Walking together: Healing and hope for Colombian refugees

w a l k i n g
t o g e t h e r
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Social situations and interpersonal relations:
Many interviewed Colombians alluded to differences
in terms of equality and social stratification. As
displaced people in Colombia they had experienced
discrimination and marginalization in Colombia. Being
treated as equals in Canada was one of the most
common observations about the cultural differences
they had noticed since arriving in Canada.
“In Colombia people recognized me around the
country and I was well liked as a newscaster and
journalist. After my displacement I used to be
embarrassed easily. In Colombia you have to wear
nice clothes, a suit and tie, if you go to the bank or
go out shopping. Here you don’t have to do that, no
one is paying attention to how I dress, to what I eat.
If I go into the bank with sandals and shorts, no one
cares. Here there isn’t discrimination about what one
is buying, whether I’m buying rice and eggs (food for
a poorer person) or whether I’m buying meat (food for
a richer person).” - Carlos
“I realize that no one looks at you here. If you are walking in flip flops it looks normal. People mind their own
business, their shopping - they aren’t paying attention to you. It is a different culture, but they see us as normal.
It’s not like in Colombia where if you go to a bank or to a store wearing simple clothing the door guards ask you
what you want, what you are doing there....[Here] if you don’t speak English people try to help you.” - Roberto
“It’s neat to learn about another culture. We’ve noticed a lot of differences: At the supermarket women with
little children go ahead. Children are given a lot of privileges here. Honesty: we left our wedding rings in a
doctor’s office, later we returned and they had saved them for us.” - Jorge
“There are times when I’m walking on the street and people that I don’t know greet me saying ‘good morning.’
They don’t look at me they way they did in Colombia - when one walks in the street and when a rich person
passes they look down on you. The people treat me much better here...My son felt a lot of discrimination in
Colombia, he was considered a “special child” and wasn’t allowed to attend school, and here they treat him
like any other child. He is not the same as he was in Colombia. Here he is waking up, he is adapting to the
other children. He speaks more! He understands a lot. He is learning to write. He has many friends and the
teachers love him. He is learning how to greet people with his hand rather than by hugging.” - Adriana
Driving etiquette: Observations about compliance with the rules of the road speak to the difference
between being behind the wheel in Colombia and in Canada.