place.

Is there anything more immigrant coded than the group chat? More than just a way to stay in touch with far-flung family and friends, group chats are a social space where things get complicated, nuanced and even a little heated. And season 3 of Friday Talks, Take It to the Group Chat, is bringing some of that energy to your computer screen. Hosted by Friday Things founder and editor Stacy Lee Kong, Take It to the Group Chat is a six-part video series that tackles different aspects of the immigrant experience through thoughtful conversations with a panel of experts.