Margins Magazine - Volume 4 Issue 1

M A R G I N S
IV.I

vol. IV | issue. I
margins.
land acknowledgement
& equity statement.
We shall neither condone nor tolerate behaviour that undermines the
dignity or self-esteem of any individual or creates an intimidating, hostile or
offensive environment in our physical and digital spaces. It is our collective
responsibility to create spaces that are inclusive and welcome discussion.
Any form of discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated. Hate speech
rooted in, but not limited to, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, sexist, racist, classist,
ableist, homophobic, or transphobic sentiments and/or remarks will not be
tolerated. We all have an obligation to ensure that an open and inclusive
space, free of hate is established. Any behaviour that does not demonstrate
an understanding of these principles and/or creates an unsafe atmosphere
will not be tolerated.
To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to
those whose territory you reside on, and a way of honouring the Indigenous
people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial.
It is important to understand the long-standing history that has brought
you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that
history. Colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our
mindfulness of our present participation.
The first step is to acknowledge that we, Margins Magazine & The UTSC
Women’s and Trans Centre, are on the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat,
the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. We would
like to sincerely pay our respects to their elders past and present, and to any
who may be here with us today, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Today,
these lands are still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle
Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.
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vol. IV | issue. I
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time.
[noun]
/tīm/
&
1. the indefinite continued progress
of existence and events in the past,
present, and future regarded as a
whole.
2. the ongoing sequence of events
taking place.
space.
[noun]
/spās/
1. a continuous area or expanse
which is free, available, or
unoccupied.
2. the dimensions of height,
depth, and width within which
all things exist and move.
4 5

vol. IV | issue. I
margins.
a note
from the
editor-in-chief.
Happy October! Have we reached level 10 of Jumanji now?
Reflecting back on 2020, it’s been quite a year in all
regards, that has both tested and pushed our limits as
individuals and as a society. However, in the words of
Ben Okri, “the most authentic thing about us is our capacity to
create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love, and to be
greater than our suffering”.
As we progress ahead, it’s important to remember that
we keep creating and maintaining safe spaces for the people
of our communities. This is one tangible step forward in better
supporting and uplifting those around us. Radhika Gupta’s
thoughts on International Students in the Time of COVID-19,
contributor Suritah Teresa Wignall’s reflection Acts of
Violence, and my interview with Transit Justice TO remind me
exactly this as we collectively navigate through both time and
space.
Our journey with Margins Magazine continues forward
with an expanded team. In May 2020, we started out with
three people and today, we have grown to a team of 18
remarkable folks. I’m really proud of how far our team has
come together and I am really excited to see where we go
from here! Thank you to everyone that has supported us and
allowed us to continue offering this space to share stories, for
and by the community. Stay tuned for what’s ahead!
>> location
Sincerely,
ans =
‘University of Toronto Scarborough Land Valley
Trail, 43.7839° N, 79.1874° W ’
>> date
ans =
‘05-Oct-2019’
6 7
Shagun Kanwar
Editor-in-Chief
Email: wtcmargins@gmail.com

margins.
margins.
a note
from the
creative director.
Spooky season is upon us!
I
won't lie - the current pandemic has been a very grueling
and tough challenge that many people have had to deal
with. It made some of us think about the privileges we have
and what we may have taken for granted before the beginning
of quarantine. Personally, it gave me the chance to reflect on
what I was going through and also gave me an opportunity to
learn about how I can be there for myself.
I think that being by myself this long has definitely
impacted my creative thinking. For sure, having all those
thoughts with me felt daunting, but Margins Magazine has
become one of my many creative outlets. Aside from that, I
have been spending most of my time painting portraits of my
friends, listening to crime podcasts, and catching up on some
much needed self-care practices like making Michelin-quality
meals!
The creative design for this issue was something I kept in
my drafts for quite some time, and I am excited to finally share it
with you! Most of the inspiration came from a lot of my favorite
music, which had very 'trippy' and retro 80s style album artwork.
From there, Shagun and I put together a great representation of
what Time & Space looked like to us.
Since the start of my time at Margins Magazine last March
to now, October 2020, it has definitely been an intriguing journey.
I am beyond grateful to work with such a wonderful team and
with such diverse and creative minds. I hope all of you enjoy this
issue because we created it with a lot of love!
Sincerely,
>> location
Arya Bhat
Creative Director
Email: aryambhat@gmail.com
ans =
‘Sherborn, 42.2390° N, 71.3698° W’
>> date
ans =
‘24-Aug-2019’
8 9

TEAM
MASTHEAD
TEAM
MASTHEAD
SHAGUN KANWAR
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
NADIA ADAM
MANAGING EDITOR
ARYA BHAT
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SOFIA SULEMAN
WRITER
THEEVYA RAGU
WRITER
ZACHARIAH HIGHGATE
WRITER
TASHFIA SHARAR
ILLUSTRATOR
ALEXA DIFRANCESCO
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
FARAH AHMAD
EDITOR
BHANVI SACHDEVA
WRITER
MAISHA MAIMUNAH
WRITER
SANAH MALIK
WRITER
ZIYAN NADEEM
EDITOR
COURTENIE MERRIMAN
WRITER
SAMAN SAEED
WRITER
KYANA ESPIRITU
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
MAIDAH AFZAL
MARKETING DIRECTOR
RADIKHA GUPTA
MARKETING DIRECTOR

CONTRIBUTORS.
art
&
photography
Erhan Us
Huma Khan
Kathryn DeFrank
Naiomy Ekanayake
Zoe Cheung
poetry
Joana Spouge
Shakkoi Hibbert
reflection
pieces
Kazi Marzuk Hoque
Radhika Gupta
Suritah Teresa Wignall
Viridiana Crespo
Visual Credits: Claudia Shwarz

vol. IV | issue. I
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS.
17
Chadwick
Boseman,
The Butterfly
Alexa DiFrancesco and
Zachariah Highgate cover
the life and accomplishments
of the late Chadwick
Boseman and how his
presence has changed both
the film industry
and the world.
27
International
Students in
the time of
COVID-19
Radhika Gupta reflects
about the difficulties experienced
by international
students like herself at UofT
during COVID-19.
33
Julene Exter’s Case
of the Varsity Blues:
Alexa DiFrancesco
37
Diaries of a Dreamer:
Maisha Maimunah
39
The Brave Hearts
Sanah Malik
41
Reflections
Sofia Suleman
44
Heavy Skin
Shakkoi Hibbert
47
The Part I Hate for
You To See:
Joanna Spouge
49
Migration & the
Perpetuating
Discrimination Against
Women’s Health:
Bhanvi Sachdeva
63
Escapism - My Biggest
Survival Hack:
Saman Saeed
67
Where You From By Riz
Ahmed - An Interpretation:
Theevya Ragu
75
A Collection of Artworks
Erhan Us
79
Cosmic Wonder
Kathryn DeFrank
81
Art by
Naiomy Ekanayake
83
Indigenous but
not Exiguous:
Kazi Murzak Hoque
85
Day 187
Viridiana Crespo
87
Continuous Acts
of Violence:
Surita Teresa Wignall
92
Photo Collection
Zoe Cheung
margins.
71
artist
spotlight:
huma khan
Huma Khan is an artist that
works with both acrylics and
mixed media mediums. She
focuses on abstract expression
in her art work.
55
In Conversation
with: Transit
Justice TO.
In this interview, Editor-in-Chief
Shagun Kanwar connects with
Transit Justice TO in order to discuss
the evolving issues
surrounding transit, mobility, and
policing in the face of COVID-19.
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS.
14 15
Visual Credits: Atul Vinayak

vol. IV | issue. I
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CHADWICK BOSEMAN,
THE BUTTERFLY
by Alexa DiFrancesco
& Zachariah Highgate
In May of 2018, outside Howard University, Chadwick Boseman prepares to
receive a Doctorate of Humane Letters. He stands mid-field, his head bowed.
Though an unsettling wind booms throughout his setting, the actor remains
unphased; his fingers, attentively clutching onto one another, focus his posture
into keeping sturdy. Sunlight pulses against his temple, revealing a glistening
sweat that trickles to his cheeks. At a moment he delegates as desirable, Boseman
purses his lips and boldly steps forward. His eyes gape as if for the first
time he’s fully absorbing his powers.
Though easily comparative of the scene in which Boseman’s most-famed character
Black Panther’s T’Challa awaits his coordination, the actor instead measures
his triumphs through another Black portrait; he qualifies his challenges
as daunting as circling a boxing ring, his stamina a worthy contender to heavyweight
champion Muhammed Ali.
Visual Credits: Eric Thayer
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vol. IV | issue. I
“I remember walking across this yard on
what seemed to be a random day, my head
down lost in my own world of issues like
many of you do daily”, Boseman reflects
to the graduates of Howard University on
the same occasion. “I’m almost at the center
of the yard. I raised my head and [he]
was walking towards me. Time seemed to
slow down as his eyes locked on mine and
opened wide. He raised his fist to a quintessential
guard. [...] His movements were
flashes of a past greater than I can imagine.
His security let the joke play along for
a second before they ushered him away,
and I walked away, floating like a butterfly
(Johnson, 2020).
“I walked away amused at him, amused
at myself, amused at life for this moment
that almost no one would ever believe.
I walked away light and ready to take on
the world,” Boseman muses. He turns to
the row of professors seated behind him;
as a university alumni, it’s likely that some
had taught him less than twenty years
prior. Though in discourse with them,
Boseman’s forthcoming words flawlessly
summarize his accomplishment since
graduating: “That is the magic of this
world. Almost anything can happen here.”
Chadwick Boseman was born and raised
in the manufacturing hub of Anderson,
South Carolina, in 1976; the youngest of
three boys each born five years apart. His
father, Leroy, worked for an agricultural
conglomerate and earned extra income as
an upholsterer; his mother, Carolyn was a
nurse with an unflappable temperament
to match. Boseman’s brothers - and proclaimed
“closest role models” - had foreshadowed
Boseman’s passion for public
self-expression; Derrick, the eldest, is now
a preacher in Tennessee; whilst Kevin, the
middle, is a dancer who’s toured with the
stage adaptation of The Lion King.
In Anderson, there was little context for
boys who dreamed of becoming dancers,
much less Black ones, Boseman attested.
“It was like, ‘What is that?’” he recalled to
the New York Times of his parents’ initial reaction
to his brother’s chosen work (Ugwu,
2019). “It wasn’t something that my family
understood.” Nevertheless, Kevin’s passion
would soon transcribe to his younger brother,
a basketball-player-turned-storyteller at
sixteen, following the shooting and killing
of a teammate. (In this time, Boseman affirms
to have processed his emotions by
writing what eventually transformed to
the play Crossroads.) With regards to college
consideration, Boseman chose a Fine
Arts program at Howard University, with
the intention of becoming a director. While
there, he would be enrolled in an acting
class with Tony Award-winning actress and
director Phylicia Rashad. (One summer, she
assisted himself and classmates to enrol
in a theatre program at the University of
Oxford, an enterprise he later learned was
financed by Denzel Washington.) To earn
money, Boseman taught acting to students
at the Schomburg Center for Research in
Black Culture in Harlem.
