Immigrating to Canada requires us to learn certain things. Almost everyone can provide a definitive answer: learning the language and skills. Indeed, language and skills can help us find a relatively satisfactory job and maintain a basic standard of living. However, this only fulfills the most basic goal of immigration. What else should we learn to adapt to and integrate into Canada? Mastering the language and skills is not the end of the learning process for immigrants; it is merely a good start, the beginning of a journey. In our process of adapting to and integrating into Canada, language and skills are not the most important aspects. Even if you have mastered the language and skills well and maintained a certain standard of living, it does not necessarily mean that your immigrant life will be successful. There are many things in our immigrant lives that are far more important than language and professional skills that we must pay attention to and learn.
Learning to be Polite
Especially for many new immigrants, everyone has received a good education, and who doesn't understand politeness? Is there a need to learn it? Do not be dismissive; what does politeness in Canadian culture actually entail? From the various behaviors of immigrants, some people truly do not understand. A friend's niece is an intern at the Federal Ministry of Health. When her local colleagues talk about Chinese people, they praise their hard work, ability to endure hardship, and frugality, but they also express confusion about certain habits of Chinese people, such as not understanding that women and the elderly should be prioritized when entering and exiting, or not understanding the need to hold the door open for those carrying heavy items or those with mobility issues; for example, not yielding while driving. In their view, these are signs of a lack of politeness. The friend's niece always patiently explains to them that most Chinese people who come to Canada are well-educated and well-mannered individuals; it is not that they are impolite, but rather that they do not understand some of the polite behaviors in Canada, and some of their original habits may not have changed. Explanations aside, since we have chosen to live here, the politeness and customs of Canada are indeed worth learning. These may seem like minor details, but they relate to an individual's image and even the image of our entire immigrant community. On the other hand, politeness and cultivation are universally esteemed virtues that we cannot ignore and must adhere to.
Politeness and cultivation also play a significant role in an individual's progress and career. A former colleague of mine worked in hydropower in China. In the company, he held the position of equipment maintenance technician, earning about forty thousand a year, which is quite satisfactory for someone newly immigrated to Canada. However, not long after, he resolutely decided to resign, aiming to become a professional engineer and focusing on overcoming language barriers and preparing materials. After about a year and a half, he finally achieved his goal and found a position as a professional engineer at a power plant in the United States. Reflecting on this experience, he said he could only describe it as "luck." On the day of his interview in the U.S., an interesting incident occurred: as he walked from the parking lot to the office building, he noticed a plump middle-aged woman with dark skin walking beside him. As they approached the building entrance, he hurried a few steps ahead to open the door and let her go first. The woman thanked him and glanced at him a few times. During the interview, he was surprised to find that this dark-skinned woman was actually the lead interviewer; she was the company's technical supervisor. Although he could only understand about seventy percent of the questions asked during the interview, he still managed to secure the position. His experience illustrates the impact and significance of a small act of politeness on an individual's success.
Learning to Follow Rules
For nearly thirty years since opening its doors, Chinese society has been in the early stages of a market economy, characterized by a period of rampant desires, resource chaos, and major integration. As a result, moral standards have declined, and rules have become fragmented. However, if we immigrate to Canada and bring this mindset and behavior into our immigrant lives, it is clearly incompatible with the norms of Canadian society. This is because Canadian society has established a complete market system and a widely recognized system of professional ethics. If you violate professional ethics, your life in Canada may not be pleasant.
Regarding this issue, I interviewed a Chinese business owner who produces soy products. He is from the north and quickly entered major Chinese supermarkets in Toronto due to his early advantage and the fact that his products cater to Chinese tastes. Within two years, he paid off over five hundred thousand in housing costs and bought two new cars. This level of profit naturally attracted the envy of some people, including a worker who had been with him since the beginning of his business. This worker secretly learned the production techniques and processes of soy products and, three years later, set up his own business in another area of Toronto, forming a competitive situation with his former employer. The owner was both angry and helpless, saying, "It's all because we Northerners are too straightforward; we didn't guard against this move from the start." He is an honest person and does not want to pursue legal action. In fact, Canadian society strongly dislikes such behavior. According to some legal professionals, lawsuits of this nature are likely to win; using a former employer's technology and information for personal gain is equivalent to theft and is not tolerated by Canadian law and moral standards.
Learning to Be Honest
One of the most profound experiences in our immigrant lives is perhaps the integrity system of Canadian society. Anyone who violates integrity undoubtedly places themselves in opposition to the entire Canadian society. In such a state, survival is already difficult, let alone discussing success. A few years ago, some young international students racked up thousands or even tens of thousands on their credit cards before returning home, leading to a credit crisis for this group, to the extent that some merchants refused to accept credit cards from individuals with Asian features. These students left without looking back, and if we immigrants were to do the same, we would likely face significant trouble. I often hear of people encountering credit issues, forcing them to take the hardest and most exhausting jobs for cash, with little hope of advancement.
Our immigrant community often unconsciously neglects integrity. We only believe that commitments made on paper are effective, not realizing that even verbal promises are an important part of the integrity system in Canadian society. Failing to fulfill promises seems to be common in the Chinese community, but in the Western community, you can forget about dealing with them again. While there are factors such as language barriers and skills not being recognized, Chinese individuals find it difficult to be accepted by other ethnic groups, making it hard to showcase their abilities in Canadian society. We may need to reflect on whether our integrity is at fault.