Challenges and Choices
The Immigrant Women's Association of Manitoba, Inc. held its annual forum for immigrant and refugee youths entitled Challenges and Choices. The event took place at the University of Winnipeg. More than 100 students and teachers from several schools across the city attended the event.
The forum is part of a new program of immigrant women which involves recruiting role model youths from the immigrant/refugee first and second generation to speak to newcomer youths in school and share their stories of adjustment and settlement.
Four youths spoke. They shared the challenges they faced and the choices they had to make in their early years. A lot of the challenges came from overprotective, achievement oriented parents who pressured them to keep the customs of the old country alive.
They spoke of the shame and alienation they felt, not being able to speak or understand the language, the shame in eating their ethnic foods in front of their peers for fear of being ridiculed.
One student who is a first generation Filipina said she never befriend youths from her own ethnic background because she was ashamed of them and did not want to be associated with them. She alienated herself from her ethnic ties and had nothing to do with it.
Looking back, she said she feels a deep sense of sadness for rejecting them and wish she could go back and change things. She said that she knew there was racism but ignored it because she did not want to offend her peers.
Many of the problems immigrant youths face stem for their ambivalence of adhering to their parents wishes or those of their peers. It is a difficult challenge for most and the choice at that

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