After graduating, Boseman moved to the
Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of
Brooklyn, in which he would spend most of
his twenties. His days would be spent primarily
in coffee shops — playing chess and
writing plays, some influenced by hip-hop
and Pan-African Theology.
Boseman’s first credited acting role was
the 2003 All My Children character Reginald
Porter, a seemingly-rough individual
from Pine Valley, who was being treated
at a clinic for a stab wound. When the
police were called for his character, Boseman
was directed to hold actress Finola
Hughes - who’d portrayed Anna Devane - at
scissor-point.
18 19
Visual Credits: Danny Moloshok

margins.
margins.
“I was already promised to make six figures,
more money than I had ever seen. [...] Once
I saw the role I was playing, I found myself
conflicted,” Boseman elucidated in 2018
for graduates of Howard University. Per this
occasion, the actor was delivering a commencement
address for his alma mater. “A
young man in his formative years with a violent
streak pulled into the allure of gang
involvement. That’s somebody’s real story.
Never judge the characters you play....I was
conflicted because this role seemed to be
wrapped up in assumptions about us as
Black folk. The writing failed to search for
specificity” (Johnson, 2020).
He continued: “After filming the first two
episodes, execs of the show called me into
their offices and told me how happy they
were with my performance. They wanted
me to be around for a long time. They said
if there was anything that I needed, just let
them know. [...] I decided to ask them some
simple questions about the background of
my character, questions that I felt were pertinent
to the plot. Question number one:
Where is my father? The exec answered,
“Well, he left when you were younger.”
Of course. Okay. Okay. Question number
two: In this script, it alluded to my mother
not being equipped to operate as a good
parent, so why exactly did my little brother
and I have to go into foster care? Matter-of-factly,
he said, ‘Well, of course she is
on heroin.’” Though ultimately let go from
the position, Boseman upheld his advocacy
for accurate portrayal of Black characters:
“The questions that I asked set the producers
on guard and perhaps paved the way
for a less stereotypical portrayal for the
Black actor that stepped into the role after
me.” (The actor hired would be Michael B.
Jordan, who would later oppose Boseman’s
character in the film Black Panther.)
Boseman’s role in 42 found him breaking
barriers for people of colour as professional
baseball player, Jackie Robinson.
There was an emphasis on heroism
throughout the film, further highlighted
by the challenges Jackie faced. This was
especially prominent in the way children
idolized him. One professional baseball
player, Ed Charles, is played by a young
boy that looks up to Jackie. While watching
his game at City Island Park, Ed prays
for Jackie and asks God to allow Jackie
to show the spectators hurling racist remarks
“what we can do” (42). This moment
showcased how much Ed’s character
related to Jackie, realizing his potential
when others could not. He knew he could
prove the spectators (and baseball league
as a whole) wrong, even though it was his
first time seeing the baseball player in action.
Like the viewer, Ed’s mother watched
him silently, realizing the importance of
Jackie’s position to her son and to a new
generation. Later on, when Jackie is getting
on the train to go to a game in Jersey
City, he spots Ed and his friends (who have
been waiting to see him leave) and throws
him a baseball. Ed, realizing how incredible
this moment is, chases after the train
with his friends in tow. He outruns them,
and as the train continues on its way, he
bends over to listen to the train tracks,
explaining that he “can still hear him”.
He sees the star that Jackie is becoming
and recognizes the importance of seeing
himself in someone he looks up. These
moments highlight how necessary it is for
the coming generations to see themselves
represented in those that come before
them.
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vol. IV | issue. I
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42 also showcased how important it was
to understand the responsibilities tied to
opportunities. During a game against the
Philadelphia Phillies, Jackie is taunted by
the opposition’s manager, who throws
racial taunts at him when he steps up to
bat. While he is initially able to ignore the
remarks, he finds himself unable to focus
on playing well. During a moment that he
takes to consider his options, the gravity
of the situation settles within his team
and supporters. He ultimately walks away,
making it to the dugout before screaming
out his frustrations. Knowing that
he could have lost all that he’d worked
“Sometimes, you need to
feel the pain and sting
of defeat to activate the
real passion and purpose
that God predestined
inside of you.”
for had he reacted differently (even if it
was justified) is something he is aware of
throughout the movie. As his career continued
to propel, he had to recognize how
high the stakes were every time he played.
When he is initially offered a contract
from Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers
owner explains to him that he needs
a player who “has the guts not to react”
to the racial injustices he would have to
face. While he was being given never-before-seen
opportunities, he would have to
navigate them knowing that there would
be pushback and prejudice. Before signing
with the Brooklyn Dodgers later in
the film, Jackie’s wife expresses concerns
about what could come with him playing
for them. In response, he says “God built
me to last”, further emphasizing his resolve
to be a successful baseball player in spite of
the challenges he was continually presented
with. Following the passing of Boseman,
choreographer Aakomon Jones spoke on
how his presence was “very kinglike, and
not king like ‘I rule over’ but ‘I’m the king
who brings the community, and I lead from
that perspective’” (Jacobs). This not only
showcases Boseman’s dedication to uplifting
his community but also how he recognized
his role as a leader in those efforts.
Knowing that as a leader, there would be
challenges and obstacles every step of the
way. Boseman’s philanthropic efforts in
addition to the roles he played highlighted
his dedication to making a difference while
showcasing the stories of others along the
way.
In the conclusion of his speech, Boseman
once again refers to his mythical encounter
with the acclaimed boxer. The actor’s
expression, however, is more somber as
he emphasises a newfound resilience: “I
thought of Ali in the middle of the yard in
his elder years, drawing from his victories
and his losses. At that moment I realized
something new about the greatness of Ali
and how he carried his crown. I realized
that he was transferring something to me
on that day. He was transferring the spirit of
the fighter in me.” For the first moment in
his address, Boseman peers into the crowd,
studying their reaction. As if foreshadowing
the heartbreak of his death and the moving
pensiveness which would follow, he offers
a reminder: “Sometimes, you need to feel
the pain and sting of defeat to activate the
real passion and purpose that God predestined
inside of you” (Johnson, 2020).
This passion is clearly visible in Boseman’s
real life philanthropic efforts. It is important
to note that following the release of Black
Panther, Chadwick bought out a showing of
the movie at the Amstar Stadium that 312
underprivileged youth were invited to attend
(Evans). As this stadium was situated
in the city he was born and raised in (Anderson,
South Carolina), this showcased
how much of a “hometown hero” he had
become. It allowed youth in his city to celebrate
this and also feel inspired to pursue
their own career goals. He would also
“It allowed youth in his
city to celebrate this
and also feel inspired to
pursue their own career
goals.”
support the fundraising efforts of Frederick
Joseph in his quest to fund viewings of
Black Panther for the Boys and Girls Club of
Harlem (BBC News). Additionally, Chadwick
spoke candidly about the impact Black Panther
had on the youth during an interview
for the film. Speaking of the time in which
he spent conversing with two terminally
ill children who passed before the release
of the movie, he said, “it put me back in
the mind of being a kid, just to experience
those two little boys’ anticipation of this
movie...it means a lot” (SiriusXM). His grief
during this moment signified how important
his younger supporters were to him,
and how necessary it was to be a source
of inspiration for them.
Throughout his life, Chadwick respected
the trailblazers that came before
him and worked to continue breaking
barriers like they did. His talent, drive,
and magnanimity inspired millions and
allowed for many to see themselves in
the roles he played. As said by Aakomon
Jones, Chadwick was “always about upward
mobility. He was about the underdog.
He was about taking his artistry
seriously, and he was forever a student”
(Jacobs ). While gone too soon, Chadwick’s
legacy will continue to showcase
the grace and leadership abilities he personified.
(Returning to) In a transformative
moment in Black Panther, Boseman,
as T’Challa, lies unconscious after being
thrown from a cliff in a battle against
Killmonger. T’Challa’s mother, his sister,
and his love interest all cover his face in
snow, hoping for a revival. Boseman, accepting
his impending death, ventures
to a mystical plane, greeted by ancestors
to bring him home.
May Boseman be welcomed to this
realm by his role model, Ali. May his
body transform to the butterfly in that
his soul was on Earth.
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WORKS CITED
BBCNews. “Disney ‘celebrates’ Black
Panther by giving $1m to charity.” BBC
News; Entertainment & Arts, 27 Feb
2018, https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-43212336.
Accessed
10 Sept 2020.
Evans, Nick. “Chadwick Boseman Also
Bought Out A Black Panther Screening
for Kids.” Cinema Blend, 29 Feb
2018, https://www.cinemablend.com/
news/2314082/chadwick-boseman-also-bought-out-a-black-panther-screening-for-kids.
Accessed 10 Sept 2020.
42. Directed by Brian Helgeland, performances
by Chadwick Boseman, Harrison
Ford, and Nicole Beharie, Warner Bros,
2013.
Jacobs, Matthew. “‘Didn’t Take Any Of It
For Granted’: How Chadwick Boseman’s
Humility Made Him A Star.” Huffington
Post, 2 Sept 2020, https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/chadwick-boseman-aakomon-jones-get-on-up_n_5f4eb530c5b6fea87461a41c?ri18n=true.
Accessed 10 Sept 2020.
Johnson, Lauren M. “Howard University
Alum Chadwick Boseman’s Powerful
Commencement Speech Challenged
Students and Praised Protesters.”
CNN, 29 Aug. 2020,4:29pm, www.cnn.
com/2020/08/29/us/howard-university-commencement-speech-chadwick-boseman-trnd/index.html.
SiriusXM. “Chadwick Boseman Gets
Emotional About Black Panther’s Cultural
Impact.” Youtube, uploaded by SiriusXM,
13 Feb 2020,
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=6J-D86wfxiE.
Ugwu, Reggie. “How Chadwick Boseman
Embodies Black Male Dignity.”
New York Times, 2 Jan. 2019, www.
cnn.com/2020/08/29/us/howard-university-commencement-speech-chadwick-boseman-trnd/index.html.
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Visual Credits: Evie S

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INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS IN THE
TIME OF COVID-19
by Radhika Gupta
International students are a vibrant part of Canada’s diverse student community.
In recent years, there are an estimated 642,000 students pursuing studies
in Canada who bring “new cultural ideas and economic prosperity to Canada’s
shores”, contributing an estimated $21.6 billion to Canada’s GDP. In fact, Canada
in recent years has ranked third as far as attracting international students,
making it one of the most highly sought after countries to study in, a trend that
would have seemingly continued if it were not for COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed all of our lives, there is no debating that.
However, international students have faced unique challenges as a result of
this pandemic whether it’s in terms of our studies, our social lives, or even our
plans for the next few years, if not more. With one of the largest international
student populations both in Canada and even at UTSC, being from China,
the place where the virus is thought to have originated, students of Chinese
descent have expressed they feel increasingly ostracized from their peers. A
Korean Canadian student (who asked to remain anonymous) communicated
that they felt like “[they were] being criminalized for something that I have no
control over. Diseases spread and we can all only do our part to follow regulations
and minimize spread.” Anti-Asian racism has increased over the course of
the pandemic but many international students feel it is not their most pressing
concern.
