Hello everyone,

I just wanted to share a bit of my story. I moved to Toronto in 2022 for grad school and quickly fell in love with the city — the energy, the diversity, the sense of possibility. After a while, I decided to apply for permanent residency (so yes, I’m officially an immigrant now), and I finally got it this August.

After becoming a permanent resident of Canada, I began paying closer attention to social issues such as education, immigration, and the rising cost of living. My mindset is simple: since I chose to make Canada my home and became a permanent resident, I think it make sense that new comers to integrate into this society and do best to make it better — even though I’m not yet a citizen. Unfortunately, reality often feels disappointing, especially when it comes to the justice system. For example, I was honestly shocked to see that the driver who killed a mother and her daughter was granted bail. In my home country, such a person would almost certainly face prison time without the possibility of bail or a suspended sentence. After seeing similar cases of injustice on social media, I noticed that many people were blaming the Liberal Party. It made me wonder — why didn’t the Conservative Party win the last election? The truth is, I don’t really understand Western electoral politics — after all, I come from a country where elections don’t truly exist. But I’ve realized that some of my political values seem to align more with the Conservatives. Still, as an immigrant and part of a visible minority, I sometimes wonder if local people would find that surprising.

Would people think it’s odd for a non-citizen to care so deeply about issues that even some citizens don’t seem to worry about? But honestly, I can’t help it. Should a citizen simply stand by and watch a good country lose what once made it great — the safety, the fairness, the sense of opportunity? (I don't want to be too straightforward, but some laws that are passed by the libreral party gov is like a suicide to Canada.) Housing is becoming less affordable, crime seems to be getting worse, education feels unstable, and job opportunities are shrinking. As an immigrant, I can’t just stand by and watch things deteriorate. If I did, then what would be the purpose of my immigration in the first place?

I know that if I ever shared these thoughts elsewhere, some people would probably ask why I even care so much. Some might say I’m just a beneficiary of DEI policies — that if the government hadn’t opened its doors to more immigrants, I wouldn’t even be here in Canada. (And to be clear, I have nothing against DEI itself. But hasn’t it gone a bit too far when anyone who simply disagrees is immediately labeled as racist or just call me “right-wing extremist”)

I honestly don’t understand why people can’t just have calm, respectful conversations anymore. Why does every disagreement have to turn into hostility or a political label? At the end of the day, I care because this is my home now — and caring, to me, is the most natural thing to do.