What were your goals and expectations when moving to Canada?
Like many other Filipinos who immigrated to Canada, my mother’s goal was to find a job and start a family. Due to the lack of suitable jobs for those who had an education, going abroad seemed to be a smart choice.
My mother, who had an education as a nurse hoped that by moving to Canada that she would find a job within a related field. Around the 70’s and 80’s Canada was in need of immigrants to fill positions within the health services and school fields.
Further, in starting a family, she hoped to provide a good environment for my siblings and me to learn and grow up. The move to Canada may be in her evaluation of the school system they had in place here. She strongly believed that a Canadian education in comparison to an education in the Philippines would be more highly regarded.
However, after moving to Canada, my mother still had to work hard to establish herself. Finding a job in the health services field that didn’t require local experience was near impossible and my mother would have to settle for a restaurant job until she was able to make her education and experience consistent with Canadian standards.