“When UTSC shut down in mid-March, I was not prepared and neither was my
family. I experienced extreme anxiety, I did not have much money on me and
felt that I could not eat properly which made the anxiousness more intense”,
shared K. Moslehi. She added that the lockdown measures as well as the complete
shut-down of campus made them feel extremely isolated, adding, “some
of my roommates were from Canada so they went home to their families but I
was not allowed to travel back home or leave my house. I stayed inside, alone
for two months with no outside interaction.”
Many health professionals have tried to warn the public about a “secondary
pandemic’’ with increased mental wellness concerns, primarily related
to depression and/or anxiety as a result of many of the sudden life changes
that COVID has brought about. Many international students echo this
sentiment, noting increased feelings of loneliness in isolation that have
impacted their moods, mostly related to anxiety. Multiple students shared
they tried to fly home on multiple occasions only to have their tickets cancelled
repeatedly due to lockdown measures and travel restrictions from
many of their home countries.
Another student, who has asked to remain anonymous, shared that due to
international money transfers being delayed as well as being overlooked
in pandemic relief funds due to her international status, she turned to sex
work — work that is explicitly outlawed on most student visas (for reference,
both my study & work visa say I cannot be a stripper, sex worker,
or massuese as these are grounds for deportation) in order to help cover
basic finances like her rent and food.
Some students feel that they were overlooked by both the Canadian government
as well as the university. Many UTSC students expressed gratitude
that they were allowed to stay in residence (unlike students at the
downtown UofT campus who shared they were given short notice to clear
the premises, many with no exceptions despite travel restrictions) but
we should not be thanking the university for offering the bare minimum.
International students are and have been an important part of Canada’s
student experience but have been repeatedly left out, overlooked and neglected
throughout this pandemic. Of the few who were lucky enough to
travel back home, many are unable to return back to Toronto and have
been forced to either put their studies on hold or make do with rushed
online lectures at odd hours of the night.
Other students who have had to shift back home shared re-adjusting to
the family dynamic can be tough. S. Abdulrahamn shared, “I lived abroad
for two years in Canada completing my studies and did not have much
time to go home outside of Christmas holidays. Now I study from home
and my Dad is working from home... my parents are unable to comprehend
how independent I have become.” She shares that the lack of freedom
at home combined with needing to stay inside for most of the day
has proved to be a challenge for her family but “[we] are learning to adjust
to living together once more and learning to be mindful of everyone’s differing
needs, again.”
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COVID has not been all bad, though. Some students, however, have expressed that
the pandemic, though challenging, has only served to reinforce their desire to pursue
their studies. Another student in the IDS program shared, “[COVID-19] showed
me I am studying the right thing. We learned about these disparities in the classroom
and now we can see them unfolding in real time in our lives.” The pandemic
has served to illustrate and remind many of us of the privilege we hold. It is a privilege
to be able to study abroad at all, to have a shelter and family to return to, and
to have friends and a community that we are able to miss.
I have also, personally, been touched by the kindness of many of my professors and
specific admin at the university. As J. Harjo said, “All acts of kindness are lights in
the [fight] for justice” and much of the admin at university has taken it upon themselves
in the pandemic to side with students, to exercise compassion with all of
their students, but particularly international ones who may feel “stranded” and/or
lonely. As challenging as life has been, I am motivated by the promise of an eventual
return to Canada and to the UTSC community. I have been able to take time
this pandemic to reflect on how lucky I am in many ways, and how thankful I am to
have someplace to look forward to returning to, something that made saying goodbye
so bittersweet. If anything, international students have proven their resilience
through this pandemic, showing that even if overlooked, we refuse to give up. To
any and all students in this pandemic right now, you are not alone, keep going!
28 29
Visual Credits: Daniel Olah

1
stay safe
if you’re studying outside,
make sure to wear a MASK
(has to go over the nose)
and bring hand sanitizer
10
invest in
headphones
These will help keep those pesky
distractions out of
your mind
9
manage
your time
If you have a lot of assignments,
make sure you know where they are
so you don’t spend time looking at
the last minute
vol. IV | issue. I
2
get
organized
Use an multiproductive app like Notion, or
stick to an old school agenda
3
practice
mindfulness
Use mindfulness apps like
Headspace to take time to collect
your thoughts.
10 BACK TO SCHOOL
ESSENTIALS FOR
REMOTE LEARNING
8
find stress
outlets
Use some stress balls to release the
negatuve energy that’s
affecting your mood
7
grab snacks
Get some snacks to munch on so you
don’t go hungry while watching your lectures
or studying
30 31
margins.
4
find a virtual
study buddy
Plan a virtual study session with your friends
to make studying for courses a little easier
5
study space
Invest in a study space where
you know you will
be productive
6
make
boundaries
If you need quiet study time at
home, make sure you put a sign
on your door to signal people that
you’re in the study zone

vol. IV | issue. I
margins.
Visual Credits: Federica Giusti
Edited By: Arya Bhat
Visual Credits: Arya Bhat
JULENE EXTER’S CASE
OF THE VARSITY BLUES
by Alexa DiFrancesco
Visual Credits: Carolyn V
Contrary to the sentiments of an annual
surplus of a hundred thousand applicants,
Julene Exeter did not want to be accepted
into the University of Toronto.
“I actually crossed my fingers and hoped I
didn’t get in,” the twenty-year-old admits
to me, nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders
on our Zoom call. This afternoon,
she’s speaking from her bedroom, a recently
established homework-hub (“This
is great, I don’t have to get out of bed,”
she describes her online learning adjustment
circa COVID-19). Julene then adjusts
her laptop, revealing her backdrop; it’s
plastered by posters of musicians such as
Playboy Carti and Migos, behind, the thin
borders of the wall are an eccentric lime
green. Per its extensive detail, Julene’s
dedication in transforming the space is
obvious; a shocking fact given her original
intention of applying to solely commuter
schools after her completion of secondary
education.
“[The University of] Ottawa, [Wilfred] Laurier,
Carleton [University],” Julene lists,
the tips of her lilac purple acrylics scratching
her palm. “And I applied to York [University].
My dad said, ‘I’ll pay the extra for
you to apply to [The University of Toronto].
But I was scared to. I thought, ‘I’m not
going to get in. Why waste money when I
know I’m not going to get in?’”
Julene finishes the statement with an
amused chuckle. Given her success in the
most recent academic year, I can’t blame
her. Mere months before our interview,
the former University of Toronto student
had completed the spring semester’s
‘Critical Writing About Literature’ class
with an A+ grade. The course’s culminating
assignment – a literary essay worth
thirty percent of her total assessment –
had boasted the same mark; its sophistication
and poise granting her a publication
offer in her professor’s textbook.
Per the University of Toronto’s caliber
of global distinction, such is an accolade
most students can only dream of attaining.
Julene expands her initial hesitation
towards applying for Canada’s most acclaimed
university: “They’re known for
taking the best, the smartest students….I
did well in school, but I didn’t want to
be embarrassed. I started getting into
the schools further away, but I changed my
mind [because of my anxiety]. I thought I
had to get into a school [in the GTA]. I got
into York, the second last week before I
couldn’t be anymore. I remember my dad
saying, ‘If you’re going to take it, just accept
it now.’ I told him no.”
The reason for this resistance is one Julene
can only accredit to fate. Though the then
high-school senior had applied for a social
science program at the institution’s St.
George campus, she had received acceptance
to its Scarborough school; the latter,
one bus ride from her house, saving her
hours of commuting time. When reminiscing,
Julene admits that both the prestige
and convenience of her offer were essential
in persuading her to accept it: “The last day
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vol. IV | issue. I
margins.
of acceptances, I got in. Three o’clock in
the morning. It was a blessing. Based on
the fact that it was close to home and a
really good school…I didn’t feel the need
to go anywhere else.”
Much to her disappointment, Julene’s assurance
proved to be not a newfound outlook;
rather, a temporary reassurance. As
her freshman semester began, the student
soon felt unmotivated by assigned course
work; a conflict which would hinder her
academic success: “I had taken five classes
and I failed two. I tried my best. I did the
readings. I went to the tutorials. I did web
development, the small quizzes. It just
wasn’t enough. I was warned about being
on academic probation if I didn’t start
passing my classes. That’s when I realized
I had to [start] self-care. I was so scared of
failing again that I made those changes.”
A fraction of ‘those changes’ pertains to
the decision of enrolling in ‘Critical Writing
in Literature’ Julene asserts, glancing
at her musical posters. “This class was the
perfect opportunity to hone these skills. I
attacked assignments very early, so it gave
me enough time to send it to [the professor].
It was using the opportunity to see if
I was on the right track, and if I wasn’t, I
could make changes [at that time]. Every
assignment. I had to get feedback. I fought
for that. I’d rather know how to change
things than send it in and cross my fingers.”
Admittedly, Julene attests that this standard
of academic work wouldn’t have
been attained without support from her
professor. She elaborates: “She made herself
so accessible. How could I turn that
down? It would be stupid of me not to
use that. When we started going online
– [as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic]
– I had to express that I needed some
time because my mental health was not
there. She gave me an extension on my
assignments. I took that entire first week
of quarantine to myself and it was very
beneficial. I needed that rest.”
Such mental rest, Julene attests, would
prove crucial when completing the prospectively-published
paper. Though she
had approached its writing process later
than originally anticipated – “five days
before it was due” – this resulting timecrunch
was not a discouraging factor. Rather,
Julene felt confident when penning her
ideas: “The entire course was working our
way up to it…we had the materials, all of
our notes, the book. All I had to do was
take everything I had and make it longer.”
“I know I deserved it,” Julene elaborates
of her essay’s success. She then describes
its creation as being “mentally draining”,
divulging that submitting it for feedback
and additional time would have been useful.
“But over a month later, [the professor]
had emailed me. The subject line was
‘Want to be in my book?’ or something.”
(We both laugh; Julene later verifies that
the subject line was ‘Featuring your essay
in my book?’) “It was so long after classes
had finished that I wasn’t expecting to
hear from her. She had complimented me
and said my essay was a model for showing
how much [it’s possible to] improve in
a short period of time. I remember I started
crying when I read that. The first person
I told was my best friend. She said, ‘Yes,
you got the A, but now you can say you did
something good. All your hard work was
worth it.’”
Visual Credits: Ferdinand Stohr
“It was one thing to successfully finish that
semester during that time,” Julene beams,
alluding to the detriments of online learning.
“I started to finally see what people
saw in me. They said, ‘You’re smart; you
just have to put your mind to it.’ And it’s
not like I never did. I’m very hard on myself.
But it showed me that when [a situation is]
bad, I will be able to accomplish anything.
