The Feeling of Being Foreign

If I didn't have something covering my head every day it would be hard to consider me as anything but a Canadian first, and, if your eye is discriminating enough, a Jew second.

As a White, Jewish Canadian, I really haven't felt all too foreign growing up in Toronto. I speak English, I look like the people around me, I understand how to communicate with people within the parameters of the Torontonian WASP/Secular Jewish/Academic cultures. There is barely a problem, so why should I complain?

Being down in Monsey New York at this Yeshiva has taught me at least one reason to complain. I am foreign. Foreign to Russian Culture, Israeli Culture, South African Culture and all the respective languages. There is so much that I feel I'm missing out on. So much history, so many accomplishments so much connection.

It's simply amazing when someone can uproot themselves from all with which they are familiar and form a new history, new connections, learn new languages, and integrate themselves into a new culture. I have lots of respect for people who can manage that tension.

Is it good though? This is a curious question which I don't think I can possibly give one absolute answer to. Maybe I can enumerate the positives and negatives? Let's try:

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Pros
The opportunity to become bilingual or more
The opportunity to enrich your life by examining others' cultural values
Encountering new foods
Meeting people whose mindsets differ due experiences unique to that country
Maximizing the possibility of finding a life mate
The opportunity to feel at home in two countries
Bringing a fresh perspective from your home country to the new country

Cons
Feeling uprooted from all that was familiar to you
Losing the security of your previous way of life if the host country is not concentrated with people who follow your traditions
Losing the opportunity to effectively raise your children with your values if the previous conditions are true
Losing the opportunity to speak your language on a regular basis if the conditions of the second point are true
Not being able to speak the language of the host country right away
(This applies to Canada) Not being able to benefit financially in the first number of years you reside in Canada because of all the roadblocks put in place for Immigrants
(Also applies to Canada) Not having your Post-Secondary Educational Degree recognized because your schools are not trusted
Experiencing multitudinous forms of prejudice

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The upside about a number of the Cons that I enumerated is that they can be dealt with. Whole communities immigrate to new countries to enable individuals to feel more at home. After jumping through enough hoops an immigrant CAN benefit financially (it still sucks that they have to take so much financial harassment before that however). Canadian Universities (I don't know what happens down in the States) do accept some credits from Foreign Post-Secondary Institutions. Human Rights Codes ensure that it is possible to fight prejudice in your host country (at least we should hope they do).

I am convinced, for the time being, that immigrating to a new country does not have to be a bad thing.

The feeling of being foreign might creep up on me in my Canadian bound future, but hopefully I can learn enough about others (and others can learn enough about me) to bring that feeling down to a more comfortable level!