Even now, the first week of school, I’m really
unmotivated. And I had to remind myself
that there was a time last semester where
I was unmotivated. I couldn’t complete
anything and I had overcome that. So even
though I don’t feel well right now, I know I’ll
get back to it.”
Though a former student of the University
of Toronto, Julene’s alluded ‘first week
of school’ isn’t spent hovering Blackboard
Collaborate. Instead, she’s logging onto
Brightspace, a website used to administer
online course material at Ryerson University.
The choice, though difficult, is one the
now-first-year-student felt was essential to
further her knowledge in Child and Youth
Care studies, a field she hopes to be employed
in upon completion of her undergraduate
degree.
Concerning University of Toronto, Julene’s
sentiments are a testament to the unapologetic,
unbridled resilience which the institution
had instilled in her: “I don’t regret
going there, saying ‘I tried, I did it.’”
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vol. IV | issue. I
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diaries of
a dreamer.
maisha
maimunah
Our feelings are based on extremities. There is no
warmth if you have never experienced cold. There is no
beginning without an end, a high without a low and a
life without death.
Even a circle must stop where it once began. A short
span of breath to make memories and wait for the end.
Isn’t that why it is called the circle of life?
It is after all a rat race…
On your marks.… Get Set! Go!
Wear your blindfold and run. Run towards happiness.
Grind yourself to the finish line. Submerge yourself into
the competition. You can rest when you die. Do not chase
butterflies, hunt the aspirations. Even if it’s someone
else’s.
Worship the ground of power. Chase the cheers of success.
Count your money, not your dreams. After all,
these are the three pillars of human happiness. And in
the handful of minutes we get in life, isn’t that what
we want happiness….
So, what kind of race are you running, a sprint or a
marathon? Do you like hustling or do you work because
you do not want to be labelled a slacker? I started as
the latter, only to change tracks into the former. It
was not a conscious decision. It is a trend, an aesthetic.
Who doesn’t want to be aesthetic? The way, talent
and success are weighed on scales of multi-tasking. I
wanted to be talented.
I wonder if it is the same for a few of the other rats;
somewhere, between start to finish we became the very
thing we wanted to avoid. Hustlers without a prize. Our
consolation? Hey! at least you finished. But at what
cost? Our mental health, our blood, sweat, tears and
sleep that gave us nothing but anxiety with a shot of
depression in the mix.
Now, what would have happened if we ran towards our
dreams? We may not be the top ten, maybe not even a thousand.
But there would be a prize at the end of the line.
Happiness… Then again, why build a sandcastle in the middle
of the sea? So, we suffocate our desires in the dark.
And just participate.
I do not know what happens after I finish. When we are
standing still. No one talks about fairy tales after the
happily ever after.
Stillness is such a foreign concept to my generation. Our
race has levels, first a diploma, then a degree, a job,
family then retirement maybe. Keeping up with the world is
the rule. But what happens when the world itself stops.
The paranoia of nothingness hits like a ton of bricks.
No due dates, endless time, the world is giving you the
chance to do anything. No back door deals, no loopholes: a
chance. Then why do I feel empty? I could dance, read my
favourite book, and do all the things that I was forced to
put in the “later” list. The possibilities are endless.
Then why does my empty to-do list haunt me?
Why do I take on self-projects and deadlines? Anything
to keep my mind and hands busy. No one is forcing me; the
world is just trying to survive. Oh, how the tables have
turned but I desperately cling to the other side. I am
losing my mind.
I turned my hobbies into chores.
I cannot take this restlessness anymore.
Preach me stillness. Preach me calm.
Can I be redeemed from this harm?
I am lost on my track; I do not know how to turn back.
This is a cry for help. I forgot how freedom felt.
Sincerely,
A has-been dreamer
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vol. IV | issue. I
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the brave hearts.
sanah malik
I feel like I’m running out of time,
Every now and then, I stumble upon a deadline.
It’s what I was shown, how I could truly be,
In a distant land shining in all of its glory.
My head may ache but my soul never does,
It’s the price I paid,
For both my rent and my resurrection.
I may toil endlessly, work hard to make ends meet,
But this Land is powerful, it keeps awake all my dreams.
The student loan mounts on my head,
I may feel anxious sometimes but I still earn my daily bread.
Every street plays a different medley,
The hearts here are all bound by sincerity.
Thousands live here, each with their own cultural identity.
My will to survive increases because of their magnanimity.
My home was different,
So, why does this Land always seem more ambient?
Each path I tread makes me want to go further,
The opportunities here never suffice my hunger.
This Land is great, because it was made up with people like me,
The Hustlers, the Migrants, the Refugees.
Visual Credits: Filip Mroz
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vol. IV | issue. I
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reflections.
sofia suleman.
I spend my day consumed with how I look in the mirror.
“It was never like this,” I promise to my sister,
who worries about when I will stop this banter.
“She’s being dramatic,” Dad tells her,
in an effort to control my slander.
But I would never look at the mirror so much.
I would never compare her flat stomach with my mush.
I would never call myself ugly on purpose.
Though now, “ugliness” has become my purpose.
It’s funny to me now that I think about it,
I tend to connect ascending happiness with descending
weight.
Who gave words like fat and skinny their meaning?
Who let the media be so god damn controlling?
For me to think my body,
my skin that God blessed me with is disgusting?
In my eyes, skinny was the victory,
a guarantee that I’d be happy.
But our minds need satisfaction
That does not reside in silhouettes and skeletons.
I forget that it is possible to love your fat and rolls;
to look at your body and strive for goals,
your own,
to nurture your soul.
A body is a vessel at the end of the day
and people will say what they’re going to say.
but white noise is bright noise
that blinds my vision.
Do they remember when they called me
a cow,
a pig,
Or do these words that make me shiver,
remain a blip in their conversation.
I always laugh off the piercing voices.
Though I smell the obscenity
toasting my open wounds.
Always saying no to beach days, shopping
trips, and sleepovers.
Always crying after watching tv, movies, or
reading magazines.
Always praying every night for my body to
transfigure.
Always dreading intimacy.
It’s all connected you see.
Self-hatred will be the death of me.
For it has swallowed me in its vortex,
Strangling me.
It took a beautiful butterfly roaming free,
And shoved her in a stifling conservatory.
So now I spend my days consumed in mirrors.
How clear is my skin?
Thick is my hair?
Straight are my teeth?
Stomach hanging.
Ass sagging.
There was a time I used to smile in the
mirror, unapologetically.
Before my flaws struck me like a flock of
birds,
squawking and fluttering out the screen.
Before I felt ugly.
Before I was fixated with the myth of beauty.
40 41

margins.
margins.
about shakkoi hibbert
Needsomekoi & Floetryfitness
Shakkoi, also known as, “Need Some Koi”, has
been writing poetry for over 10 years. In 2018
she self published a poetry book titled, The
Poetic Transitions from a Hothead to a Conscious
Queen. This book confronts anger in a
way that allows one to reflect on their own emotions
and appreciate the tribulations that they
have been through. Shakkoi is a Self Expression
Coach as she uses poetry and movement, through
her Floetry Fitness workshops to allow participants
to express themselves verbally and physically.
She has facilitated Self Love workshops
that evolve through poetry. With years of experience
in the community as a speaker and spoken
word poet under her belt, there is no doubt
that everyone needs some Koi in their lives.
Visual Credits: Vincent Guth
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vol. IV | issue. I
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heavy skin.
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to wear skin less
heavy.
Like would we get the time for nourishment and not have to
grow up before we are ready.
Does God mourn for black skin?
Now how to prove this to my unborn son?
Feeling like we in the matrix with no Keanu.
If Trinity is our lover, I see no holy in it.
I want to have a child that I won’t have to worry about
mourning.
I want to believe in the good of the morning each time I
open my eyes,
But the reality rises so I wish thee a happy one.
Happy rising while we start disguising the heros we see,
Since they get taken down like posters.
Pussies with pain in holsters,
How do you sleep with hate in your heart?
Allies I’m scared to have a son, cause I don’t know if I
can save him.
Histories of single motherhood. Is that my destiny?
More reasons to fear for this unborn baby.
I can’t erase history so I grab a pen to write for my
future.
Black minds race as we live the races between races.
Races between our blood running on the streets,
Our tears racing each other down our faces.
The race from the media for mental time to breathe
As we see them, who is us, slain PUBLICLY!
They say be the change you want to see,
But how can one bring the community to the finish line,
When we see that even in a pandemic that doesn’t mean a
stop to black crime.
Lemme ask you would you rather Malcolm X or just Malcolm?
Our goal is not take all the problems and just solve em
Legends remind us of the power of self beliefs.
Like they saw what was wrong and used their voices to
believe.
Overstand the grand plans to change common beliefs.
Don’t carry the weight of our skin on your sleeves.
Don’t carry the weight of our skin on your shoulders.
Don’t carry the weight of our skin on your hearts.
Might look thin, but it’s heavy doe!
Galactied from the spiritual,
Can you hear the beauty of black skin?
Heavy skin, a tale of alternative perspective as we
praise our heavy skin like the gold that it is weighed
in,
MELANIN!!
Reminding us that you are not here to save us,
But to remind us to be united and
That for our rights we have always fighted.
It doesn’t matter if we make baby steps,
In the grand scale of things our ancestors saw their escapings
as baby steps,
But look at us now!
Look at us now!
Black people hold your head high!
This heavy skin shines light in the darkest times.
Heavy Skin, a quarter to a dime.
Heavy Skin,
Heavy Skin,
I love my MELANIN.
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vol. IV | issue. I
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the part i hate for
you to see.
TW: sexual trauma & PTSD
Holding a sunken face
Grappling in the dark for some semblance of affection
I can hear gasps in the distance
The echoes of a forgotten memory,
His face slowly melding into yours
Lips tasting of the same negligence and regret
It’s been five years.
Visual Credits: Alex Mao
about joanna spouge
j.spouge
My name is Joanna Spouge, I’m a 3rd year student
majoring in Political Science with a double minor
in Gender Studies and Environmental Ethics. I’m
incredibly passionate about mental health
advocacy, especially in relation to sexual trauma
and how the past can affect one’s present state.
Writing about my own experiences with PTSD have
greatly empowered me and I hope to do the same for
others reading my work.
The room is wrapping itself around my throat
Caving in on two jagged, separate entities
Memories being dragged from the depths of my lower
abdomen,
Ripped from my throat, taunting me in the air
As you pin me against a checkered gray comforter
Constricted, breathless, out of control.
It’s the familiar feeling of emptiness
Where the memories used to lie
When you kiss me goodnight,
Sleeping as far away from me as possible
Damaged goods don’t taste as good after the first
bite
And it’s been five years, so
I’m rotten from the inside
It just takes an hour to find the darkening, putrid
tissue
Lying behind the pale exterior.
These are the parts I hate the most
For your eyes to see.
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vol. IV | issue. I
margins.
MIGRATION AND THE PERPETUATING
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
WOMEN’S HEALTH
by Bhanvi Sachdeva
Migration is often idealized as a move prudent on the search for a “better
life”. However, for many women globally, it is a paralyzing, difficult transition.
This paper discusses how migration tears open the vulnerabilities of immigrant
women as opposed to providing them with a safer life.
In literary terms, migration typically involves
the movement of individuals internationally;
from undeveloped countries
to higher developed ones or nationally;
from rural to urban areas. This move is primarily
incentivized by economic stability,
employment and an overall amelioration
of socio-economic status. The ideal nature
of migration is best captured by Ben
Ki-Moon; a South-Korean politician, who
edified it as an “expression of the human
aspiration for dignity, safety and a better
future” which is a part of the “makeup of
the social fabric”. In recent cases, however,
the reality contrasts this idyllic image
almost entirely. Rather it is prevalent in
the form of displacement and an abysmal
search of refuge from war and disease
inflicted areas; termed more commonly
as involuntary or forced movement. As a
result of which, a large number of these
migrants constitute women and children,
raising public health concerns surrounding
women’s health.
According to a report conducted by United
Nations in 2017, 48.4% of the approximate
258 million migrants worldwide
were women. In some countries, including
in Ghana, Guatemala, and India, this number
has exceeded to over 56%. Many of
these migrants, upon arrival in host cities,
countries, etc. occupy minimum waged
jobs in hopes to settle quickly – most commonly
by men who are pressurized into
providing for the family. Regardless of
their educational backgrounds or prior experiences,
migrants are left with jobs that
vary from labour jobs at warehouses, construction,
to even working overtime in retail
stores with a simple goal of providing
for their family. Candidates are selected
for such jobs based primarily on gender,
age, as well as their ability to speak the
native language of the host region. Historically,
women in underdeveloped nations
are less likely to have access to educational
opportunities, which does not bode
well with adapting to higher educational
standards. This again, most commonly discriminates
against women, especially of
older age who are also unable to lift heavy
weights or work long hours compared to
men.
The need to escape, whether it is domestic
violence, war, disease, or the poor living
conditions, justifies the actions of many
women to seek advice and shelter from
external sources. The road to such resources,
however, is quite often full of unbidden
turbulence involving people who promise
safety in host regions – more often that
not, border authorities are also bribed to
safely escort migrant women and children
to “safer” places. This process is most evident
in North Korean defector cases,
where women and children typically bribe
either North Korean or Chinese authorities
to help them flee the country. In most
Visual Credits: Greg Rosenke
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cases, the defectors are caught by the government
and sanctioned for a death penalty.
However, in ones, where their attempts
to cross borders are successful, the journey
is unfathomably difficult.
“The fear of facing the
unknown in a new land
can hence be worsened
when supplemented with
these complications.”
Many take this journey up by foot travelling
through many countries including
Singapore, Malaysia, China – left to starve
for days until they reach the host country:
South Korea. Contrarily, others are
exploited and assaulted to their own end.
Women lose their more than just freedom,
and young girls lose more than their virginity.
The terrors tear up their dignity, integrity,
and their human rights into shreds. Unprotected
from the justice system, females
also face an escalated risk of contracting
various sexually transmitted diseases. They
are left to choose between returning back
to North Korea where they will be sentenced
to a brutal death or living through
the assault and experiencing the never before
whiff of freedom from a grisly regime.
For many, it is the latter of the two. Consequentially,
the unbearable psychological
and physiological scars leave the majority
of the migrants traumatized for the rest of
their lives.
For countless women globally, the unspeakable
terrors of seeking refuge exacerbate
an already elevated vulnerability to exploitation,
sexual violence, and many other
brutal forms of oppression. Fundamentally,
the root causes of exploitation lie within
the type of immigration; i.e., a woman
who is involuntarily migrating into a country
is more likely to face greater exploitation
than a woman who moves voluntarily.
Doubtlessly, involuntary movement
comes with greater complications that
involve a lack of proper documentation,
or a lack of access to their documents
by their employers or escorts who bring
them into a host nation, city, etc. This is
rooted in the dangers of sex trafficking
especially prominent in young girls; who
once recruited into this process are given
little to no autonomy over their bodies or
their documents. Indeed, the best way for
them to stay alive is to continue working
under the oppressive rule of their escorts
(traffickers).
Furthermore, the unawareness of laws
and inability to speak the host nation’s
native language can prohibit these women
further from seeking redress from
legal authorities in a “foreign land”. The
fear of facing the unknown in a new land
can hence be worsened when supplemented
with these complications. Leaving
these women vulnerable to sexual assaults
and exploitation simply to remain
safe or seek economic stability. As many
immigrant women would describe it as
“paying with their bodies”. This is not a
survival tactic perpetrated by these women,
rather an obligation to provide for and
protect their families amidst an unknown
environment.
Melvin, a 35-year-old mother from Guatemala
reveals the aforementioned vulnerability
and “risking it all” to pursue a
journey from Guatemala to Texas via the
Rio Grande on a raft. She had paid men in
the United States to safely get her settled
in Texas, in hopes to start a new life with
her children. Rather, her reality was altered
when these same men drugged her with
cocaine and other intoxicating pills simply
to place her in a room where she would be
assaulted and raped countless times over
the course of four months. She states that
“she had been raped to the point where
they didn’t even see her as a human being”.
Melvin’s story is one of many migrant
women across the globe, of whom over
70% of them go unreported and unprosecuted
every year. Men whose authority
seems to define a country’s legal system
to such vulnerable women, disregard their
basic human rights in scrutinizing ways.
Though women speak about such brutality
in open courtrooms, many are still in the
shadows of feminist movements, worried
about their safety every breathing minute.
Read: In a Border Courtroom, a Migrant
Woman Confronts Her Biggest Fear
The increased vulnerability to sexual exploitation
causes women to live precariously
as is, however, when supplemented
with high poverty rates and a
pandemic, these conditions get much
worse. As in many parts of the world, the
COVID-19 pandemic has cost the jobs of
many individuals and escalated numerous
companies into bankruptcy. But for the less
fortunate, the lack of jobs has come with
starvation, a lack of health care, and for
the women – a surprisingly increasing risk
of domestic violence leading to life-threatening
reproductitve disorders including
HIV and other STDs. Approximately 55%
of migrant women informed CARE international
regarding the damaging effects of
the COVID-19 pandemic on not only their
physical health but also described it as an
“unpaid source of stress and psychological
trauma”. Alongside poor living conditions,
women constitute a majority of the informal
sector (individuals that work or operate
“While some were able
to reach home safely,
others weren’t so lucky
and lost theirs alongside
the lives of their
unborn children.”
businesses in unprotected or unlicensed
areas); which has been hit the hardest in
this pandemic. As a result, women in developing
or underdeveloped nations face
worse reproductive or menstrual hygiene
than they previously did. Not only does
this pandemic affect their reproductive
hygiene, it has drastic effects on the mental
health especially psychological development
of young girls. Gender based violence
has reached its peak since the start
of COVID-19 and continues to detriment
the livelihood, mental health, and basic
hygiene of women worldwide.
Such is the case in India, a country that
reached a poverty ranking of 49 in a mere
two months and poverty strikes nearly
22% of the population. In order to seek
employment, individuals (mostly men) migrate
from areas including Bihar, Assam,
etc. to the bigger Metropolitan states and
cities such as Maharashtra and Delhi, totalling
around 54 million migrants. With
the lockdown in place, individuals fear financial
crisis but most importantly, the impending
fear of starvation. Furthermore,
an absence of transport facilities during
this time, migrant labourers, infants, pregnant
women, and even the elderly walked
thousands of miles barefoot to their native
areas. On top of the fear of starvation and
financial crisis, the pregnant women were
at risks of miscarriage and other life-threatening
conditions. While some were able
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vol. IV | issue. I
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WORKS CITED
to reach home safely, others weren’t so
lucky and lost theirs alongside the lives of
their unborn children. This isn’t the fault
of a man who fails to take care of his wife,
rather the nation’s public health department
that has failed to take care of those
most vulnerable to the side effects of the
pandemic. Reverse migration i.e. migration
back to the native land, is highly likely
to affect the country negatively, alongside
raising the jeopardy of contamination and
infection. Along the process of migration,
numerous elderlies, women – especially
pregnant women are prone to suicidal tendencies
in a belief that their families will
not be able to afford health care or the basic
necessities of food and shelter.
Abstracts Database - National Criminal Justice
Reference Service. (2020). Ncjrs.Gov. https://
www.ncjrs.gov/App/abstractdb/AbstractDBDetails.aspx?id=198386
Adanu, R. M. K., & Johnson, T. R. B. (2009). Migration
and women’s health. International Journal
of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 106(2), 179–181.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.03.036
Coronavirus: Huge crowds as India lockdown
sparks mass migration. (2020). BBC News.
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-india-52093574
Delara, M. (2016). Social Determinants of
Immigrant Women’s Mental Health. Advances
in Public Health, 1–11. https://doi.
org/10.1155/2016/9730162
Remesh, B. P. (2020, September 10). Movement
of peoples in South Asia calls for building solidarities,
collective action. The Indian Express; The
Indian Express
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/
columns/labour-migration-in-south-asia-women-migration-coronavirus-6589719/
She told us so, Rapid gender analysis: Filling the
Data Gap to Build Back Equal - World. (2020,
September 22). ReliefWeb. https://reliefweb.int/
report/world/she-told-us-so-rapid-gender-analysis-filling-data-gap-build-back-equal
The effects of migration on women’s health and
reproductive health in Turkey. (2017). Oatext.
Com. https://www.oatext.com/the-effects-ofmigration-on-womens-health-and-reproductivehealth-in-turkey.php#gsc.tab=0
Alongside neglecting basic necessities of
women in developing and underdeveloped
nations, the unspeakable laws of social
membership have forgotten the essential
elements of human rights. The mystery
isn’t deciphering the cause of migration
for these women, rather determining how
the prevalence of involuntary cases leads
to greater obstacles in obtaining adequate
health care in host countries. The need for
an activist endeavor against this discrimination
is very well encapsulated in Susan
B. Anthony’s infamous quote “The true republic:
men, their rights, and nothing more:
women, their rights and nothing less.” The
change mustn’t just occur within the legal
system to protect the unprotected, but also
within the community to normalize raising
a voice against brutal oppression.
Visual Credits: Hassan Rafhaan
Dr Faysal El Kak discusses the impact of migration
on women’s health. (2018). Figo. https://
www.figo.org/news/migration-and-womens-health
Erickson, M., Goldenberg, S. M., Ajok, M., Muldoon,
K. A., Muzaaya, G., & Shannon, K. (2015).
Structural determinants of dual contraceptive
use among female sex workers in Gulu, northern
Uganda. International Journal of Gynecology
& Obstetrics, 131(1), 91–95. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.04.029
Mukhra, R., Krishan, K., & Kanchan, T. (2020).
COVID-19 Sets off Mass Migration in India.
Archives of Medical Research. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.arcmed.2020.06.003
(2020). https://www.unfpa.org/news/five-reasons-migration-feminist-issue
Vissandjee, B., Desmeules, M., Cao, Z., Abdool,
S., & Kazanjian, A. (2004). Integrating Ethnicity
and Migration as Determinants of Canadian
Women’s Health. BMC Women’s Health, 4(Suppl
1), S32. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6874-4-
s1-s32
Women’s Health. (2014, October 22). Migrantclinician.Org.
https://www.migrantclinician.org/
issues/womenshealth
‘You Have to Pay with Your Body’: The Hidden
Nightmare of Sexual Violence on the Border.
(2019, March 3). The New York Times. https://
www.nytimes.com/2019/03/03/us/border-rapes-migrant-women.html
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IN CONVERSATION WITH:
TRANSIT JUSTICE TO.
by Shagun Kanwar
Shagun Kanwar: What is Transit Justice
TO?
Transit Justice TO: Transit Justice TO is a
platform to combat the very violent, anti-poor,
anti-homeless campaigning that
the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is
doing against fare evasion. It’s more so an
anti-fare inspector hotline because that
is my capacity as one individual. A lot of
people have tried doing this, there is a
Facebook group that reports fare inspectors,
like where they are but it’s not big
enough, it’s not public enough… It’s a private
group which makes it hard to access.
There was nothing really focused on this
aspect of transit organizing and actually
truly calling out these people.
Visual Credits: Corey Agopian
In this interview, Editor-in-Chief Shagun Kanwar connects with Transit
Justice TO in order to discuss the evolving issues surrounding transit,
mobility, and policing in the face of COVID-19.
This primarily just started out as an anti-fare
inspector hotline. We try to report
fare inspectors wherever they are, like the
location and time so people know, in order
to make that information public. Without
this information, people don’t know if
they can safely go about their day without
being policed and harassed by these fare
inspectors.
SK: You’ve definitely created an accessible
network on Instagram and Twitter.
TJ.TO: I was doing a pilot run with Twitter,
but I found that Instagram is more engaging
for people.
SK: What are the most pressing transit issues
currently?
TJ.TO: I think that the most pressing issue
right now is the fact that there isn’t a full
TTC service currently despite the TTC essentially
operating at very high capacity.
The people that take the TTC aren’t people
who work in jobs that they can telecommute
or work from home. They are
people that work in the so-called essential
services we are discussing, yet they don’t
have even the most basic, full TTC service
that they need to get to work, which obviously
is not enough anyway because of
the lack of connections to the inner suburbs
for rapid transit. Yes, there are newer
rapid bus lanes but in the same process,
they are removing stops and telling people
to go to other stops even though some
people are familiar with just one stop.
Personally, I’ve been riding the TTC these
days. Even with the signs and everything,
you can’t confirm 6 feet between people.
Sometimes, people pull off their masks to
talk and it’s not something you can enforce
very well, like one driver can’t do that really
well. Buses being sanitized twice a day is
not enough at all because of the ridership.
Sanitization should be occurring at every
terminal, every time. As we’ve seen with
the pandemic, the inequalities have only
gotten bigger. The fact that fare inspectors
have been told to go back to doing their
jobs as normal is not okay because the
people who are taking transit right now
literally need it. It’s their lifeline. It’s not
people going on non-essential trips so why
are [they] still policing them for not paying
$3.25? Like it doesn’t make any sense at
this point especially.
SK: Of course, it’s largely an issue of accessibility
and mobility around the city. To
my knowledge, they did stop at one point
with collecting fares during the pandemic,
but they resumed back, correct?
TJ.TO: Actually no, they did not stop collecting
fares. They never said, “transit is
free”. I personally think that they did not
want people to get used to it. They didn’t
want people to say that they want this
forever. For that reason, they kept fares
on transit. What they did was back-door
boarding so it was contactless with the
Presto but that doesn’t mean that people
still did not fear even being approached
by fare inspectors. Fare inspectors were
still working, they did not stop working.
They were informed that their duties had
changed and that they were to just be doing
education. I find that so unnecessary
in a time where people need to be social
distancing and there is a need for as few
people on the transit system as possible.
There was never a stopping in fare collection,
there was just a stopping in fare
prosecution or inspection. However, fare
inspectors were still present to intimidate
people in the name of so-called “education”.
SK: Why are you against fare inspectors?
Some people may say that by not paying
fares, it wears down the system more.
How would you respond to those folks?
TJ.TO: The reason why transit justice is
focused primarily on anti-fare inspecting
campaigns and in the greater ask for free
transit is because there is a lot of transit
advocacy already happening but that transit
advocacy tries to appeal to the city’s
current ideals in keeping that fare and
maintaining the status quo and not asking
for free transit but asking for no more
criminalization on the TTC. That’s why I
felt that there needed to be someone doing
something about this.
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The main problem with the TTC is that
they rely so much on fares. The reason
that fare evasion is even a problem is because
there is fund evasion happening.
What I mean by that is that there is not
enough funding being allocated for transit
and that is why we still have a broken
Line 2 and crumbling stations like Warden,
this is not because a few small numbers of
people did not pay fare. It’s because the
province and the city are not funding transit
properly.
SK: I remember even reading a statistic
somewhere that 67% of TTC’s operating
budget is dependent on fares which is the
highest ratio in North America.
TJ.TO: Yes, exactly! That’s why we have the
highest fares in North America.
SK: Why is it important to advocate for
free transit?
TJ.TO: I actually truly believe that transit is
a human right because people need to be
able to get places. If they don’t have a car,
they obviously rely on transit to go further
distances. People in the inner suburbs
especially live very far from the employment
districts and areas where they can
receive employment. Those are the people
that need it the most and those are
the people that rely on transit to put food
on their table basically because they need
to go to work. But there’s also homemakers,
there’s people that also need to take
the transit to go get groceries or take their
kids to a better school. There are so many
reasons that make transit a human right.
What impedes that human right is when
you are not able to pay for it and you get
criminalized for that.
SK: I agree, even with healthcare, the access
is limited if you can’t travel to hospitals
or other facilities.
TJ.TO: Or like a different X-ray clinic or
something like that. The main reason a
lot of people advocate [for free transit] is
because of the environment. If you make
transit a more pleasing, well-connected,
better option for people, then they’re not
going to take their car and go through the
high traffic 401 in a single occupancy vehicle.
People will take transit if it’s better
and if you make it free, you’re making it
more attractive to people.
SK: For sure! I was reading that in one city
in France, they made transit free and its
increased ridership by 85% which is such
a huge number. Even from an environmental
standpoint, you’re reducing your
carbon footprint by getting single occupancy
vehicles off the road.
SK: With all the advantages of free transit,
why do you think that transit is not
free in Toronto, Ontario, or in Canada?
TJ.TO: Well, I can’t really get into a politician’s
head, but I think that the main reason
why is that truly, there isn’t a value
for people’s lives. That’s why so many issues
haven’t been solved. Like why isn’t
Pharmacare free? Why isn’t dental care
free? There isn’t a value for people in accessing
the very human necessities and
the things they need. I don’t really know
how to answer that.
SK: Transit affects the lives of so many
people. Do you think it’s the lack of organizing
efforts or the lack of mobilization
of the masses to advocate for this change
on a larger level?
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vol. IV | issue. I
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TJ.TO: It’s difficult to say what it is.
There’s a lack of political will, there’s
a lack of pressure from citizens, from
working class-people. There isn’t one
big movement of people that are advocating
for free transit like the way they
are advocating for the minimum wage
increase. The work is definitely happening
though. There is a Free Transit Coalition
in many cities, like in Toronto but
it’s fairly new. Hopefully it expands and
gets even bigger. I think that it’s beyond
me though. I can’t be the authority or
spokesperson.
SK: What has changed during the
pandemic with transit? We know the
amount of people using transit has gone
down so the folks using transit are really
the ones that absolutely need to utilize
it for their daily survival. Do you think
actions taken during the pandemic will
cause a domino effect in the future?
TJ.TO: Well, I hope so. The one fear I’ve
had since the beginning is all this change,
this crazy amount of inequality has surfaced
and laid bare for everybody. If after
all this, if nothing changes and the
needle doesn’t move forward, I’m really
worried… I don’t want that to happen.
Every individual has been through so
much, especially the people that are not
able to work from home. I think this has
angered a lot of people, that transit is
so crowded. Before we used to just deal
with how crowded it was, but now it’s
actually a danger to our health.
SK: There is a larger burden being put on
the TTC because of decreased ridership.
Going forward, do you think that the
TTC’s budgets will be expanded in ways
to benefit the public?
TJ.TO: It’s difficult to say. Already, cities
have been reporting their huge deficits
from COVID-19. The burden is mostly on
the province currently. The city doesn’t
really have access to money in the same
way that the province does. We saw when
the city was told, “hey, how about we decrease
funding of the police and re-allocate
that funding to transit, to anti-homeless
initiatives, etc., it was a firm NO.
There was so much advocacy and so much
done and it was a firm NO from Mayor
Tory and all his supporters in the council.
There aren’t enough progressive voices in
the council and these people have sat in
their seats for so long and increased the police
budget to over a billion dollars. There
is already such a big policing mindset in
the city and that same mindset is projected
onto transit through the fare inspector
program and the hiring of more inspectors.
I really just think they’re going to say “we
lost so much money during the pandemic
for the TTC, now it matters more. You need
to pay your fare”… it might just turn into
more policing for people. That’s what I really
fear.
SK: Do you think that student unions
would be useful in mobilizing for action
when it comes to transit justice?
TJ.TO: Yes! Everyone complains about transit
all the time. The main issue is that they
don’t know where to take that energy and
frustration. Student unions and these organizations
can mobilize people and their
membership by letting them know what
to do. Especially in this very digital time,
student unions have very important roles
because they’re almost people’s only connection
to campus now. Before you would
just go [in person] and see what’s going on
Visual Credits: Jha Visuals
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but now, you’re really plugged into social
media and what’s happening on campus
through the union and the university’s social
media. I think they need to step up
and make clear demands to the city and
council and move beyond just spreading
awareness. They should really be making
concrete asks on behalf of the student
membership.
SK: Transit has always been an issue in the
lives of so many people. As you were saying,
it’s a frustration that so many of us
voice like “Oh damn, the TTC’s late!” or
that there’s no space…
TJ.TO: It feels so vast, it feels like you can’t
do anything about it.
SK: I feel that people detach from it in a
way sometimes. It’s like, “Oh, you can’t
control the weather. It’s raining!”. It’s like
what can you do?
TJ.TO: Exactly. People have become so accustomed
to how terrible it is.
SK: For someone that wants to get involved
in advocacy for transit justice,
what are some things you think folks
could do?
TJ.TO: I think the first thing is to really
just be connected to advocacy organizations
that exist. They’re very much open
and very much willing to have you volunteer
or even be on their email list and follow
their social media, see what they’re
talking about. Then you’ll know what’s
going on because all these issues that are
happening move really fast because basically
what they’re following is what the
city council is talking about. It really helps
you see what’s going on because it’s really
inaccessible, the City website and seeing
their agendas, it’s really hard to keep
up with as a regular citizen. So that really
helps you because you can see exactly
what issues are being discussed in council,
what are the main issues, what are we
talking about, how this relates to fare and
access because at the end of the day, all
these issues are very connected. There’s
TTCRiders, Scarborough Transit Action… a
lot of different organizations that focus on
this. There’s also a Free Transit Coalition,
Free Transit Toronto is a part of it.
The main thing is using your power as an
individual because when there are a lot
of opportunities that come up where you
can make a deputation. That means you
attend a committee meeting, and since
they’re online it’s even easier for you now,
you attend a committee meeting and you
prepare something to say, then email the
clerk telling them you want to depute and
you just talk about your personal experience.
You can find out when to do these
deputations through these organizations
by telling them you’re interested in deputations
about certain issues. If you don’t
like speaking, you can also just email them
your deputation. You can continuously
email and call your local councillors all the
time about the issues you believe are important.
They may or may not respond but
it’s still getting in their inbox, it’s still pushing.
Imagine, if you do it, so many people
do it, they’re going to have to listen.
SK: Alright, thank you so much for taking
the time out to talk with me today!
I greatly appreciate it.
TJ.TO: It was great connecting with you!
transitjusticeto
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ESCAPISM - MY BIGGEST
SURVIVAL HACK
by Saman Saeed
POV: My Dad walks into my room to see me wrapped in blankets watching
yet another Bollywood movie. It’s the third one this week. Entranced by
the movie, it’s one of his favorites, he sits down and starts watching it with
me. An hour and a half later, when my Dad’s finally out of his Bollywood
reverie, and has officially stepped back into more of a parental role, he
scans my room to find an almost empty box of pizza, a bottle of coke and
random chocolate wrappers lying around. Frowning, he turns to me asking
me to find something else to occupy my time, instead of wasting days just
watching movies on repeat. He even told me that “if you really want to
watch something, you should watch documentaries because at least they
would be informative.”
“But they make me sad”, I replied; I think
that’s when we figured out my problem. I
wanted an escape from reality, and my escape
was in the form of the magical world
of Bollywood where the hero can beat
up 100 guys in one go, or a girl randomly
falls into the arms of her one true love
and where people seem to be invincible. It
was the perfect escape from this pandemic-ridden
world where every day the news
channels report on the increasing number
of COVID cases and how there seems to
be no end in sight to this pandemic.
The word escapism usually has negative
connotations. It is understood as an unhealthy
way for one to cope with their
reality and is often said to lead to one’s
refusal to face up to reality. Studies also
show that those who use escapism tend
to usually be depressed. This can be attributed
to the fact that avoiding one’s
issues instead of dealing with them puts
people at the risk of developing depressive
symptoms. An example of such is the
widely popular form of escapism - gaming.
This addiction is shown to be linked
to loneliness and compulsiveness (Reed).
However, there is “good” and “bad” escapism.
Good escapism consists of those
methods which seem to broaden one’s
world by allowing them to think outside
the box. An example of this form of escapism
is daydreaming. Bad escapism is categorized
as those forms of escapism which
are solely focused on letting one escape
their problems. Examples of these include
drugs and other forms of addiction.
One of the most common forms during
these past few months have been through
entertainment such as music, television
shows, movies and gaming. As reported
by the Guardian, “Netflix announced that
they added 15.77 million subscribers globally,
well above the 7 million they were
initially expecting” (Rushe and Lee). This
massive influx of subscribers can be owed
to the COVID-19 lockdown which has led
to people being confined in their homes
with minimal entertainment. Having continuous
access to a wide variety of television
shows and movies allows people to
adjust to this new reality by submerging
themselves in fantasy.
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With so many awful things happening in
the world right now, it is only natural to
want a little escape. Like mentioned earlier,
there are many different forms of
escapism. When the lockdown went into
effect, I remember seeing my Instagram
stories flooded with people making dalgona
coffee. Then a few weeks later, they
were baking banana bread. Then, came
the diagonal wall paintings. Somewhere
in there, a lot of people began to immerse
themselves further in the world of tiktok.
I also know of a lot of people who started
small Instagram based businesses, You-
Tube channels and blogs. This was a collective
coping method; the world came
together to deal with this pandemic by
submerging ourselves into other activities.
Like many of us, I too used these methods
to cope. I didn’t exactly bake banana
bread, but I did make a lot of brownies.
I bought random art supplies to fulfill my
dream of being an artistic person. I did
manage to, after a month, paint my wall. I
also attempted to start a YouTube channel
but soon realized that it wasn’t for me, so
I started a writing account on Instagram.
All these things kept me occupied long
enough to ignore the distressing reality.
However, there were and still are days
where I lack the energy to leave my bed.
Those days, I find comfort through Netflix.
I think I watched my favorite television series
about 3 times in a row; it got to the
point where my mom pleaded with me to
watch quite literally anything else. Every
time she would hear the theme song, she
would go “not again”, which to be honest
was extremely understandable. I didn’t
even understand why I chose to watch the
same show on repeat. It took me a while
to figure it out, but I finally realized that
with so much uncertainty in the world, it
gave me a sense of comfort to know what
was happening in the television show. It
gave me the little control that I needed to
stay afloat during this pandemic.
Like me, many others use television shows
and movies to escape. Many different media
outlets have also adapted to the situation
by coming up with ways to still connect
with people. Examples of these include releasing
new movies directly to outlets such
as Netflix and Disney Plus. They have also
started virtual premieres to make people
feel a little less isolated. This emphasizes
how the world has come together during
these times to support one another while
simultaneously escaping from the harsh
realities of a virus infested world. Leading
to the conclusion, that escapism is necessary
to survive during these trying times.
WORKS CITED
Reed, Lyn. Why Escapism can be Harmful.
17 April 2017. 7 September 2020.
Rushe, Dominic and Benjamin Lee. Netflix
doubles expected tally of new subscribers
amid Covid-19 lockdown. 21 April 2020. 8
September 2020.
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vol. IV | issue. I
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WHERE YOU FROM
BY RIZ AHMED -
AN INTERPRETATION
by Theevya Ragu
They ever ask you “Where you from?”
Like, “Where you really from?”
Riz Ahmed, a prominent British Pakistani actor and rapper, addresses the turmoil
behind the Pakistani diaspora in Britain, within his second studio album,
“The Long Goodbye”. A classic breakup album, yet the breakup here is between
a child of two immigrant parents and his country, the United Kingdom. No, this
isn’t the typical rap song to play at your next birthday party, but a powerful
artistic and political commentary. .
A piece that will surely resonate with those who have ever felt that they don’t
fit in anywhere, that they don’t belong, that they want to give up on a piece
of their identity. This article highlights a
few of the most powerful and moving
lines from the song “Where You From”,
that hints at many of the ongoing internal
struggles faced by first-generation
immigrants in Western countries today.
“My ancestors’ Indian but India was
not for us”
The Pakistani diaspora, the 6th largest
diaspora in the world, includes British
Pakistanis, the second-largest ethnic minority
group in the U.K. (Malik). In 1947,
the Indian subcontinent divided into
two separate nations, Muslim-majority
became what is now known as Pakistan
and Hindu-majority resided in India, yet
the effects of this partition are frighteningly
still felt today. Last year, the rivalry
between the two nuclear states came to
a head. A suicide bombing, orchestrated
by a Pakistan-based terror group, killed
at least 40 Indian soldiers in Kashmir, to
which India retaliated by launching limited
strikes into the Pakistani boundary
of Kashmir, for the first time since a war
in 1971. However, the bloodshed didn’t
end there. India’s parliament led by the
Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), passed a new Citizenship Amendment
Bill in 2019. This bill primarily enshrines
the anti-Muslim sentiment, violating
the secularist standards of the
country.
The bill permits a fast-track path to
Indian citizenship for those religious
minorities escaping persecution in Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, and Pakistan, including
Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Christians,
and so on, except Muslims. Thousands
in India took to the streets to protest
against the discriminatory bill, as for the
first time in the country’s history, religion
became a criterion for nationality
(Masih and Slater). Yet, Prime Minister
Modi blamed the opposition party for
instilling fear among citizens, and defended
the bill by stating that the law
is specific to the three Islamic countries
where religious minorities such as Hindus
and Sikhs, often face harassment.
“My people built the West, we even
gave the skinheads swastikas
Now everybody everywhere want
their country back
If you want me back to where I’m from
then bruv I need a map
Or if everyone just gets their shit back
then that’s bless for us
You only built a piece of this place
bruv, the rest was us
Maybe I’m from everywhere
and nowhere
No man’s land, between the trenches
Nothing grows there
But it’s fertilized by the brown bodies
Fought for you in the war”
Ahmed pours out his frustration against
Britain for using his people to their advantage,
whether for labour or warfare,
all just to be alienated on British soil.
Around 400,000 Muslim soldiers from
pre-partitioned India sacrificed their
lives for Britain, and fought alongside
their troops in World War I(Quinn). Succeeding
the independence of Pakistan,
immigration to the United Kingdom began
to escalate. Pakistani immigrants
made immeasurable contributions in
the British steel, textile, engineering
and healthcare workforces, at a time
when Britain was experiencing labour
shortages (Chand).
Yet, thee discrimination and neglect
faced by the Pakistani population still
continues around the world today. Repercussions
of the COVID-19 pandemic
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stretched across the world, where thousands
of garment workers in Pakistan
protested against the sudden layoffs,
and unpaid salaries from factories supplying
global fashion brands.
His lyrics also point out that it isn’t just
manpower which British colonialists exploited
, but also a large part of their
culture was appropriated. Prior to the
arrival of the early Western travellers to
Asia, the swastika was widely used in India
as a symbol of peace and well being,
by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. However,
by the 20th century, the swastika was
used for commercial purposes as goodluck,
by several brands such as Coca-Cola
and Carlsberg (Campion). The Nazis
associated Sanskrit with the German
language, which led to the imagined
“superior” Aryan race, the creation of
years of anti-Semitic atrocities in Europe
(Campion). They adopted the swastika
as a way to add credibility and lineage
for the Germanic people and soon, it
became one of the most feared and simultaneously
ill-regarded symbols in
Western history.
Riz Ahmed, expresses the disconnect
and exasperation towards Britian’s discrimination.
This rap song emphasizes
the frightening reality of anti-Muslim
sentiments across the world, but also
the importance of fighting racial discrimination
through art and other creative
platforms.
“My tribe is a quest to a land
that was lost to us
And its name is dignity
So where I’m from is not
your problem bruv”
WORKS CITED
Campion, Mukti Jain. “How the World
Loved the Swastika - until Hitler
Stole It.” BBC News, BBC, 23 Oct.
2014, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29644591.
Chand, Masud. “A Catalyst for Globalization
and Knowledge Flows: the
South Asian Diaspora.” Globalization,
Change and Learning in South Asia,
Chandos Publishing, 27 Mar. 2014,
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780857094643500039.
Malik, Sonia. Pakistani Diaspora: An
Overview. 22 Oct. 2019, www.britishpakistanfoundation.com/pakistani-diaspora-an-overview/.
Masih, Niha, and Joanna Slater. “India’s
New Citizenship Law Sparks
Anger and Unrest.” The Washington
Post, WP Company, 13 Dec.
2019, www.washingtonpost.com/
world/asia_pacific/indias-new-citizenship-law-sparks-anger-and-unrest/2019/12/13/ba95141a-1d91-
11ea-977a-15a6710ed6da_story.
html.
Quinn, Ben. “The Muslims Who
Fought for Britain in the First World
War.” The Guardian, Guardian News
and Media, 1 Aug. 2014, www.
theguardian.com/world/2014/
aug/02/muslim-soldiers-first-worldwar.
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about huma khan
huma_ullah43
facebook.com/khan.huma.102
I am working in acrylic and mix media in both the
mediums; I have experimented in varying tones of
different colours with different patterns.
In addition, somewhere. I also use textures according
to the needs of my paintings.
My medium of expression is “ABSTRACT” nature’s
patterns and forms of cloud’s are abundantly found
in my art, where impression is of shadow and light
concrete form of nature are interpreted in
abstract forms.
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about erhan us
erhanus
erhanus.com
Erhan Us is a conceptual artist and author, who
has participated in more than 70 exhibitions in
over 20 countries. He has received over 25 local
and international honorary awards with respect to
his NGO presidency and marketing projects. In his
words, “Creating and transferring knowledge have
always been the most honourable mission of being
human for me. I dreamed of a harmonious exchange
of consciousness between the artist and the audience.
Artwork should be the object that would
raise awareness on; sociology and ethics, identity,
politics/autocracy, manipulated realities, religion
and dogma, corruption, status quo, commoditization,
success, self-confrontation, liberties and women’s
rights, instead of it being decorative”.
Visual Credits: Karthik Swarnkar
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about “the layer”
An interpretation of the concept of time, within
the scope of Einstein’s General Relativity Theory,
over memories, via layers.
“transition”
about “transition”
The speed of change of the gadgets we use are unbelievable.
Human instead, has already forgotten
the responsibility for creating ideas and just
consuming
“the layer”
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about dumpster kat
kathryndefrank
Kathryn DeFrank aka dumpster kat is a photographer
and multimedia artist with a passion for showcasing
the real people behind your favorite musicians.
Working for over five years up and down the
East Coast with musicians of all walks of life she
creates photos from another world with her found
family as the subject.
Cosmic Quest. Digital photo. Featuring Richmond,
VA musician Peter $un. Taken in Nashville, TN with
styling from OG Threadz.
cosmic wonder.
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about naiomy ekanayake
facebook.com/naiomy.jayaratne
Naiomy Ekanayake
My name is Naiomy Ekanayake. I am 41 years old, I
got in to Art and Painting this year March 2020
when I attended the TLC Art class with my son Daniel.
I have painted pieces which speaks to me and
encourage me and some from the bible. I am more
interested in creating women with their expressions
and with a variety of different hair styles
with flowers and shapes, and dresses.I use acrylic
and oil paints. I do the oil paints by my fingers.
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about kazi marzuk hoque
quasikazi & kazimaagi
facebook.com/quasi.kazi.3
Indigenous people are legatees and practitioners
of unique cultures and ways of relating to the environment.
They have preserved social, cultural,
economic and political customs that are distinct
from those of the dominant societies in which they
live. The same distinctive attributes are being
pointed out to corner them into social and systematic
dehumanization. Statements such as “Dekho
dekho Chakma jacche” (look there goes a Chakma!)
are being used to alert others to stay away from
adivasis, for fear that they might infect others.
Racism is everywhere. Some are discussed less than
others. In order to genuinely abolish racism, we
must give all forms of racism towards all races
affected by it equal importance and recognition;
especially ones occurring in the home country.
They may be indigenous but that does not make them
exiguous.
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about viridiana crespo
viricrespo
My name is Viridiana Crespo, and I’m a 24 year old
Latinx, Non-Binary Lesbian. My pronouns are They/
Them. I have lived in California my whole life,
and I currently live in the city of Whittier. I’m
pursuing a BA in Creative Writing at CSULB, and my
dream is to become a writer.
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CONTINUOUS ACTS
OF VIOLENCE
by Suritah Teresa Wignall
Suritah Teresa Wignall is a painter, designer, and illustrator from Toronto,
Canada currently residing in Spain. Suritah studied fine arts at the Centro de
Arte Acción Directa and studied Design at Lab Seville in the beautiful South of
Spain, Seville.
“Human life is limited but I would like to live forever.”
―Yukio Mishima
These were words echoed by one of the most prolific writers of the 21st century
and one of my favourite writers. But for my People, human life is not only
limited, it’s in grave danger, as Black bodies continue to be hunted and taken
out. This pandemic has been one of my greatest challenges, a blessing and a
curse.
For someone like me who has dealt with emotional issues, the isolation scared
me, I didn’t know if I was going to be OK, I was worried, but this is where the
blessings came in; many institutions and community organizations provided
their services online so here I was, participating in online meditation, pilates,
working with my Chinese doctors, my therapist, my dietitian and doing Qi Gong
with my African Healer. I was even keeping myself busy by doing work studies
with my friends and acquaintances online, because having that kind of company,
kept me accountable in completing unfinished projects.
A couple of weeks had passed and then horrible news spread, footage came
out of an unarmed Black Man being hunted down and murdered. Ahmaud Arbery,
was going for a jog in his neighbourhood when a bunch of Barbarians who
thought he fit the description took the law into their own hands and gunned
him down in the middle of the street. I didn’t watch the footage because it was
too traumatizing, it is always traumatizing to see your own being murdered.
So there I was again, having to heal my heart, subdue the hatred, talk to my
therapist and find my balance.
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As time went on, more calamity struck: “Young Black Woman shot in her home
while she slept”. Breonna Taylor was killed meaninglessly by a group of hooligans.
They stormed her home, broke down her door and without identifying
who they themselves were, shot multiple times at her bed, where she slept:
a place where a woman should feel the most protected, feel the most safe,
her home. Breonna was not a criminal, she was actually a first responder,
on the frontlines helping people, especially those who were diagnosed with
COVID-19. She had a dream to become a Nurse, purchase a home, get married
and have babies. A Dream Obliterated. Once again, protests rang out, people
took to the streets, lawyers and activists called in to charge and fire the men
who committed the crime, but it was only until recently where a settlement
was made in $12 million to the Taylor Family. But the hooligans who killed her,
still have their jobs. No charges were made as the money was basically hush
money, to shut the world and the family up to try to make this story go away.
So once again, I needed to replenish my energy, heal my heart, talk to my therapist,
do my Qi Gong, practice my Pilates, congregate with my chosen family to
make sure everyone including myself was feeling OK and find a way to continue
to move on and live a great life in a world that finds no value in Black Life.
It was not even a short time later when we once again witnessed another Black
Man murdered in front of the world. The gruesome murder of George Floyd
over a $20 counterfeit bill.
George Floyd died.... over...... a......... $20......... counterfeit bill.
He not only died over something so ludicrous but he cried out, he begged, he
pleaded for his life, first echoing the words, “I can’t breathe” and then echoing
the words, “Mama”. How could you not cringe at the visuals? How could you
not have empathy? I did not watch the video. I only saw 8 seconds to know
exactly what happened and how. This public lynching sparked protests around
the world as people were outraged, horrified, angry, heartbroken, vigilant, and
mostly, TIRED. My People have been constantly tired.
That week an innumerable amount of organizations rallied online in support
of the Black Community and Black only spaces opened up for Black folks who
needed to vent, cry, be heard, validated, or just be still. I participated in a Black
Yoga space for a couple of weeks and I remember the instructor breaking down
Visual Credits: Jakayla Toney
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crying a few times, many of us did, over 95 people participated in this Yoga
workshop. The largest group that I had ever congregated with online. I also remember
talking to one of my girlfriends in Spain, who said, “Suritah, I’m gonna
be offline for a while, I’m just spiritually exhausted and hurt”. Her voice said
it all, she didn’t even have to tell me anything, because I felt my friends’ pain.
We were all exhausted, spiritually drained, broken down and hurt. I cried for 3
weeks straight, morning and night, I practically cried myself to sleep sometimes
and my days felt longer than usual because, here I was not only attending to
my emotional internal world, I was now also attending to the pain manifesting
throughout my body because of all the horrible news.
And the fear, the fear almost festered, the fear of not knowing if someone
would lash out at me, discriminate against me, or take their anger out at me
because of their hatred for Black People. Ever since “That Man” took office in
the White House, his hateful rants have given Racists, people and law enforcement
the permission to act out horrendous violence. Of course this nonsense
has been happening for the last 400 years but it almost feels like people know
that they can blatantly get away with it.
I thought about my future, my goals, my dreams, My Black Body and other
Black bodies around the world and what we have to do on a daily basis to protect
and feel safe in what is considered our first Home. For me, it’s Meditating,
Praying, Pilates, Qi Gong and Tai Chi, because these kinds of trauma, hearing
or watching the news, can sit in the body and if not cared for can fester. It is
exhausting, as Beautiful as my people are and being Black is, it is also emotionally,
spiritually, mentally and physically exhausting when we are targets of
daily abuse. I immediately thought about my nephews and niece. There are 9
of them all together. I thought about their future, their wellbeing, how they are
still so young, innocent and naive to the cruelty of this world and how it’s my
job as an Aunty to continue to remind them of their Beauty and the Beauty that
does exist in this world. The youngest is one and the eldest is 14.
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an
act of political warfare.” Audre Lorde
I can sit here, with anger, hatred, frustration, and fear. But all of that would just
embitter in my soul, billow through my organs and eventually turn into disease.
And I refuse to live my life filled with anger all the time. What use am I to anyone,
to anything or to myself if I’m unwell. It doesn’t mean that overwhelming
amounts of emotions don’t come up from time to time. I’m human. I’m saying
that these people, these racist fucks, are not worth me dying over.
My life, My Breath and my existence is my Birthright.
So I will continue practising Pilates, Meditating, practising Qi Gong and Tai Chi, I
will cry, vent, call for support, create, and heal. I will also shut down social media
from time to time, because my mental health and wellbeing are very important...
I encourage everyone to take a break from social media from time to time.
I will be of service to my community and teach when and where I can. Because
my self preservation is an act of political warfare.
To my people, I love you. We are not just Beautiful, but we are
RESILIENT, POWERFUL and STRONG. I know we will get through this!
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about zoe cheung
Zozozoe902
www.zozozoe.com
Zoe Cheung - Photographer from Hong Kong.
Based in Toronto, Canada.
My inspiration mostly from the surrounding
peoples. I love street photography and also really
enjoy having the challenge of capturing the beauty
and character of other landscapes. My photography
shows a very unique moment to be grasped.
What I love the most about photography in all its
diversity is the capacity for a single moment to
be grasped by two people in the same picture,
Photograph allows one to traverse not only
time and place,
but also break down the barriers of other
individual perspective,
Producing a pure and eternal form of equality.
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